Where the gods live - Shangri-La

Number of days: 4 days
Time: July
Average cost: 5,000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2023.08.16

D1: Direct flight from Chongqing to Shangri-La. Stay in a three-person suite at Longmen Inn next to the north gate of Dukezong Town.

D2: Songzanlin Temple---Lapa Lake---Pudacuo National Park---Turtle Mountain Park--Dukezong Town. Stay in a three-person suite at Longmen Inn next to the north gate of Dukezong Town.

Fifty years have passed, how many years have we met, how many childhood dreams have we shared, how many times have we missed our hometown,

Finally, in July 2023, at the height of summer peak season, I decided to make my dream trip to Shangri-La a reality. Direct flights from Chongqing to Shangri-La depart daily, taking a little over two hours. Departing at noon, I arrived at Shangri-La Airport in the evening. The airport is a little over 10 kilometers from the city center, and you can usually get to your accommodation by taxi or Didi. All the best! Upon arrival, all my worries were gone. No one suffered from altitude sickness from the direct flight, and I repeatedly reminded them not to catch a cold. I felt relieved. From the sweltering heat of Chongqing, I finally arrived in spring. Hahaha, I finally put on a jacket or a light down jacket.

That night, we had a local yak hotpot, the kind with large chunks of meat and vegetables, for 168 yuan a pot. The soup warmed us up. The yak yogurt, cheese, and curds were all good. We added tsampa flour to the yogurt, which was very fragrant, just like the one we had in our childhood.

Curd egg rolls

The inn is an English-themed folk custom, and the owner is a young man.

Dukezong City in the morning

The most heartbreaking thing was the light rain that began at 6 a.m. We set out early to the Tibetan clothing and makeup shop we'd agreed to visit, neither of us showing any desire to change. Sunburn makeup or white clouds? We each picked out our favorite outfits and makeup to protect ourselves from the rain. We also bought shoe covers at the supermarket and wrapped them in three layers. By noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the Tibetan robes were making us really warm. The unpredictable weather in July, with its alternating rain and sunshine, is truly unpredictable. Later, I realized I should have brought Crocs or rain boots.

Wild flowers and grasses are everywhere, dotted with cute stars.

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I highly recommend the place where I stayed. You can spend the whole day quietly in the garden without getting tired of it. The scent of roses wafting by from time to time is very nice. It's just that his house is 200 meters uphill, so be careful not to rush.

A corner of the inn

The yak beef seller said that good beef is made by beating it so that it has fibers and is not tough. I remember there were a lot of yak beef sold on the street, and many of them were not cut right.

A corner of Sifang Street

Inside the ancient Dukezong City, Turtle Mountain Park is accessible from the left and descends from the right. Many people lack the energy to climb up, though. The entire path is paved with stairs, three steep steps leading to the top, where you'll find the Golden Tube. It was packed with people, practically snapping photos side by side.

A large patch of potato flowers. I almost didn’t recognize it.

The fat bee is merciless. It has patterns on its back. It flew too fast to be photographed. When I was a kid, I used to try to fly by tying my feet with string.