Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang) is a region of traditional villages and ethnic minorities in northwest Yunnan. It is carved by the Dulong River, or Single Dragon River, and comes with good trekking and hiking.
Baoshan is the gateway to Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang), with its small airport and connection from Kunming. Trips then go via the towns of Liuku, Fugong, and Gongshan. There are villages on the way to stay at during a trek, such as Bapo, Kongdang, and Maku, as well as hot springs and river trips.
From Gongshan town you can trek to Mount Gongshan, which rises to 1,450m and is 20kms from town. Mount Qiqi is even higher. This area becomes snowbound in the winter, which has led it to be dubbed the ‘Valley of Death’. Travel during this time is very tough.
There are three main ethnic minorities in Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang): the Dulong, Nu, and Lisu.
Getting there To get direct to the heart of Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang), sleeper buses leave Kunming Xiyuan Bus Station every evening and terminate in Gongshan 18 hours later. The nearest airport is in the town of Baoshan, about 250kms south of Gongshan. It receives daily flights from Kunming, the main airport in Yunnan.
In brief
What is it? A mysterious, remote valley in northwest Yunnan.
When to go? September and October.
Nearest town: Baoshan, about 250kms south of Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang) proper.
Don’t miss: a hike up Mount Gongshan.
Trivia: Drung Valley (Dulong Jiang) is only accessible to tourists six months of the year.