Tips & Stories

The month of July is still the summer vacation time in Yunnan. It is the holiday season for Yunnan to welcome tourists from different corners.

Though it’s the rainy season here, you can still appreciate popular pretty attractions without bothering. The shower of rain would only bring more cool fresh air on your way of journey. However, the daily temperature difference here in Yunnan in July is large between day and night, so it’s better to prepare warm clothes, raincoats and umbrella in your backpack.

Besides, the gear of sun protection is necessary when visiting Yunnan, especially during summer days. The ultraviolet rays are intense here because Yunnan locates on the Yunnan-Guizhou plagues with an average altitude of 2,000 meters. It would be easy for you to get a sunburn without any protection.

The best place to visit in Yunnan in July must be Shangri-La.

Before launching on your trip to Shangri-La, don’t forget to do some work in advance. Learning the 6 things about Shangri-La before travelling here can help you enjoy touring here better.

What touring attractions worth visiting in Shangri-La?

Attraction 1: Dukezong Ancient City

The ancient city of Dukezong was built on a hillside. It was built according to the Shambhala ideal state in Buddhist scriptures. It contains two meanings: “castle built on stone” and “the moonlight city”. The roads of the ancient city are undulating. Now, there are still deep horseshoe marks on the stone roads, which are the tokens left by the caravan in those days.

Attraction 2: Gadan Songzanlin Monastery

Seeing it from a distance, the appearance of the Gadan Songzanlin Monastery is similar to that of the Potala Palace in Tibet, so it is known as the “Mini version of Potala Palace”.

The temple was built on the hillside in 1679. It faces the lake and reveals a magnificent, solemn and mysterious air. It is the chief temple of Tibetan Buddhism in Yunnan.

The whole temple is built with strong and thick walls and five gates. The biggest temple is a five-story Tibetan-style tower building. The main hall can accommodate 1,600 people sitting on the ground and chanting scriptures. There are more than 700 monks in the temple.

Every year from December 26th to 29th in the Tibetan calendar, Tibetans will hold the “God Dance” (mask dance) ceremony as the core of the Winter Festival. It’s a mysterious and lively festival.

Attraction 3: Napa Sea (Yila Grassland)

Napa Sea Nature Reserve is the largest spring pasture in northwestern Yunnan. Every May, the Napa Sea will be full of green grass. From June to July, all kinds of wildflowers are blooming here. When the wind breezes, you will see a beautiful picture of the cows and sheep are wandering in this vast grassland.

On the northwest mountain of Napa Sea, is the site of Zhongdian ancient temple – Zhongqin Temple. Towering old trees in lush, surrounded by broken walls and rubble everywhere, the temple was built at the end of the Ming Dynasty and was destroyed by sectarian disputes in the early Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, there is a three-foot-six-foot-high Qiangba statue in the temple. Xu Xiake, a famous tourist in the Ming Dynasty, once wanted to visit it, but was blocked by the Lijiang chieftain Mu family and failed to do so.

Attraction 4: Pudacuo National Forest Park

Pudacuo National Forest Park is an important part of the World Natural Heritage “Three Parallel Rivers” scenic spot and an important part of Ramsar International Wetland. It is composed of two eco-tourism areas, Bita Sea and Shudu Lake.

Here is a fairy tale world without any pollution, with birds and flowers, clear water and blue sky, which is a land full of beautiful sceneries. Pudacuo is also a paradise for photographers, with different scenery throughout the year.

Attraction 5: Meili Snow Mountain (Feilai Temple)

Meili Snow Mountain, also known as a Prince of the Snow Mountain, has 13 peaks with an average elevation of 6000 meters or more (so-called “Prince 13 Peaks”). The main peak is Kawagebo. The peak is the highest peak in Yunnan.

Meili Snow Mountain is also a sacred mountain for Tibetans. Every year, people come to worship. The mountain lakes, dense forests, strange flowers and trees and various wild animals here jointly form its unique snowy landscape.

There is a temple that sits directly opposite Kawaboge Peak, it is the Feilai Temple. The temple was built in the Ming Dynasty (1614 AD), with a history of more than 300 years. The structure of the temple has integrated all of the characteristics of the three main religions. Viewing Meili Snow Mountain from the Feilai Temple platform, you will be able to see the whole picture of Meili Snow Mountain.

Attraction 6: Yubeng Village

Yubeng is a small Tibetan village at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain. It is sparsely populated with only 20 households in the whole village and boasts amazing scenery. Since long times ago, there is only one horse road connecting this village with the outside world.

The Yubeng waterfall is also a holy place for Tibetan Buddhism. Many people came to worship here every year. This is a magical and beautiful place, and it makes people feel like a paradise while wandering here. Yubeng Village is divided into upper and lower villages. The upper village can lead to the Sino-Japanese joint mountaineering base camp for climbing Kawagebo, and the lower village leads to the Yubeng Waterfall. Along the way, you can see the wonders of ancient calligraphy on the rocks and five trees with the same root.

What delicious gourmet and cuisine you can try in Shangri-La?

Shangri-La’s food is based on the flavour of Tibetan cuisine. Butter tea and Zanba pastry are the most general foods ate by locals here. The butter tea here has a heavier taste than Lijiang’s. Because the milk used here is from the Yak. Yak is the main livestock of the Tibetan people. Yak milk can be made into parmesan and cheese, and yak beef can be braised and stewed as a dish, which tastes very delicious. Rice enema, salted meat, brewed sour fish, bitter vegetable fried noodles, ham stuffed pie and other foods are all representative snacks here.

Salt meat in the shape of Lute (Pipa meat)

This is a meat dish made with the traditional Tibetan method. Pipa meat got named for its “lute-like shape “. Pipa meat can be stored for a long time, without cutting up; it will remain the flavour for several years. The meat tastes delicious and is transparent in colour. It can be boiled or stewed and is a delicacy for Tibetans to treat guests.

Butter Tea and Zanba Pastry

Butter tea is a must-have beverage for Tibetan people to entertain guests. Butter tea can eliminate the cold and replenish the calories needed by the human body. It is the best beverage in Shangri-La. Zanba pastry is a staple food that Tibetans often eat for three meals.

Tibetans also pay attention to etiquette when they drink tea: when serving butter tea, they pay attention to the order of serving. The aged people, guests and people with a higher position will be served first.

Once the teacup is empty, the host will refill the cup soon, unless the guest puts his hand over the cup to indicate that he is full already.

Yoghurt

A dairy product unique to Tibetans in the Shangri-La area, called “shuo” in Tibetan, is made from milk that has been refined with ghee and has rich nutritional value.

Tibetan Sweets and Pastry

Shangri-La’s Tibetan pastries are crispy and delicious but not greasy. They are generally used for festivals and entertaining guests. Among them, Youzhaguo is the most famous, which is called “Shanna” in Tibetan dialect.

There are more dishes you can try when travelling in Yunnan 

The beauty of Shangri-La cannot be fully described in words. You can only feel it with your heart, find it through your eyes, and explore with your footsteps.

Walking into Shangri-La, the exhaustion of the journey will be gone. You can open arms to embrace the pure blue of the sky of Shangri-La. If there is a beautiful place in the world that can make people linger, I think it must be Shangri-La.

“The first place where the sun shines is Jiantang in the east, and the most extraordinary place on earth is Shangri-La on the banks of the Milky River.” James Hilton wrote so in his book. The white snow-capped mountains, the vast expanse of grassland, the bright red datura metel and the mysterious lamasery all constitute the most beautiful scenery here. The Tibetan transliteration of Shangri-La is “Shamballa”, which means “the bright moon in the heart”, which also refers to an ideal lifestyle. In English, it is Shangri-La, which means paradise. It is indeed a paradise, a paradise on earth. The city of Shangri La is situated in the centre of the sacred region of the three rivers: the Yangtze, the Mekong and the Salween. It used to be named as Zhongdian or Gyalthang in Tibetan until 2001.