After completing a first descent of the Mekong from the source area to Qamdo in 1999, from Oct - Nov 2002 Masauki Kitamatura of the Tokyo University of Agriculture led a first descent of the Mekong from the Tibet-Yunnan border (near 28 57 18N, 98 47 53E) to Baijun (near 27 23 13N, 99 05 02E), except for the 20 mile Moon Gorge.

In December, 2002, an American team ran Moon Gorge at much lower flows. The section from Baijun to the bridge between Yongping and Baoshan (Yongbao Bridge) was run in 2004 (see Mekong links). The gradient of the 200 mile section run by the Japanese averaged about 20' per mile and the October flow was about 20,000 cfs.

See Canoelife, Vol. 39, pp. 61-66, Spring 2003, No. 670, April 2003, pp. 51-56 (both published in Japanese).