Shangri-La travel guide
香格里拉
The name “Shangri-La” comes from *Lost Horizon*, a novel by a foreign author that describes a tranquil, harmonious, serene utopia, a paradise on earth. In 2001, Zhongdian, a place in northwestern Yunnan,…
13 places · In the guidebook: pages 254–269
Shangri-La, Yunnan Province · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Shangri-La in 6 days
- Day 1
- Ganden Sumtseling Monastery→
- Dukezong Ancient Town→
- Guishan Park→
- Moonlight Square
- Day 2
- Shangri-La→
- Napa Lake→
- Shika Snow Mountain→
- Shangri-La
- Day 3
- Shangri-La→
- Bigu Tianchi Lake→
- Tiger Leaping Gorge→
- Shangri-La
- Day 4
- Shangri-La→
- Baishuitai Terraces→
- Haba Snow Mountain→
- Shangri-La
- Day 5
- Day 6
The feel of the place
- The Origin of the Name Shangri-La
- The name “Shangri-La” comes from *Lost Horizon*, a novel by a foreign author that describes a tranquil, harmonious, serene utopia, a paradise on earth. In 2001, Zhongdian, a place in northwestern Yunnan, was renamed Shangri-La, because it truly is a heaven on earth.
- Trekking Through Shangri-La
- The beauty of Shangri-La cannot be described in words. It can only be felt with the heart, seen with the eyes and discovered on foot. Trek to Yubeng or Meili, lose yourself among the flower meadows, run freely across the open grasslands, and search for your own paradise in the hidden valleys.
A Spiritual Journey: Pilgrimage to Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Snow Mountain has long been a sacred mountain in the hearts of the Tibetan people, and every year countless pilgrims travel from far away to worship here. The moment you first see the snow peaks, you will surely be awed by their majestic beauty.
Preparation and Information
Language
Most people speak Mandarin. Only in some remote Tibetan mountain areas will you find people who speak only Tibetan.
Climate and Travel Season
May and June are the best months to visit Shangri-La. During this period the meadows turn green, wildflowers dot the grasslands, the sky is a crystal-clear blue, and clouds drift by from time to time. Around the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day horse racing festival becomes a grand spring gathering for the Tibetan community. Winter is cold and not ideal for travel, but Losar (Tibetan New Year) and the Gedong Festival both take place in winter.
Altitude Sickness
When your vehicle reaches Little Shangri-La, many people begin to feel tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, which are signs of altitude sickness. The average elevation in Diqing Prefecture is 3,380 meters, and Meili Snow Mountain, at 6,740 meters, is the highest point in Yunnan Province.
Beware of Photo Fees
Before taking photos with locals, always ask first whether they expect a fee for the photo.
Getting Around
There is no airport bus from the airport to central Shangri-La. You will need to take a taxi. Taxis usually do not run on the meter. A typical fare is ¥20–30.
Things to see
Dukezong Ancient Town
Dukezong Ancient Town was a hub of the Tea Horse Ancient Road and has a history of more than 1,300 years. It was built according to the Buddhist scriptures' vision of the ideal kingdom of Shambhala, earning it the nicknames "Castle Built on Stone" and "Moonlight City." On 11 January 2014, a sudden and devastating fire swept through the old town, causing severe damage. It has since been restored and officially reopened to the public.
2 hours · Free
Napahai Yila Grassland
"Napahai" means "lake behind the forest" in Tibetan. It is a typical seasonal lake that looks completely different throughout the year. Between summer and autumn, it becomes a grassland, a carpet of flower meadows and highland barley fields. In winter, it turns into a broad expanse of water, like a giant mirror.
1–2 hours · Free
Ganden Sumtseling Monastery
Known as the "Little Potala Palace," Ganden Sumtseling Monastery houses many precious cultural relics and is often called the "Tibetan Art Museum." It is an important Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan and a must-see in Shangri-La. Every year on the 29th day of the 11th lunar month, the Gedong Festival is held here, featuring the mysterious and vibrant masked dances known as the "Tiaoshen" (deity dance).
1–2 hours · ¥90 (includes the scenic area eco-shuttle fee)
Pudacuo National Park
Pudacuo National Park is made up mainly of Bita Lake, Shudu Lake and the Xiagei Folk Ecological Culture Village. The park's stunning scenery and well-preserved primeval environment include mirror-like alpine lakes, lush pastures, wetlands full of flowers, and dense virgin forest. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit: in spring, azaleas carpet the hillsides, and in autumn, the landscape is a riot of colour. The name Bita Lake means "sea of felt-like oak trees" in Tibetan. True to its name, the oak trees around the lake grow thick like green felt. Many azaleas grow among the oak forests, and each spring, when the flowers fall into the water, fish eat the slightly toxic petals and rise to the surface. This is the famous Bita Lake scene known as "Rhododendron-Drunk Fish."
4–6 hours · ¥138 (includes ¥68 park entry and ¥70 shuttle bus fee)
Shika Snow Mountain
It is the only snow mountain on the northwest Yunnan Plateau with cable car sightseeing facilities. Its location is excellent: from the summit of Shika Snow Mountain, you can take in the Eight Great Sacred Mountains of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. The landscape changes with the seasons, which can be summed up in a saying: "Spring for green grass, summer for flowers, autumn for autumn colours, winter for snow."
3–4 hours · ¥270 (ticket + round-trip cable car)
Baishuitai Scenic Area
Baishuitai is one of the birthplaces of Naxi Dongba culture. From a distance, Baishuitai looks like a set of terraced fields, but in the sunlight, it sparkles like shimmering water. It is known as the "Immortal's Abandoned Fields." It is the largest spring terrace in China. This fairytale-like place is not to be missed on any trip to Shangri-La.
2–3 hours · ¥45
Getting there & around
Getting There
Shangri-La has no railway station. Flights and long-distance buses are the main ways to reach the city.
By Air
Diqing Shangri-La Airport is about 5 kilometers from the city center. When searching for flights online, you must enter “Diqing Airport” to get accurate results. Searching for “Zhongdian Airport” or “Shangri-La Airport” will return inaccurate information.
Diqing Shangri-La Airport
Shenying Road, Shangri-La City
0887-8229916
By Road
Long-distance buses run several times a day from Kunming, Dali and Lijiang to Shangri-La, so traveling by road is the most convenient option.
Shangri-La Long-Distance Bus Station operates buses to major cities in Yunnan Province and other parts of Diqing Prefecture. There are direct buses to Deqen and to Panzhihua and Daocheng in Sichuan.
Getting Around the County
Public Transport
Shangri-La city has 8 bus routes. The fare is ¥1.
Charter Cars
Hiring a car is a convenient way to visit the attractions around Shangri-La. Charters are priced by the day, typically ¥500–900 per day for trips to nearby sights.
Shangri-La Long-Distance Bus Station
Shangri-La Long-Distance Bus Station- Address:
- 70 meters directly south of No. 22 Kangding Road
Eat & drink
Perhaps the beautiful scenery makes up for the limited food here. Apart from butter tea, qingke barley wine and dried yak meat, there is really nothing else special worth recommending.
Jingjing de Mani Stone Tibetan Restaurant
A popular local Tibetan hot pot restaurant with lots of character, so expect a queue. Yak hot pot, Kham-style steak, grilled mushrooms and butter tea are all delicious.
- Address:
- No. 3 Chilanggang, Dukezong Ancient Town (near Sifang Street)
- Phone:
- 13988776674
Old Brand Specialty Tibetan Restaurant
Generous portions of Tibetan-style yak hot pot, plus homemade yogurt, yak pizza, qingke flatbread, qingke tsampa and butter tea. The flavors are authentic and genuine.
- Address:
- No. 1 Chigulang, Cangfang Community, Dukezong Ancient Town (next to Zhima Kaihua Inn, beside 88 Club)
- Phone:
- 13988733443/13988767297
Where to stay
Shangri-La's tourism developed later than that of other attractions in Yunnan, yet its facilities are fully equipped, and its accommodation is comparable to that of big cities.
Runjing Muqi Hotel
Located right inside the Napa Lake scenic area, this hotel is clean and hygienic. Some rooms have extra-large floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can enjoy the view without leaving your room.
- Address:
- Inside the Napa Lake scenic area
- Phone:
- 15096620258
GreenTree Eastern Hotel
(Shangri-La Dukezong Ancient Town branch) Part of the GreenTree hotel group, this chain hotel has an excellent location and convenient transport. It is about 2.3 kilometers from Dukezong Ancient Town and about 3.4 kilometers from Ganden Sumtseling Monastery.
- Address:
- No. 55 Yangtang Road, Jiantang Town
- Phone:
- 0887-3089999
Shopping
Wooden Bowls and Wooden Boxes
Wooden bowls and boxes are among the most common everyday household items in Tibetan homes, and Tibetan decorative accessories are another tempting souvenir. Both can be bought in local shops.
Precious Tibetan Medicines
Shangri-La city has specialist shops selling medicinal ingredients such as cordyceps, snow lotus, saffron, musk and fritillary bulb. Shangri-La also has a market selling fresh matsutake mushrooms, which summer visitors can buy, but they spoil quickly and should be eaten promptly.
Day trips & beyond
Meili Snow Mountain, Mingyong Glacier
In the hearts of the local Tibetan people, Meili Snow Mountain is a sacred mountain. It is usually shrouded in mist, and locals believe that those who witness the moment the clouds part and reveal the mountain are truly blessed. Mingyong Glacier is equally beautiful. Spending the night in the mountains lets you watch the moon and stars up close, and the stillness and remoteness of the place are something you cannot feel everywhere.
1–2 days
Yubeng Village
“If you don’t go to heaven, go to Yubeng.” Yubeng Village, behind Meili Snow Mountain, has only about 20 households of simple, honest Tibetan people. They follow Buddhism and have lived here for generations to guard the sacred mountain. The village is divided into Upper and Lower Villages and is connected to the outside world by just one post road, which has helped preserve its purity. Its beauty is beyond question. Upper Village leads to the Sino-Japanese Joint Mountaineering Base Camp for Kawagebo, while Lower Village leads to the Yubeng Sacred Waterfall. Along the way, you can see wonders such as the Ancient Seal-Script Scriptures, five trees growing from one root, and mani stones piled along the river.
2–3 days
Feilai Temple
Feilai Temple sits on the east side of Meili Snow Mountain and faces the Taizi Thirteen Peaks across the Lancang River Grand Canyon, making it one of the best spots to view Meili Snow Mountain. It is recommended to spend a night here. If you are lucky, you may see the evening glow and the “sunlit golden mountain” (Ri Zhao Jin Shan), the Shangri-La scenery described in the novel “Lost Horizon.”
1–3 hours
Niru Village
Located in the heart of the “Three Parallel Rivers” region, this Tibetan village of just 106 households and 643 people boasts high mountain gorges, glaciers and snow peaks, alpine wetlands, forest meadows, and glacial lakes. People call it “the last hidden paradise of Shangri-La,” an ecological Eden that brings together nearly every type of natural landscape found in the Northern Hemisphere, apart from deserts and oceans.
1–2 hours
Shangri-La Grand Canyon
This canyon was originally called “Biran Canyon.” Because one side of the canyon is called Xiang and the other Li, it came to be known as the “Shangri-La Grand Canyon,” a name that is grand but rather vague. Some say the Blue Moon Valley described in “Lost Horizon” is located here, and locals have long believed this is a place where immortals dwell, the true Shambhala. Visitors can explore the deep canyon and towering snow peaks, go rafting through the scenic gorge, and visit Bala Village, an unspoiled ancient Tibetan village. It is well worth a visit. Two marvels in the scenic area should not be missed. The first is a thousand-year-old Bodhi tree whose trunk has grown into the shape of a human palm, a striking sight. The second is the Qudeng Sacred Mountain in the pastures deep inside Jiala Village. Its round, pointed summit is covered in snow, with a black circular rock wall beneath it, and it is known as a natural stupa.
2 hours
Bigu Tianchi Lake
Known as “Chuzhang” in Tibetan, meaning “small lake,” Bigu Tianchi Lake is a high-altitude alpine lake with exceptionally clear water and a very peaceful setting. Surrounded by primeval forest and green pastures where cattle and sheep graze quietly, it offers a serene, refined landscape that seems to lift all your worries away. The lake was also a filming location for the movie “The Promise.”
2–3 hours
Haba Snow Mountain
“Haba” is a Naxi word meaning “flower of gold.” Haba Snow Mountain sits right next to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Most visitors only go to the famous Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but Haba Snow Mountain has its own distinctive charm. It is a must-visit for mountaineering enthusiasts, with the best climbing seasons from March to June and September to December. The area also boasts stunning natural scenery, and at different altitudes you can admire many varieties of rhododendrons, which domestic and international biologists have dubbed the “Mother of the World Garden.”
1–3 days
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 254–269. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version