# Bigu Tianchi Lake (碧沽天池)

Shangri-La, Yunnan Province · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bigu-tianchi-lake
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Free
- **Opening hours:** Open all day (all year 2026)
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Address:** Lianhe Village, Xiaozhongdian Township, Shangri-La City
- **Getting there:** Located in Lianhe Village, Xiaozhongdian Township, Shangri-La City; about 1 hour by self-drive from downtown Shangri-La

## About 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.”

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. The road to Bigu Tianchi Lake is very rough and only four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles can make the climb. Self-driving is not recommended. It is best to hire a local driver with experience.
- 2. Please take all of your rubbish with you to avoid polluting the environment.
- 3. On the G214 highway from Lijiang to Bigu Tianchi Lake, you will pass the Xiaozhongdian Flower Sea. In May and June, the rhododendrons are in full bloom and breathtaking. In September and October, the area turns into a sea of Stellera chamaejasme (wolf poison flowers), whose vast, continuous blooms are extremely striking.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 267. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.