Nujiang Grand Canyon

　　The Nujiang River is situated in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, bordering Myanmar and India, with a border line of 449 kilometers and an area of 14,000 square kilometers. The capital of the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture is Liuku, which administers five counties: Lushui, Bijiang, Fugong, Lanping, and Gongshan. The population is 454,000, comprising ethnic minorities such as the Lisu, Bai, Nu, Pumi, and Derung. The Nujiang and Dulong rivers flow through the high mountains and deep valleys within the region, forming the main section of the world-famous Nujiang Grand Canyon, with elevation differences of up to 4,740 meters and a total length of 621 kilometers. On both sides are the Gaoligong Mountains and Biluo Snow Mountains, with majestic peaks stretching for thousands of miles. The roaring Nujiang River runs through, featuring numerous rapids, dangerous shoals, canyons, streams, waterfalls, and lush bamboo and forests, all shrouded in misty mountains, creating a magnificent landscape known as the “Grand Canyon of the East.”　

　　Ancient rock paintings have also been discovered in Gongshan. On the Nujiang River and its tributary, the Dulong River, various types of bridges such as zip lines, vine bridges, and iron-chain bridges are preserved, resembling a living bridge museum. At the Pianma Port in Lushui County, the Pianma Anti-British Resistance Memorial Hall has been built to showcase the history of the border people resisting British invasion. The stilted wooden houses and production and daily tools of the Lisu and Derung villages are uniquely ethnic. The Lisu people practice primitive religion, preserving remnants of totem worship, with folk festivals such as “Bando,” “Dimuwa,” and “Heshi.” The Nu people celebrate the “Fairy Festival,” and the Derung people observe the “Kajiewa” festival. They wear homespun linen and fireweed fiber clothing, giving off a simple and elegant vibe. The Lisu, Nu, and Derung peoples are known for their bold and hospitable nature, as well as being a singing and dancing ethnic group. The Nujiang region boasts rich and diverse folk customs, especially the Lisu’s Knife Pole Festival and the Derung’s Buffalo Sacrifice custom, which are particularly unique. Each ethnic group has different religious beliefs, with primitive religion, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity coexisting.

　　Nujiang is an important tourist area for high-mountain valley exploration and folk custom studies in our province. Liuku is 635 kilometers from Kunming, 235 kilometers from Dali, and 150 kilometers from Baoshan. Roads connect to National Highway 320, also known as the Burma Road, leading to Kunming, Dali, Baoshan, and other places. Pianma in Lushui County is a provincial-level border port.

　　The surging Nujiang River is like an enraged golden python, rushing from north to south. The turbulent waters crash against rocky cliffs, shake the valleys, and emit deafening roars... Only by traveling here and witnessing it firsthand can one truly appreciate how fittingly named the Nujiang River is — it is truly a river of rage.

　　This mighty river that flows through the Hengduan Mountains of southwestern China originates from the southern foothills of the Tanggula Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In its upper reaches, it is called the Black Water River, known in Tibetan as “Lachuqa.” After passing through Tibet and Yunnan, it flows out of China into Myanmar, where it is called the Salween River. It has a total length of 3,200 kilometers, with 1,540 kilometers within China. On both sides of the Nujiang River, the eastern side is the Nu Mountains (also called the Biluo Snow Mountains), and the western side is the Gaoligong Mountains. Many peaks exceed 4,000 meters in elevation, with snow-capped summits, while the riverbed is only 700–800 meters above sea level, resulting in a height difference of about 3,000 meters between the river surface and mountain peaks, making it one of China’s most famous grand canyons. It is said that the Nujiang Canyon is 310 kilometers long with an average depth of 2,000 meters, second only to the world-renowned Grand Canyon in the United States (348 kilometers long and 1,737.4 meters deep), ranking as the world’s second-largest canyon.

　　The Moon Rock is a major wonder within the valley. From the road, one can clearly see what appears to be a full moon hanging behind a mountain peak. In reality, this is a nearly vertical elliptical hole about 100 meters high and 45 meters in diameter in a rocky peak of the Gaoligong Mountains, offering a view of the sky on the other side of the mountain. The Nujiang River is flanked by towering mountains and cliffs, with many riverbanks being sheer rock faces. Due to years of water erosion, some even slope dangerously toward the river. A local rhyme describes the Nujiang Canyon: “Climbing up to the clouds, descending into the abyss; even goats find no path, monkeys despair as well.”

　　There is virtually no flat land to be found here. The river road either cuts into slopes or blasts through rocks, forcibly embedding the highway into the cliffs. From a distance, this mountain road, which costs three times more to build than a typical highway, resembles a yellow silk ribbon fluttering in the wind between steep cliffs and deep valleys. Historically, the Nujiang River once made even brave and valiant heroes pause. Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the chancellor of the Shu Kingdom, led his troops on a distant expedition here. When he heard his subordinates report, “For every ten soldiers, two or three die before crossing,” the famed military strategist could only sigh and shake his feather fan, saying, “A natural barrier blocks the way — human strength is not enough.”

　　In 1942, after Japanese invaders occupied Myanmar, they attempted to cross the Nujiang River eastward to attack the inland regions of southwestern China. However, due to the resistance of the local people and the formidable obstacle posed by the Nujiang River, they ultimately retreated.

　　In the past, the isolation caused by high mountains and deep valleys, along with ethnic oppression, made even essential daily necessities like salt extremely scarce. Many people ate salt only a few times a year, and some elders’ final wish before passing away was to taste salt just once.