Legend says the name comes from a hunted tiger escaping by jumping across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres (82 ft) wide), using the rock in the middle.

In 1986, the first known successful attempt to sail through the gorge was made by the first expedition to float down the entire length of the Yangtze, starting at the river's high source at the Gelandandong glacier lake.

Tiger Leaping Gorge weather is generally mild, with abundant rainfall and plenty of sunshine.

Coming to winter, the high mountains block the cold air from northern China, so it is still as warm as spring for most of the days.

The hiking path ("the high road") is well-maintained and marked, although sometimes narrow, and at times impassable due to heavy rains, and is used by the Naxi as part of everyday life.

These guesthouses are not well heated, which combined with the unpredictable nature of high mountain weather makes this trek inadvisable during the rainy season.

[11] Media reports suggested that the Lijiang city government waived standard procedures in order to facilitate the project.

[12] The project would displace up to 100,000 people to the north, mainly the Naxi minority, to a Tibetan area with harsh climate and unfamiliar crops as barley and potatoes as staples, virtually stop the flow of the upper Yangtze River, and irreparably alter the landscape of the Tiger Leaping Gorge.