The Yulong National Park (also called Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) towers over Lijiang and the surrounding valley. With peaks reaching 5,600m, some geologists consider it to be one of the easternmost ranges of the Himalayas. It separates historic Tibet from Yunnan - many Tibetans still live on the northern side of the mountain, although nowadays for political reasons it is all part of the Yunnan province.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is twinned with the Matterhorn - it's hard to decide which is more impressive
The National Park is rated as an AAAAA tourist attraction in China (the highest rating, also given to sites such as the Great Wall or Forbidden City) thanks to its natural beauty. The main attraction for Chinese tourists that come here is the Glacier Park Cableway, which takes visitors up to a viewing platform at 4,500m altitude. This is so popular that it is almost always sold out in advance, although there are two other less popular cable cars in the park.
I decided that I would see enough of the mountains cycling and hiking through them, so didn't pre-purchase and cable car tickets. I don't regret the decision as when I went past it seemed pretty crowded. I was attracted more to exploring the impressive serenity of the mountains under my own steam.
Shuhe - Hetaoyuan
It is possible to do this route in one day, but I recommend taking your time in this region and splitting it up over two days. The high altitude can make the climbs a little trickier than they first seem, and you certainly won't be in a hurry to leave behind the spectacular scenery.
I split the route up by spending a night at Yulong Snow Mountain Liyunli Homestay, which had stunning views.
The top of the pass in the National Park is well over 3,000m altitude
The first part of the ride is actually not all that interesting. The ancient town of Baisha makes for a nice first stop, although depending on how many tourists are there, you may wish to divert around the cobbled main road through town.
Shortly afterwards the main climb up to the Yulong National Park begins. This is kind of a main road, but traffic is not particularly heavy and there are two lanes most of the way. In my experience, Chinese drivers were very considerate towards cyclists.
You wil pass through a toll gate where you have to pay a fee to enter the Park, I think this cost about 100 RMB, but you will be in the National Park for about the next 30km so its a worthy investment!
This lake is part of a complex at the top of the climb, near to the very popular cable car up to Glacier Park
From the top of the climb the peaks really begin to show themselves. On the right hand side is a lake and an area where a spectacular horse show is performed - nearby is also the cable car up to the glacier. This is a nice spot to rest and take in the beautiful views.
As I began a short descent, I was pulled over by a park official. He warned me that the road ahead was dangerous with lots of bends - he wasn't trying to prevent me from riding, just showing concern which was nice. To be honest, the road just felt like a normal descent to me, with a good surface and not overly steep gradient. It led down to the second cable car station, where there were also some food options.
This cobbled climb reminded me slightly of St Gotthard Pass
The final part of my first day in the National Park was the unexpected treat of a cobbled climb. The cobbles were quite rough, but the gradient rarely exceeded 10%, so it was easy enough to ride over them. I think that cobbles always add a certain charm to a climb, although I was quite glad when the turn-off to my hotel appeared and I could follow
a smooth dirt road for a while to finish the ride.
The towering peaks are an awesome sight
The next day started by continuing with the cobbled climb, it lasted for another 4km before turning into smooth asphalt once more. Shortly afterwards I passed the final cable car station and
followed a rolling section to the highest point on this route.
This marks the top of the pass and the descent into historic Tibet
The top was around 3,260m altitude and in the shade it was feeling pretty cold. Some streams had frozen over, so I put on several layers as well as my jacket for the long descent that was to come. The descent was gentle and straight forward - my hands got a bit cold but everything else was fine, and by the bottom it was a balmy 20°C!
The scenery changes as the road descends into the Yangtze valley
The landscape changed considerably over the course of the descent. The intimidating high peaks of the Yulong National Park faded from view, and were replaced by the green and fertile Yangtze valley.
For the final part of the route, I crossed a new bridge over the Yangtze (you previously had to take a ferry across from Daju), and cycled a few kilometres alongside the river through the so-called Tiger Leaping Gorge.
I stayed in the village of Hetaoyuan for a couple of nights at Tibet Guest House with the intention of hiking above the gorge.
Entering Tiger Leaping Gorge
Yulong Hike
While I was staying in Shuhe I did a fantastic hike in the southern part of the Yulong National Park. There was no fee to enter here and it was easily accessible from Shuhe or Lijiang by Didi.
The hike was moderately challenging and was very diverse in its landscapes. I started in the Naxi village of Yuwu, which seemed to be a center for horse riding and other animal related activities. The trail was easy to find and follow as it quickly entered a forest, ascending at a steady rate.
After a few kilometres I emerged at a clearing, with beautiful views of the peaks. The only downside to this part of the route was that there was quite a bit of trash along and near to the trail. I think this was because refuse spots had been damaged by the wind or by animals rather than because people were just littering, but I'm not sure.
A plain on the climb
I crossed the plateau and followed a small stream that descended down to a lower plateau. The trail here was a little hard to follow and steep in places, but because the stream bed dry, I just walked through that for the most part.
Steep and fun climb to the pass
The lower plateau was inhabited by a herd of yaks, who seemed to barely register my presence. I turned left here and soon entered a different valley with very distinct scenery. A steep climb to the top was rewarded with fantastic views looking back towards Lijiang and Shuhe.
Impressive views of the valley looking towards Lijiang
The trail then looped back on itself and I headed back towards my starting point in the village of Yuwu.
A herd of Yaks
Overall, this was a hugely enjoyable hike which I would highly recommend. The second half was probably more spectacular than the first, and the few other people that I saw were just doing the second half as a kind of out and back route.
The traditionally Naxi village of Yuwu
The trails were easy to follow, apart from the first significant descent, but even there you couldn't really get lost! Nearby the Jade Water Village and Dongba kingdom also seemed popular amongst Chinese visitors and may be worth exploring, but they didn't really appeal to me compared with the solitude and serenity of the hike.
