Lijiang Sangushui: A pastoral dreamland with lush forests

Sangushui scenic spot sits in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang. As the junction of the Three Parallel Rivers region and the Jinsha River Valley between the first Bend of the Yangtze River and the Tiger Leaping Gorge, it was where the Ancient Tea-Horse Road extended to Tibet from northwest Yunnan.

For thousands of years, it has been inhabited by Naxi villagers, and the Tibetan, Naxi, Bai and Han caravans would come here to put up for the night, replenish provisions and graze their horses. In Sangushui, springs babble here and there, and the most famous of them is perhaps the Deyan Spring, which allegedly was discovered by an ancient caravan.

It is a pastoral dreamland with lush forests, gushing waterfalls, murmuring springs, rolling meadows and flowing streams, and under the blue sky and white clouds are terraced fields. Here in Sangushui, you can not only admire the majestic beauty of the First Bend of the Yangtze River but also relax your mind and body amid the enchanting forests, waterfalls and creeks.

(Text and photos by Huang Zhechun)