What Southeast Asia knows as the Salween River begins in Tibet. Then it flows southeast and enters Yunnan, where it plungues directly south through the 316 km-long canyon if Nujiang Prefecture.
Throughout its journey through Nujiang the river keeps a fairly straight course between two high mountain rages. The mountains block the cold air currents from the northeast and retain warm air from the Indian Ocean. Consequently, the canyon has several climatic zones and plenty of variety in its flora and fauna.
The capital of Nujiang Prefecture is Liuku, which has a pleasant location straddling the river, but it is not particularly attractive. An impressive bridge connects the two parts of the city. The only city park, Qingshan Gongyuan is on the eastern side. Pathways climb through the woods to two pavilions, with good views.
More than 90% of the population is ethnic minority, half of them being Lisu people. The prefecture´s towns and bigger townships have ethnically mixed populations, but the mountains belong to the Nu and the Lisu.
The further north, or the higher into the mountains the people live, the more likely they are to dress in traditional style. In the riverside townships the trend is toward modern clothing, except for the older generation. The exception are market days, when traditional garments dominate.
Gongshan county is a territory west of the Nu River, located between southeastern Tibet and northern Myanmar. This is the last frontier of Yunnan, the most remote and least accessible county in the province. Peaks occasionally top 5000 metres, yet the river-beds are less than 1000 metres. Twenty tributary streams feed th Nu River and many rope-bridges or rattan suspension bridges are still in use.
