The best waterfalls in Yunnan Province

Niru village is a three-hour drive from Shangri-La, and nearly all of it is mountain road. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a bit of a lost corner. I’d say don’t try it unless you’re confident behind the wheel. On the way in I saw two cars already down in the ditch, getting towed out. The rainy season isn’t a good time either, a lot of the road has rockfall.

It was a long way to go for a waterfall, and I’d read about it in a museum first. I’d gone into one in Yunnan to learn about the Three Parallel Rivers world heritage area, saw a photo of this waterfall, and couldn’t stop thinking about it. So the drive in, and the six kilometres on foot, felt earned.

Entry is free, but you have to register for fire safety at the start, and for the hike too, so that someone knows if you go missing. We did the round trip from the village, around ten kilometres. I took it slowly and stopped for photos and still finished in about three hours, though plenty of people say four to five. Some of the boardwalk has taken a battering and a few sections are broken, so you step carefully. The path follows the river most of the way, and in places the boardwalk is built right over fast white water. If you don’t like rushing water, the walk out is nerve-wracking. I felt my stomach drop a few times looking down at it.