If you want to say my favorite province in China, it must be Yunnan. My preference for Yunnan is obvious to all, and I always think about going there several times a year. Compared with other provinces with excellent scenery, Yunnan's climate, accommodation conditions and food are also in line with my heart. I have recommended countless times to everyone how to play in various destinations in Yunnan. When I was basking in the sun in the courtyard of Dali, I even had the idea of coming here to retire.
In the past December, I went to Yunnan again. The purpose of this trip is only to "see the snow-capped mountains", and Shangri-La has naturally become the top priority of this trip.
99 years ago, James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon" described a pure land on earth. There, three rivers converge, and the mountains soar into the clouds, with snow-capped peaks and deep grass at the feet, covering the earth. This book has been one of the windows for foreigners to understand China for a long time, and it has also caused countless people to look for Shangri-La described in the book.
Shangri-La means "the sun and the moon in the heart" in Tibetan. This place was originally named "Zhongdian". In the 1990s, Yunnan launched an expedition to find Shangri-La. Later, the Yunnan Provincial Government announced that Shangri-La, the world's most sought-after paradise, is located in Diqing, so it was renamed Shangri-La.
After reading today's post, you will know:
1. Shangri-La attractions, experiences and food recommendations
2. How to play Pan Shangri-La?
3. Itinerary and precautions
To be honest, Shangri-La is really not big, so it is no wonder that many people come here in a hurry and leave soon. Most of the attractions here are concentrated outside the ancient city, but we still start from the beginning of all the stories - the ancient city of Dukezong.
01
It takes more than half a day to stroll around the ancient city of Dukezong
Most guides and hotels will recommend that you stay here for half a day, especially after the ancient city suffered a fire in 2014, many people think that this is a newly built ancient city and it is not worth seeing. But I would advise you to leave more time and slow down so that you can feel the life here more.
After entering Shangri-La, I found that there were almost no tourists in the ancient city. Part of it is due to the off-season and the impact of the epidemic. After chatting with the store owner, I learned that there have not been so many tourists here since 19 years. Many people regard Shangri-la as the last stop of the "Kundali" route in Yunnan for the first time. In recent years, many travel agencies have developed a two-day tour route to Shangri-La, and they intercepted people in Lijiang. They usually take a car to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge. , Pudacuo, and Songzanlin Temple, stay nearby for one night instead of staying in the city. This is also one of the reasons why Shangri-La's passenger flow has decreased a lot.
The ancient city of Dukezong was once the best-preserved and largest Tibetan settlement in China. It began to be built in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,000 years. This Tibetan pronunciation contains two meanings, one is "a castle built on stones" and the other is "Moonlight City". As an important town on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, this is the first stop after entering Tibet for caravans crossing the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, and it is quite a comfortable section of the road.
The architectural layout of the ancient city is like an eight-petal lotus, with Moonlight Square and Guishan Park in the center. There are temples in Guishan Park, where you can overlook the entire ancient city.
There is also the largest prayer wheel in the world, weighing 16 tons. There are 12.4 billion Tibetan mantra scriptures of "Om, Ma, Ne, 咇, Mi, and Coax" inside. Every clockwise movement for one week is equivalent to 1.24 million chanting of the Buddha's name, which has immeasurable merit.
The prayer wheel requires the simultaneous efforts of at least four strong men to turn it. But it doesn't matter if you can't turn it. I walked three times around the prayer wheel with the flow of people. I heard that it can also achieve the effect of eliminating disasters and praying for good luck.
The ancient city is quite lively at night, and there will be Tiaoguozhuang on Sifang Street every night from 7:00 to 9:00. Whether you want to dance or not, I suggest you to feel the atmosphere.
The small bar upstairs on Sifang Street can capture the whole picture, and the music is also very good.
Before arriving at Sifang Street, you could hear the sound of music from a distance. When you got to the street corner, you could see that everyone had naturally formed two circles, and the locals and foreigners were enjoying themselves. The stuttering tourists laughed and tried to keep up with the rhythm, but when the music changed, the dance steps changed again. But it doesn't matter, let's dance along! I believe you can also experience the joy of jumping around.
In the ancient city, I think there are three things you can't miss: painting Thangka, eating Tibetan food, and taking pictures of Tibetan clothes.
Let’s talk about painting Thangka first. There are several places in the ancient city of Dukezong where you can experience Thangka painting. The more famous ones are Thangka Painting Academy and Thangka Art Center, which need to be booked in advance.
Get down from the Great Buddha Temple and walk towards Jinlong Street. Not far away is the Thangka Painting Academy. The store can provide pure mineral materials, as well as painted line drafts, which can be conveniently colored according to personal preferences, and finally can be framed and delivered home. The second is a bit like a coloring game. It is not difficult at all for beginners, but it is quite a test of patience, and drawing is quite decompressing.
The schedule is tight this time, so I just did some research and prepared to come next time. During the visit, I found that in addition to painting thangkas, there are many exquisite works and antique thangkas in the painting academy. You can ask the teacher about the details and stories, and you can learn a lot of knowledge!
The big wish of my companions on this trip is to take pictures of Tibetan clothes. The ancient city is full of young ladies who rent Tibetan clothes and take pictures.
SourceLaura
The Jingfan Tibetan handicraft shop next to the Thangka Painting Academy provides Tibetan clothing rental and travel photography. I researched on dp for a long time before I went, and learned that this is a shop opened by a local, which is relatively reliable. The shop owner on duty, Yang Ba, is very nice. The companion took a total of 3 sets of outfits, and each time the makeup and accessories were carefully adjusted for her before letting her go out for the shoot. Companions were very pleased with both the photographer and Yamba.
The young lady Yangba is very patient and lovely, chatting with her is really laughing. She also has a dog named Pearl who is very dear. At the same time, this store also sells cashmere, yak cashmere scarves and various accessories. Interested students can visit it. We also bought a lot of scarves, and we have worn them for more than a month without pilling.
Between the Thangka Painting Academy and this Tibetan clothing travel shop, there is also a Tibetan coffee shop, which is also opened by locals. While I was waiting for my companion, I drank a cup of Yunnan small-grained hand brew and ordered a yak hot pot. I ate slowly from 3 o'clock in the afternoon until five or six o'clock. The soup is delicious, and the yak meat is tender and fragrant. It is recommended to dip in the spicy dish, which is a very fragrant chili dipping sauce, full of flavor.
During the meal, I found Yangba and her pearls out to bask in the sun.
The restaurant is divided into indoor and outdoor, with a total of 2 floors. Climb up from the creaking wooden stairs, and you can also bask in the sun. However, the wind is quite strong this season, so everyone remembers to come down after sitting for a while.
Finally, let’s eat Tibetan food. There are a lot of Tibetan food in the ancient city, and this Minzhu Ram was recommended by our chartered driver. In Tibetan, Minzhu means "constellation" and Lamu means "goddess". This store is very famous in the local area, and the price is around 100-150 yuan per person, which is considered a mid-to-high end. When we mentioned it to many drivers or shop owners, they all showed a sudden realization and said that this shop is delicious. I heard that it was difficult to make a reservation when there were many tourists in the ancient city, and many high-end tour groups would have group meals here.
The restaurant is decorated with Tibetan style and very bright. There are Tibetan performances every dinner time: singing or playing the piano, which is full of atmosphere.
The dishes we ordered are mainly meat, and we especially recommend the toast family banquet yak meat and Minzhu Ram grilled lamb chops.
Yak meat is a local specialty, because yaks live in high-altitude areas and are extremely cold-resistant, so the meat is relatively firm. After serving, the appearance is a bit like our stewed beef and cold beef, but it tastes solid, chewy and very fragrant. The accompanying lettuce, cucumber, and onion can be eaten in burritos.
The grilled lamb chops are their signature dish. They are deep-fried and then grilled. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, without the slightest smell of lamb, and they do not clog the teeth. Don't miss it if you love lamb.
On the second day after arriving in Shangri-La, I had a serious high reaction. I couldn't eat in the restaurant, and I felt like throwing up as soon as I ate the food. Seeing this, the proprietress poured rhodiola tea for me and advised me to eat some to replenish my energy. When I was paying the bill, the proprietress poured me another bottle of rhodiola tea in a thermos cup, and held my hand and repeatedly told me some precautions, telling me that if I pass by here tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I can come in and pour some tea .
Being in a foreign country and feeling a little uncomfortable, I felt very heartwarming at that moment.
02
Out of the ancient city, the scenery outside the city is good
Most of the attractions in Shangri-La are concentrated outside the ancient city, and the must-see attraction here is Songzanlin Temple. When we mentioned Songzanlin Temple, the local people said: If you come to Shangri-La, if you don’t go to Songzanlin Temple, you will be in vain.
Songzanlin Monastery
Estimated play time 2-3 hours
The full name of Songzanlin Temple is "Gadan Songzanlin Temple". It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. It is also known as "Little Potala Palace" and has a pivotal position in the entire Tibetan area. Our chartered driver said that he would go to the temple to worship on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year.
The temple is very large and built on the mountain. After buying the ticket, you have to take the shuttle bus to the entrance of the temple, and then you have to climb the stairs all the way. When I saw nearly 150 steps from a distance, I was a little panicked in my heart. After all, I just had a high-reverse experience the day before. Adhering to the Chinese theory of "everyone comes", I started to climb up after doing some psychological construction. While holding the oxygen cylinder, I climbed up calmly and calmly, and from time to time I cheered up the out-of-town aunt who was panting beside me.
The golden building is very impressive, and it looks magnificent from a distance. At the same time, it is also recommended that everyone wear sunglasses and sunscreen. There are many treasures of past dynasties in the temple, including rare antique thangkas, eight gold-coated Sakyamuni Buddha statues from the period of the fifth Dalai Lama and the seventh Dalai Lama, various exquisite gold-plated or silver incense burners, Wannian lamp and so on.
There are special volunteers in the temple to explain, and they should also be believers of Tibetan Buddhism. He will take you to visit from a certain route, and they are all particular about it. We do as the Romans do and respect the local beliefs! When entering the temple hall, remember to take off your hat and sunglasses, and it is forbidden to take pictures!
After going down the mountain, it is recommended to go around the Lamu Yangcuo Lake to walk around the plank road around the lake. You can take a perfect picture of the reflection of Songzanlin Temple!
Pudacuo National Park
Estimated play time 3 hours
Before going there, I had high expectations for Pudacuo National Park. After all, this is the first national park in my country. There are forests, meadows, lakes and wetlands everywhere.
To enter the scenic spot, you need to take a bus first, and then mainly to see Shudu Lake. The scenery in this season is a bit bleak and there are no animals, but it also has its beauty. It is recommended not to go to Pudacuo in this season, but also to Napa Lake, the scenery is similar, after all, the ticket here is about 100 yuan, and Napa Lake is free!
The most beautiful season in Pudacuo is from May to June every year. I heard that there are alpine rhododendrons and various flowers blooming everywhere, covering the mountains and fields, and a sea of flowers.
The following pictures are spring and autumn
Napa Sea & Yila Grassland
Estimated 2-3 hours
The Napa Sea and the Yila Grassland are actually connected together. The driver took us here to drive around the lake. We often encounter migratory birds who come here to spend the winter, yaks and sheep that block the road.
The scenery of Napa Lake in winter is similar to that of Pudacuo, but when the summer rainy season comes, part of the grassland here will become a natural lake, with lush water and grass, and cattle and sheep everywhere. There are more cattle and sheep on the Yila Grassland. You can ride horses here, but you can’t ride them, so it’s okay to take pictures.
When I went to Meili, I saw the Napa Sea from the viewing platform on the mountain, which is quite beautiful.
03
Pan Shangri-La how to play?
Generally, when going to Shangri-La, everyone will stop by Deqin to see Meili Snow Mountain or hike Yubeng. In the past, the one-way trip took about 3.5 hours. The most economical way is to leave in the afternoon, stay at Feilai Temple Inn for one night, watch the golden mountain in the sunshine early the next morning, and then return to Shangri-La. We didn't want to be so tired from playing. We started from Shangri-La in the morning after finishing the nucleic acid, played all the way there, and visited a few scenic spots on the return trip. Here are some references for you.
Balagozon
Estimated 4-6 hours
Balagezong means "the place where gods live" in Tibetan. There was no road here, and I couldn't find it on the map. It took 5 days to walk out of the mountain.
There is a legendary hero behind this scenic spot, who was called "a real man with style" by the driver along the way-Sina Dingzhu.
Sina Dingzhu injured his eyes in an accident when he was young. His father took him to the county town to see a doctor, and it took him 5 days to leave Balagezong. Because of the long delay, he was almost blind in his left eye. It was also that time that he saw the world beyond the mountains for the first time, and made him determined to build a road for his hometown when he grows up.
Later, Sina Dingzhu made a lot of money doing business abroad, but he resolutely returned to his hometown, at the expense of his fortune, and built a 6.5-meter-wide and 60-kilometer-long road for his hometown under the cliff for more than 10 years. Not only did he spend tens of millions of savings, but he was also in debt of 1.4 billion. After the road was completed, the Bala Village, which has been closed for thousands of years, finally realized the "three links" in 2008, namely, electricity, roads, and signals.
We were driving on this road of Sina Dingzhuxiu, and we repeatedly lamented his greatness.
The Balagezong Scenic Area is divided into several parts. Along the way, you mainly visit the scenery of mountains and valleys, the thousand-year-old linden tree, Bala Village (now transformed into a hotel), etc. You will take a bus along the way, and someone will explain it to you.
The most worth visiting is Balazhuoma Lakang, Tibetan Culture Expo Center. The first floor is dedicated to Buddha statues, and the second floor is the 21 Tara Hall. According to legend, Tara is the mother of all things, the goddess who saves suffering beings, and is in charge of 21 kinds of karma in the world. If you turn around devoutly, you can eliminate karma.
Gezong Snow Mountain, 5,545 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in Shangri-La County.
In the scenic area, you can also play high-altitude ziplines, canyon rafting, and glass plank roads to challenge your guts. Students who like excitement can try it here.
The altitude at the entrance of this scenic spot is not high, and it is already close to the border of Sichuan and Yunnan, so you can still see some autumn scenery in December. Students with high anti-reflexes will feel much more comfortable here.
On the way from Shangri-La to Deqin, I will also recommend experience tours:
Go to Nixi Township to eat native chicken – no matter how big or small the native chicken is, it costs 100 yuan a piece. It’s a pity that I didn’t eat it this time. It is said that the chicken is stewed in a black pottery pot with a thousand-year-old handicraft in Diqing, which is quite delicious.
The Great Bend of the Jinsha River – Mainly because the Jinsha River draws a big bend in the shape of an "Ω" here, and it is also the dividing line between Yunnan and Sichuan. Tickets are 20 yuan.
Gadan Dongzhulin Temple – a small temple with few tourists, basically Tibetans are devoutly paying homage. There are many treasures in the temple. The treasure of the town temple is the four three-dimensional mandala. No photos are allowed in the courtyard, so there is no picture.
Baima Snow Mountain – You need to take the old road 236 to pass the pass of Baima Snow Mountain. It will take an extra hour, but you will feel that the trip is worthwhile. On the way there, I feel very close to the snow-capped mountains and meadows, and the scenery is quite shocking.
Finally arrived at Deqin where Meili Snow Mountain is located, this is the end point for countless people to go to Shangri-La.
Kawagebo Peak, the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain, is the first of the eight sacred mountains in Tibetan areas, and the first sacred mountain that is forbidden to climb due to local culture. Countless pilgrims come here every year. On the more than 240-kilometer road around the mountain, they kowtow step by step and worship sincerely. The ultimate goal is Kawagebo Peak. Under the sacred mountain, the local people live every day with respect and gratitude for the forests, pastures, food and water sources bestowed by the sacred mountain.
Generally speaking, from December to February of the following year is the best season to see Meili Snow Mountain. On a sunny day, there is a high probability that you can see the Sunshine Jinshan Mountain.
In addition, I personally will consider hiking in Yubeng next time, to see the virgin forest and the cliffs between the valleys, and then to see the majestic and magnificent snow-capped mountains.
04
Finally send itinerary suggestions
Personally, I don't like tight itineraries. It is suggested that Shangri-La can stay for more than 2 days, and after the first day arrives, adapt to the plateau before setting off. Deqin Meili Snow Mountain is a little farther away, so it is suitable to live alone for 2 days. If you want to save money, you can go there in the afternoon of the first day and stay for one night to see the Rizhao Jinshan on the second day.
The following is my itinerary for the Shangri-La section at that time:
D1 Shanghai arrives in Kunming
D2 Arrive at Shangri-La in the afternoon, check in hotel and rest
D3 Pudacuo National Park – Napa Sea & Yila Grassland – Eat Tibetan food
D4 Songzanlin Temple – Friends take pictures of Tibetan clothing/I go to eat yak hot pot – Strolling in the ancient city + Guishan Park – Sifang Street Tiaoguozhuang
D5 Balagezong – White Horse Snow Mountain - Arrive at the downhill Meili and prepare to see the golden mountain in sunshine
D6 Full-day house hotel + Wunongding village hiking
D7 Feilai Temple - Wunongding Observation Deck - Great Bend of Jinsha River - Return to Shangri-La, fly to Kunming at night
D8 Return to Shanghai
Accommodation suggestions:
There are many hotels worth staying in Shangri-La. Frequent travelers can consider Indigo, the moonlight city I stayed in this time. It is at the highest point of the ancient city and overlooks the entire ancient city. There are also options such as Hilton Garden Inn and Shangri-La in the ancient city.
I personally recommend Songtsam Forest Card, Songtsam Forest Temple can be seen from almost all rooms; Banyan Tree Ringha is also a hotel that I would consider staying in when I hoarded room vouchers on Double Eleven last year. I have recommended the Fifth Meteorite Light Year Hotel in Shangri-La many times before. The price of this hotel is cheap, starting at 500 yuan. The better point is that it has oxygen supply.
If you like lake views, there is Alpine Villa Shangri-La on the other side of the Napa Sea. There is a large lake in front of you. The scenery is quite pleasant, and it is not far from the ancient city.
When choosing a hotel, remind everyone to pay attention to whether there is diffuse oxygen supply in the public area and guest rooms of the hotel, and not to choose a room type that is too small. These two points are very important for students who have just entered the plateau, and can help everyone adapt to high altitude.
Regarding the accommodation suggestions in Deqin, in the push a few days ago, we talked about the strategy of Guanmeili Snow Mountain and accommodation suggestions, and also shared the accommodation experience of Xiashan Meili. Here, details are not repeated here. Interested students can click to browse. If you want to play all the way, you can stay in Lishi or Songtsam in Benzilan.
Transportation: It is expected that the Lijiang-Shangri-La railway section will open to traffic this summer, and the time from Kunming to Shangri-La will be shortened to about 4 hours. After arriving in Shangri-La, you can use Didi, and taxis are very cheap and convenient.
It takes 3.5 hours to drive to Deqin, all the way is mountain road, it is better to charter a car, the local driver is familiar with the road and adapted to the local environment. There is a section of mountain road that reaches an altitude of 5,000 meters, and safety is still the first priority when driving on plateaus. The round trip by chartered car is about 1500 or so.
Season: The most beautiful season in Shangri-La is the end of spring and the beginning of summer, from the end of May to the beginning of June, and there are mainly rhododendrons. It is rainy from July to August, but there are fungi at this time, and autumn is from September to October, with rich colors, and chamaejasma flowers bloom at this time.
If you are like me, you are focused on seeing snow-capped mountains, but you also want to see other scenery. It is recommended to come to Shangri-La from the end of October to mid-November. At this time, there are still autumn scenery to enjoy, and the chance of seeing snow-capped mountains is also higher.
Some tips:
Shangri-La has a large temperature difference between day and night. It is located on a plateau, and the temperature is low all year round. Pay attention to cold protection.
Timely sun protection. The hat needs to have a brim, otherwise it is easy to get sunburned.
The local temperature is very dry, remember to bring soothing moisturizing creams and masks.
On the plateau, eat more meat and vegetables, chocolate is a must, and replenish energy in time. Act calmly and slowly, don't jump around happily, and pay attention to prevent high reactions. When arriving in the ancient city on the first day, it is recommended to rest more, adapt to the plateau, and not be too tired from playing.
If there is a high reaction, remember to drink rhodiola and buy more oxygen bottles. In addition, the Yunnan Baiyao plateau weineng we bought at Kunming Airport is very useful. Drinking it for half an hour can relieve high-reflex, and it is said to be a fighter in high-reverse medicine. This drug helped me a lot when I was in high pain.
Do as the Romans do, respect the local culture and customs, I wish you all have fun!