Top Things to Do & See in Shangri-La

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Shangri-La - the land of majestic sacred snow mountains, deep and serene gorges, crystal lakes surrounded by lush forest, crowds of flocks and herds wondering on the endless grassland, mysterious ethnic villages and splendid monasteries - is a truly charming destination in Yunnan that attracts a great number of tourists from home and aboard every year.

The attractions below are collected by our travel experts with the purpose of helping you get some knowledge of Shangri-La and preparing for your tour to here.

Songzanlin Monastery

Songzanlin Monastery, also known as Guihua Monastery, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, which plays a significant role in the development of Tibetan Buddhism. The construction began in 1679, after Dalai Lama picking this place as the holy site by divination, and was completed in 1681. The whole monastery is built in the traditional style with the mysterious atmosphere, which give the fame of the Songzanlin Monastery as “the little Potala Palace”.

Here collects a lot of treasures, including golden figures of Buddha josses, golden lamps, Tibetan lections, silver censers and so on All these wonderful collections are accumulated from each dynasty, which are made by people both Tibet nationality and Han nationality.

It is located at the foot of Foping Mountain with an elevation of 3,380 meters above sea level, which makes it snow even in August. So Spring and sunmmer are the best time to pay a visit to this monastery.

Admission fee: CNY 115
Opening Hours: 8:00 - 18:00
How to get: Bus No.3 will take you directly to it with CNY 1, and taxi will charge about CNY 15.

Songzanlin Monastery

Dukezong Old Town

Dukezong Ancient Town, a 1300-year-old Tibetan town located in Shangri-La of Yunnan Province, is the biggest well-preserved ancient town inhabited with Tibetans. It is built according to the lost city called Shambhala noted in Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. The name means “Moonlight City”. Dukezong is a key stop on the Ancient Tea-horse Road and a focal point for Han-Tibetan exchanges with the tracks of the horse's hoofs on the stone road. In the town, tourists will find the peace in their hearts with the majestic prayer halls and pagodas, the authentic Tibetan dwellings, and those narrow winding lanes.

But it is sad that Dukezong Ancient Town got a huge damage by a fire on Jan. 11, 2014, with a number of cultural relics, precious Thang-gas and Buddhist artworks, and Tibetan-style buildings burned. The reconstruction of this town began from September, 2014 and will last for a long time.

Dukezong Old Town

Baishuitai Terrace

With 140 meters in length and 160 meters in width, the White Water Terrace was made by the artful hand of nature at the foot of Haba Snow Mountain. Being 100 kilometers southeast of the Shangri-La County, it is one of the most attractive destinations in mysterious Shangri-La with a history of 200,000 to 300,000 years. Every year, the surface of the land is covered by the deposition of calcium carbonate and finally transformed into the terraced structure you see today. After enjoy the spectacular terrace, tourists can pay a visit to the nearby Baidi Village to learn about the ethnic Naxi minority and folklore.

Admission fee: CNY 30
How to get: Take bus to Sanba Village and get off at Baidi Village, then walk to it. Or take chartered vehicle which will take about CNY 400 for a round trip.

Baishuitai Terrace

Lake Napa

Lake Napa Wetlands is situated about 3,270 meters above sea level, lying in the valley of a high mountain plateau with three sides surrounded by tall mountains. Most of the area will become dry from late fall through winter, during which flocks of yaks, horses and sheep will graze here. And the rare and endangered black-necked crane will overwinter here. While from spring through summer, the area will become an expansive wetland which attracts numerous flocks of birds and other species of geese to here. During dry season when it become a grassland, horseback trekking is a perfect activities here. Riding a horse run around the vast grassland, feasting your eyes with the charming autumn scenery here.

Admission fee: CNY 60
How to get: Take shuttle bus at the parking lot in old town or take taxi.

Lake Napa

Pudacuo National Park

Located about 22 km away from Shangri-La County, Pudacuo National Park is the first national park in China, which contains more than 20 percent of the plants species. On the premise of protect natural and cultural heritage, the park offer tourists from all over the world the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic scenery.

Pudaocuo National Park formed by natural resources and cultural resources. Natural resources contain the unique landforms, lakes and wetland, forest and meadow, valleys and streams, rare and precious flora and fauna, while the cultural resources are the splendid Tibetan traditional culture, including the Tibetan religion, farming, folk custom, architecture and so on. The north side is the Shudu Lake and the south side is the Bita Lake, between which is Luorong Tourist Village and the Militangya Highland Pasture.

Admission fee: 258 CNY (Sightseeing bus 120 CNY+Entrance ticket fee 138 CNY)
How to get: Regular buses at Shangri-La Bus Station leaving for Pudacuo Park at 9:00. Taxi (150 CNY) and chartered bus (180 CNY) will also bring you here.

Pudacuo National Park

Meili Snow Mountain

Meili Snow Mountain, also called Prince Snow Mountain, is located 10 kilometers northeast of Deqin County, which contains 13 peaks with an average altitude of over 6,000 meters, referred to as the 13 prince peak, as well as 4 grand glaciers. The main peak, Kawagebo is the most splendid view rising about 6,740 meters above sea level, commonly known as the Goddess of Meili Snow Mountain. Above the 4,000 meters snow line are high and precipitous snow-capped mountains and glaciers which stretch for several miles along the valley. While beneath the snow line, vibrant alpine shrubs and coniferous forests covers both sides of the glaciers. Tourists can have a panorama view of the thirteen towering peaks from the Feilai Temple which is in the west of Deqin County.

So far, the Meili Snow Mountain is still a “virgin peak” for there is no one has ever reached the top. Except the high altitude, the weather on the mountain is complex. Just within a few seconds, it may snow, rain or turn cloudy and sunny.

The best time to visit it is in November, during which tourists will have a great opportunity to catch the sight of the famous superb scenery of the sun shining over the snow mountain.

Meili Snow Mountain