Shangri-La 香格里拉
Tibetan culture, Songzanlin Monastery and high grasslands.
At about 3,300 m on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. Shangri-La feels very different from the rest of Yunnan: prayer flags, yaks, Tibetan villages and monasteries.
What to see
Dukezong Old Town 独克宗古城
The old Tibetan town of Shangri-La, with wooden houses, little squares and one of the largest prayer wheels in the world on Turtle Hill. In the evening locals gather on the main square for circle dancing – join in.
Songzanlin Monastery 松赞林寺
Built in 1679, Songzanlin is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan and is often called the "Little Potala". Golden roofs rise above the town on the hillside, and hundreds of monks still live and study here.
Pudacuo National Park 普达措国家公园
Alpine lakes, meadows and old forest at around 3,500 m. Boardwalks lead along Shudu Lake and Bita Lake, where yaks graze and the meadows are full of flowers in summer.