Bingzhongluo

The Nujiang runs south between the Gaoligong and Biluo ranges in one of the three parallel river valleys of the UNESCO listing, and Bingzhongluo sits near its upper end where the river swings around a spur into a near-complete loop, the first bend of the Nu. The valley is narrow, terraced and thickly settled by Lisu, Nu, Dulong and Tibetan communities, with Catholic churches left by nineteenth-century missionaries standing beside Tibetan temples. Above the village the road continues toward the Tibetan border past hamlets reached by footbridges, and old rope crossings over the river are preserved.

What you actually see

• The first bend of the Nu - the river looping around a spur below the village.
• The mixed villages - Lisu, Nu, Dulong and Tibetan settlements together.
• The mission churches - stone chapels left by nineteenth-century missionaries.
• The gorge road - the route north toward the Tibetan border.

When to go

October to May for drier roads; the summer rains bring landslides that close the valley road for hours or days. Winter is cold but clear. The gorge is deep and sunlight short in the valley.

Honest expectations

The valley road is long, rough and prone to landslides, and buses take many hours. Accommodation is simple. Foreign travellers may find some sections toward the border restricted.

Nearby

Gongshan lies south; Deqin is east over the range.