Impressions of "Colorful Yunnan": Shangri-La – Tibetan Buddhist Enlightenment, the Dangers of Tiger Leaping Leap

Number of days：8 days
Time: January
Average cost: 6,000 yuan
With whom: husband and wife
Updated: 2025.03.28

As everyone knows, Shangri-La became well-known and longed for by the world after it appeared in British author James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon" in the 1930s. "Shangri-La" is a transliteration of the Tibetan word, meaning "sun and moon in the heart." It is located in the heart of the Hengduan Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, at the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet. Shangri-La Attractions Map

Here's a map of Shangri-La attractions. I'm planning to spend two days exploring a few of them. I'll depart from Lijiang and travel to Shangri-La, first visiting Songzanlin Temple and then Pudacuo National Park. I'll stay at the Golden Years Hotel in downtown Shangri-La and spend the night exploring Dukezong Ancient Town. The next day, I'll return to Lijiang, visiting Baishuitai and Tiger Leaping Gorge along the way. Then, I'll head to Lijiang Airport for my flight to Nanjing. This trip is about 500 kilometers. How do I get there? Taking public transportation might make it difficult to manage schedules or even miss the deadline, and carrying several large luggage would be inconvenient. Renting a car and driving ourselves would also worry us about altitude sickness. Shangri-La's average altitude is 3,459 meters, over 200 meters higher than Yunshanping on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so we didn't dare take the risk. We decided to charter a car for 1,600 yuan for two days, including food and accommodation, which averaged out to 400 yuan per person, which was acceptable.

Our driver was a Yi ethnic driver named Ma. At 7:40 a.m. on February 4th, he picked us up at the Lijiang Lige Holiday Hotel and set off for Shangri-La. Less than 10 minutes into the journey, we received a call from the hotel saying we had left a small shoulder bag in the room. Fortunately, we hadn't strayed far, so we immediately returned. This little incident demonstrates the hotel's excellent service efficiency and quality.

&nb Enter Shangri-La

Two hours later, we arrived at Ganden Songzanlin Monastery.

Songzanlin Monastery was built in 1679 and completed three years later, boasting a history of nearly 350 years. Also known as "Guihua Temple," the monastery was gifted by Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province, known as the "Tibetan Art Museum" and the "Little Potala Palace." In the summer of 1936, when the Red Army passed through Shangri-La during the Long March, Guihua Temple raised over 20,000 kilograms of grain to support the Red Army's march north to resist the Japanese. The monastery also sent monks to serve as guides for the Red Army, making significant contributions to the Chinese revolution.

We took the scenic area shuttle bus (tourists are not allowed to drive in) to Songzanlin Temple, but saw that Songzanlin Temple was built on the mountain, high above, shaped like an ancient castle-like building complex. Looking from below, the numerous buildings were staggered and progressive, splendid, magnificent and very majestic.

Panoramic view of Songzanlin Temple

The striking white pagoda

The six characters "Ganden Songzanlin Temple" on the lintel were given by the Fifth Dalai Lama

The plaque on the main gate of Songzanlin Temple reads "Ganden Songzanlin Temple" in large characters, which was the name of the temple given by the Fifth Dalai Lama himself. Upon entering the monastery, the guide (including the entrance fee) will provide a brief explanation. He explains that Songzanlin Monastery has no connection to the historical marriage between Han Chinese and Tibetans, Songtsen Gampo. From here, ascending 143 steps, you can explore the temple complex, which consists of the main hall, the Khamchan (a secondary hall, one of eight in the monastery), and the monks' quarters. In addition, there are numerous scripture halls and pagodas, forming a complete and harmonious religious complex. Today, we will focus on three halls dedicated to peace, health, and wisdom, representing the Tibetan Buddhist blessings for all visitors. Please note that the steps should be taken from the left when ascending and from the left when descending. Entering and exiting the temple should proceed clockwise, as clockwise movement is considered a symbol of auspiciousness and perfection in Tibetan Buddhism. Do not take photos or speak loudly while inside the temple. Climb 143 steps. Main Hall, Zhacang Hall

We slowly ascended the high steps, immersed in the cultural atmosphere of Tibetan Buddhism. As we neared the summit, the main hall, Zhacang (meaning "monastery" in Tibetan), appeared before our eyes. Located at the center and highest point of the temple, it faces south, and its five-story Tibetan-style carved building is majestic and magnificent, sacred and solemn. We then arrived at the square in front of the temple. The halls, gilded with copper and featuring animal-shaped eaves, filled us with awe as we stood within this magnificent temple.

Temple Square

Our guide took us through several temples, where we experienced the millennia-old history and faith of Tibetan Buddhism, and the compassion and wisdom embodied in each Buddha statue. The monastery (Zhacang), which can accommodate 1,600 people and serves as a place for monks to study scriptures and cultivate teachings, was particularly noteworthy. Hundreds of monks sat quietly in the temple hall, each holding a small cloth bag and a small glass bottle before them—perhaps their daily rations. Their ascetic determination and perseverance were awe-inspiring.

Tibetan Buddhism teaches us to let go of worries and sorrows, to embrace compassion and tolerance like the Buddhists, and to preserve a pure haven in this chaotic world. Prayer Wheels

After the tour, we arrived at a prayer wheel. Many people lined up to spin it. The tour guide said we had to spin it three times for blessings, so we joined in. We took some photos and then headed down the mountain. We saw several police officers standing on a platform to ensure safety. There were large monasteries on the hillside. The tour guide explained that these monasteries were built by the monks themselves. The wealthy built better ones, while those with less money built less. Here, monks are the pride of their families, and they are supported by their families.

There are police guards on the high platform.

There are many monks' houses at the foot of the hill. src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/1mf0f12000jclra7o7730_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" />

On the way down the mountain, we visited Yangtang Kangcan, one of the eight Kangcans of Songzanlin Monastery, which was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. Ringing bells and praying for blessings in front of Yangtang Kangshen Temple Yangtang Kangshen Temple Yangtang Kangcan Temple

Leaving the temple at 11:40, we arrived at Pudacuo National Park at 12:30.

Pudacuo National Park is 24 kilometers from the urban area of Shangri-La, with a total area of 1,313 square kilometers. The highest point in the park is 4,670 meters above sea level. It's just a park, but it feels huge, equivalent to twice the size of Nanjing!

Pudacuo National Park Ticket Office

At the ticket office, the entrance fee is 68 yuan per person, and the bus ticket is 70 yuan per person, which adds up to 138 yuan. The key is that the bus ticket is quite expensive. Some say it's not expensive because you have to drive 50 kilometers into the park. The price is not low, so what is the value for money? After a moment of hesitation, I decided to go since I was already here. I ate something and got on the bus.

Pudacuo National Park actually has two scenic spots, one is Shudu Lake and the other is Bita Lake. After entering the park, first go to the ice and snow playground, where you can change buses and go to Shudu Lake.

Ice and Snow Amusement Park

Children's playground

"Shudu" means "cheese as hard as stone" in Tibetan. Shudu Lake, located at an altitude of 3,705 meters, is a large plateau lake. It is a CCTV filming location and served as a torch relay point for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Arrived at Shudu Lake Cruise ship terminal Cruise ship destination: Shudu Lake South Bank Terminal Prayer flags on the shore of Shudu Lake represent respect for nature

Once you reach the lake, you have two options: take a cruise (65 yuan per person) or walk. Both destinations are at the parking lot on the south bank of Shudu Lake (where you'll catch a bus to the next attraction). We chose to walk to save money and enjoy the scenery. The 3.3-kilometer walk along the wooden boardwalk on the south bank of Shudu Lake took over an hour, enjoying the scenery.

Shudu Lake has a nice scenery. The lake is vast, the grassland is lush, the green mountains are verdant all around, and the primeval forest covers the shore. Cattle and horses sometimes roam around the lake, and dead branches and rotten trees also become a scene.

We walked on the plank road with green mountains on our backs and green water in front of us, passed through the Wind Chime Prayer Corridor, walked past the "Hiking Holy Land" landmark, checked in at the altitude of "3595", walked on the ice and snow by the lake, and watched the white yaks and the interaction between their Tibetan owners and tourists. The beautiful scenery cheered up our mood and the interest dispelled our fatigue...

Wind Chime Prayer Corridor

3595 meters above sea level

Snowfield by the lake

Walking in the snow by the lake

Snow Wall

Internet celebrity white yak and its owner

Passionate singing

Cattle

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Walking towards the parking lot on the south bank of Shudu Lake

We changed cars for the second time at the parking lot on the south bank of Shudu Lake and headed to Bitahai, but we had to change cars again at the entrance of the scenic area. The car passed through the lush forest and park avenue and arrived at Bitahai at 4:30 pm.

The entrance to Bitahai Lake is not deep, so you can just take a simple walk.

Tallinn

We entered the park at 1:20 and left at 5:30, spending a total of four hours in the park. We took five buses, which totaled 65 minutes of driving, covering about 50 kilometers. We arrived at the Shangri-La Golden Years Hotel at 6:10 PM and checked in. Our room was on the third floor, and there was no elevator. The staff helped us carry our luggage upstairs, reminding us to walk slowly to prevent altitude sickness.

Golden Years Hotel

Hotel Lobby

Tibetan-style barbecue stove in the hotel lobby

Hotel Room Building

A little after 7 p.m., our night tour of Dukezong Ancient Town officially began. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from Moonlight Square in the heart of the ancient town, and we quickly entered the ancient town. We first had dinner at Rongjia Tibetan Restaurant, also in the old town. We ordered Tibetan hot pot, yak sashimi, Tibetan pizza, grilled mushrooms, yak beef buns, and Songga beer, totaling over 300 yuan. Next door to Rongjia Tibetan Restaurant is Cun's Silver Shop, which we visited after dinner. Cun's is a renowned Yunnan silversmith, renowned for its reputation and quality. My wife saw a silver bracelet she liked. It was 14.8 yuan per gram, a good price, but she already had one. She was hesitant about buying it, but the shop owner said, "You already have one, so there's no need to buy another." Is that how you do business? You could say, "I'll buy another one to keep as a rotation." So, I bought it.

Dining at Rongjia Tibetan Restaurant

The Tibetan food we ordered

The Tibetan barbecue stove is located in the center of the restaurant

Dukezong Ancient Town was built in the Tang Dynasty. It was an important town and garrison in the history of Shangri-La. It originally served as a fortress, mountain stronghold and fortress. The ancient town is centered on Dagui Mountain, and Guishan Park has become the most visited place.

Streets of Dukezong Ancient Town

Tourists taking photos and checking in

Entrance to Guishan Park

Entering Guishan Park

Han Temple

Vajra Hall

As you circle the Han Temple from left to right, you'll arrive at the world's largest prayer wheel. Looking up, you'll see it's about five stories high, 10 meters in diameter, and 31.4 meters in circumference. It's a majestic sight, made of pure copper plated with gold. The upper part of the wheel is engraved with reliefs depicting the four great bodhisattvas: Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, and Ksitigarbha, while the lower part is inscribed with the Eight Treasures of Buddhism. Crowds of tourists are spinning the giant prayer wheel. They believe that each rotation is equivalent to silently chanting the Buddha's name 1.24 million times. Three complete rotations bring blessings and good luck, and good fortune. The world's largest prayer wheel is right before your eyes. The Eight Treasures pattern on the bottom of the prayer wheel is clearly visible. The prayer wheel is surrounded by a huge crowd. src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/1mf1t12000jcochkwD299_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" /> Turn three times full of good luck

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"Big Buddha Temple" is written on the back of the Guishan Park gate.

Watching Moonlight Square at Guishan Park

After Guishan Park, you'll find Moonlight Square, where local residents and tourists stroll and relax. As music plays, Tibetans and tourists of various ethnic groups circle around, dancing enthusiastically to Tibetan dances, both those who know how to dance and those who don't. People couldn't help but join in the dance, forming a circle and dancing passionately, creating a beautiful landscape of national unity.

National Unity Dance

To the north of the square is the Diqing Red Army Long March Museum. Looking back at Guishan Park, the wonderful combination of hillsides, temples, and prayer wheels is even more beautiful.

Diqing Red Army Long March Museum

Moonlight Square looking back at Guishan Park

The Vajra Hall stands high above

This is another hotel in the ancient city

We returned to the hotel at 10 a.m., and the front desk clerk told us not to shower or use the air conditioning that night, as the floor heating kept us warm. I remembered that when the driver dropped us off at the hotel, he had also reminded us not to shower, citing altitude sickness as a precaution. I always listened to their advice. In the seven days since our trip, I only skipped showers that night, and it was a uneventful night.

We set off at 7 a.m. on the 6th, heading south: Shangri-La → Baishuitai → Tiger Leaping Gorge, and finally Lijiang Airport.

The streets of the ancient city are so quiet in the early morning

As the car passed through the south gate of the ancient city, I took another photo. At 8:18, we arrived at the "Huxiang Highest Observation Deck" and stopped the car by the roadside to admire the Golden Summit of Haba Snow Mountain.

Tiger Fragrance High Observation Deck

The highest point of Huxiang Highway is 3,719 meters above sea level.

The rising sun shone brightly.

We arrived at Baishuitai at 9:35.

Baishuitai is located at the northern foot of Haba Snow Mountain. The platform covers an area of about 3 square kilometers. It is the largest cold spring type freshwater carbonate spring petrification platform discovered in my country so far. Its main cause is that the calcium carbonate dissolved in the spring water decomposes and precipitates after exposure, forming spring petrification. The petrification is stacked layer by layer and is white. It gradually slopes from west to east, like layers of terraced fields. Hence the name Baishuitai, and the beautiful name of "the immortal's abandoned fields".

Taiqian Square

The natural god worshipped by Tibetans - "Shu"

Passing through the square in front of the terrace, we ascended the mountain path. Villagers offered horseback rides for a ride, but we insisted on walking. Believers burned incense near Quanhua Terrace, where we spotted a strange, human-shaped tree. Upon reaching the summit, villagers told us the view from the observation deck was even more stunning. Indeed, from this high vantage point, the entire Baishuitai is breathtaking, with the distant mountains and nearby waters awe-inspiring. As we lingered on Quanhua Terrace, our driver, Xiao Ma, who enjoys drones, took the initiative to capture a panoramic view of Baishuitai for us. The result was breathtaking, almost as stunning as the Huanglong Five-Colored Pool.

Travertine Wonders

The Place Where Villagers Burn Incense

Humanoid Tree

The sacred tree

Above is the observation deck

Observation deck passage

Observation Deck Viewing

"Immortal Abandoned Field"

Walking on Quanhua Terrace

Quanhua Terrace

Underwater Bonsai

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;& nbsp;&nb &n p; Aerial photography of Baishuitai

Standing on Quanhua Terrace and looking out into the distance

Down the Mountain

Leave Baishuitai at 10:30 and continue moving forward. We seemed to have entered the territory of Haba Snow Mountain. When we were approaching Tiger Leaping Gorge, we stopped again. This is a classic viewing point to see Haba Snow Mountain. The stone tablet of "Haba Snow Mountain" is very eye-catching. It is marked that the altitude of Haba Snow Mountain is 5,396 meters. From a distance, Haba Snow Mountain is not dangerous, and the top of the mountain is bare. I remembered a myth and legend: Jinsha River, Nu River, Lancang River, Yulong Mountain, and Haba Mountain were originally five brothers and sisters. When the three sisters grew up, they met to choose a son-in-law. Their parents ordered Yulong and Haba to chase them. Jade Dragon, carrying thirteen swords, and Haba, carrying twelve bows, took a small road to Shangri-La. They sat face to face and took turns waiting. They made an agreement that whoever spared the three sisters would be beheaded. Haba's brother spared his sister and was beheaded. The brother cried bitterly, and the two tears turned into white water and black water. Haba's twelve bows turned into the twenty-four bends on both sides of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Haba's head fell into the river and turned into a Tiger Leaping Stone.

Haba Snow Mountain Observation Deck

The Red Army's Long March passed here

Haba Snow Mountain

Tiger Leaping Gorge suddenly has a dangerous and tragic color, go and see it. Near 1 pm, we passed through the Xiahutiao Tunnel and entered the Jinshajiang Tiger Leaping Gorge Scenic Area.

Going down the Hutiao Tunnel

First think about the Jinsha River. The Jinsha River is the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in my country. It originates from the Geladandong Snow Mountain, the main peak of the Tanggula Mountains, flows through the four provinces of Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, and Sichuan, and joins the Yangtze River in Yibin, Sichuan, with a total length of 2,308 kilometers. The Jinsha River basin has high mountains and deep valleys, and rapid water flow. It first rushes straight down to the southeast, and after entering Shigu, Yunnan, it suddenly makes a 180-degree turn and flows to the northeast; then, it cuts through the two snowy mountains of Yulong and Haba, creating the world-famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. Then there was another 180-degree turn, flowing from north to south, making the galloping Jinsha River almost turn around the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a rare geological phenomenon for a world-class river to make two consecutive 180-degree turns. After passing through the tunnel, we are at the Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is broken into mountains and rocks by the Jinsha River, with Haba on the left and Yulong on the right.

Hutiao Gorge can be divided into three sections: Upper Tiger Leaping, Middle Tiger Leaping and Lower Tiger Leaping. It has a total length of 17 kilometers, 25 kilometers of circuitous roads, a canyon drop of 213 meters, and a vertical height difference of more than 3,900 meters. It is more than 1,500 meters deeper than the Colorado Grand Canyon in the United States. It is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Tightly bound by the mountains on both sides, the river is only over 50 meters wide after entering the gorge. At the narrowest point, tigers and leopards can jump across it with the help of the Tiger Leaping Stone, hence the name Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Entering Xiahutiao, the first thing you see is a large stone sculpture in the shape of a tiger, with the inscription "Tiger Leaping across the Golden Sands, We Meet on a Narrow Road". Many people check in here. Then we looked at Wangtian Waterfall, and we saw the mountains on both sides of the river, the valley slopes are steep, and the river is far away from the bottom of the abyss.

"Tiger Leaping Sands" sculpture

Looking at the sky waterfall and overlooking the river

High mountains and deep waters

Thousands of Mountains and Gorges

Go a few kilometers further and purchase tickets at the ticket office before you can officially enter the Shanghutiao Scenic Area. You can overlook the beauty of Haba Snow Mountain and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from the top of Hutiao. It is the narrowest section in the whole canyon. The river is only more than 20 meters wide. The mountain is extremely steep, with knives and axes cutting it, and thousands of walls standing tall.

Behind the Tiger Leaping Sculpture is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

We climbed down the stairs, watching the scenery while walking, and descended hundreds of steps before reaching the bottom of the valley.

Overlooking the Tiger Leaping Gorge Observation Deck

Jinsha River Dangerous Bend

Cliff

torrent

The first appearance of the Tiger Leaping Stone

Tiger Leaping Plaza

The Tiger Leaping Rock divides the rapids into two, and the rapidity of the water pushes the danger of Tiger Leaping Gorge to the extreme.

虎跳石

The rapids

The ground was too deep and we couldn't climb any higher. My wife and I chose to take the escalator back to the ground, which costs 50 yuan per person for a single trip (70 yuan for a combined ticket of 70 yuan per person). The escalator goes up and down almost vertically. There are 4 sections in total, and each section has about sixty or seventy steps. It’s easy to pay for it.

The "outer packaging" of the four-section escalator

Escalator

The open-air viewing platform between the third and fourth escalators: spread your wings

Entrance to the escalator

It is understood that the country will build a reservoir and hydropower station in Tiger Leaping Gorge, which has been discussed and planned for many years. Although there are still some disputes, once implemented, Tiger Leaping Gorge may no longer be famous. Friends who are interested in Tiger Leaping Gorge should go there as soon as possible.

Flying gulls in the Dianchi Lake; Dali in the "Colorful Yunnan" impression - traffic jams, electric cars are the boss; Lijiang in the "Colorful Yunnan" impression - you can go up to the roof to lift tiles and climb jade dragons and snow; and in this article, the "Colorful Yunnan" impression is Shangri-La - the Zen enlightenment of the Tibetan Buddha and the dangerous leap of the tiger. In fact, the impression of Yunnan here is only superficial, because the scenic spots in Yunnan are widely distributed and very unique, and the cultural environment is also good. This time we only have 8 days, and the breadth and depth are far from enough.

Yunnan, we still have to come again.