Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world, known for its dangerous majesty. It is located between the towering peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the north and the Haba Snow Mountain to the south, offering beautiful and diverse landscapes. Now, let's dive into this article and unveil the legend of Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The fun legend about Tiger Leaping Gorge
According to folklore, the Jinsha River, Nu River, Lancang River, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and Haba Snow Mountain are five siblings. The three rivers, Jinsha River, Nu River, and Lancang River, are sisters. They are beautiful, spirited, and adventurous. Their two older brothers, Jade Dragon and Haba, are protective and loyal.
As time passed, the three sisters grew into beautiful young women and decided to venture out into the world to choose their own husbands. This decision filled their parents with both anxiety and anger. In order to stop them, the parents ordered the two brothers, Jade Dragon and Haba, to chase after the three sisters and bring them back.
To carry out their task, Jade Dragon brought 13 swords, and Haba brought 12 bows. They took the shortest route to Lijiang, a strategic location where they could intercept their sisters. The brothers made an agreement that the one who failed to prevent the sisters from escaping would be punished severely—by beheading.
As the days passed, the brothers took turns guarding the pass. When it was Haba's turn to guard, Jade Dragon had just fallen asleep. At this moment, the clever and resourceful Jinsha Girl came. Jinsha was aware of Haba’s weakness: he had a tendency to fall asleep easily. To exploit this, Jinsha started singing as she walked, her melodious and moving songs were so gentle and enchanting. She sang eighteen songs in succession, each one more enchanting than the last. Haba fell into a deep sleep by her singing, oblivious to her presence. Jinsha, taking advantage of the situation, smiled mischievously and quietly slipped away, laughing as she ran.
When Jade Dragon woke up, he was horrified to find that Jinsha had already escaped. Anger and sorrow filled his heart. He was angry because Jinsha had gotten far away, and he was saddened because he knew that, according to their agreement, Haba would now have to face the punishment for failing in his duty. He couldn’t break his promise, so with a heavy heart, Jade Dragon drew his sword and beheaded Haba.
After the tragic act, Jade Dragon turned away and began to cry bitterly. His tears fell, and they transformed into white water and black water. Meanwhile, the twelve bows that Haba had carried transformed into the twenty-four bends on the west bank of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Haba’s head, after falling into the river, was said to have transformed into the famous Tiger Leaping Stone.
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