It is possible to fly to Lhasa from Shangri-la, but flights are cheaper from elsewhere (Kūnmíng and Chéngdū), and you’ll need to be part of an organised group with all the necessary permits. By far the best people to talk to about Tibet travel in Shangri-la are Khampa Caravan.
8Getting Around
A taxi or minivan between the airport and Shangri-la will cost between ¥30 and ¥50. Otherwise, call your hotel to arrange a pick-up.
Bikes can be hired on and around Beimen Jie from ¥30 a day.
The bus station is 2km north of the old town, straight up Changzheng Lu. From outside the bus station, take local bus 1 (¥1) to the old town (古城, gǔchéng)
Around Shangri-la
Around Shangri-la are any number of sights: villages, mountains, meadows, ponds, chörten (Tibetan stupas), waiting to be explored.
Some Chinese travellers rave about Wéixi （维西), an area 80km southwest of Shangri-la sometimes known as 'The Rocky Mountains of Yúnnán' for their visual similarity to the mountain range in Colorado. There are four buses a day to Wéixi from Shangri-la's bus station at 8.30am, 10am, noon and 2pm (¥75, five hours); it's a bad road.
Emerald Pagoda Lake 碧塔海
Emerald Pagoda LakeLAKE
(Bìtǎ Hǎi; ¥258)
Also known as Pǔdácuò (普达错), a Mandarinised-version of its Tibetan name, Emerald Pagoda lake is 25km east of Shangri-la. The bus to Sānbà can drop you along the highway. From there, it's 8km down a trail (a half-hour by pony), and while the ticket price is laughably steep, there are other (free) trails to the lake. A bike is useful for finding them; taxis will drop you at the ticket office.
Pony trips can be arranged at the lake. An intriguing sight in summer are the comatose fish that float unconscious for several minutes in the lake after feasting on azalea petals.
The whopping entrance fee is also due to the inclusion of Shǔdū Hú, another lake approximately 10km to the north. The name means ‘Place Where Milk is Found’ in Tibetan because its pastures are reputedly the most fertile in northwestern Yúnnán.
Getting to the lake(s) is tricky. The easiest way is to go on a tour arranged by your hostel. Otherwise, catch the bus to Sānbà, get off at the turn-off and hitch. Getting back you can wait (sometimes interminably) for a bus or hike to one of the entrances or main road and look out for taxis – but there may be none. A taxi will cost around ¥300 to ¥400 for the return trip, including Shǔdū Hú.
Báishuǐtái 白水台
BáishuǐtáiAREA
(admission; ¥35)
Báishuǐtái is a limestone deposit plateau 108km southeast of Shangri-la, with some breathtaking scenery and Tibetan villages en route. For good reason it has become probably the most popular back-door route between Lìjiāng and Shangri-la. The terraces – think of those in Pamukkale in Turkey or Huánglóng in Sìchuān – are lovely, but can be tough to access if rainfall has made trails slippery.
A couple of guesthouses at the nearby towns of Báidì and Sānbà have rooms with beds from ¥50.
From Shangri-la there is one daily bus to Báishuǐtái at 9.40 am (¥24, three hours). One adventurous option is to hike or hitch all the way from Báishuǐtái to Tiger Leaping Gorge. A taxi from Shangri-la is ¥600.
Nàpà Hǎi 纳帕海
Nàpà HǎiLAKE
(Nàpà Lake; ¥60)
Some 7km northwest of Shangri-la you’ll find the seasonal Nàpà Hǎi, surrounded by a large grassy meadow. Between September and March it attracts a myriad of rare species, including the black-necked crane. Outside of these months, the lake dries up and you can see large numbers of yaks and cattle grazing on the meadow.
Déqīn & Kawa Karpo 德钦、梅里雪山
Mellifluously named Déqīn (德钦) lies in some of the most ruggedly gorgeous scenery in China. Snugly cloud-high at an average altitude of 3550m, it rests in the near embrace of one of China’s most magical mountains, Kawa Karpo (梅里雪山; Méilǐ Xuěshān). At 6740m, it is Yúnnán’s highest peak and straddles the Yúnnán–Tibet border.
A true border town, Déqīn is one of Yúnnán’s last outposts before Tibet, but from here you could also practically hike east to Sìchuān or southwest to Myanmar. Díqìng Prefecture was so isolated that it was never really controlled by anyone until the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) arrived in force in 1957.
More than 80% of locals are Tibetan, though a dozen other minorities also live here, including one of the few settlements of non-Hui Muslims in China. The town itself, though, is unattractive and for travellers it is simply a staging post to the nearby mountains. Confusingly, Déqīn is the name of the city and county; both are incorporated by the Díqìng Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (迪庆藏族自治州).
Once out into the mountains, Yǔbēng village serves the needs of most travellers with guesthouses and restaurants.
1Sights
Entry to the sights requires buying an entrance ticket to Meili Snow Mountain National Park (梅里雪山国家公园; Meǐlǐ Xuěshān Guó Jīa Gōng Yuǎn ¥150-230). There are three ticket options: one includes three observation points and the glacier (¥228), another ticket is the same three observation points and Yǔbēng village (¥230), and the third is just three observation points (¥150).
If you want to go to the glacier and Yǔbēng village you should buy the full ticket. A student card nets a 50% discount.
Míngyǒng GlacierGLACIER
(明永冰川; Míngyǒng Bīngchuān ¥228)
Tumbling off the side of Kawa Karpo peak is the 12km-long Míngyǒng Glacier. At over 13 sq km, it is not only the lowest glacier in China (around 2200m) but also an oddity – a monsoon marine glacier, which basically translates as having an ecosystem that couldn’t possibly be more diverse: tundra, taiga, broadleaf forest and meadow.
The mountain has been a pilgrimage site for centuries and you’ll still meet a few Tibetan pilgrims, some of whom circumambulate the mountain over seven days in autumn. Surrounding villages are known as ‘heaven villages’ because of the dense fog that hangs about in spring and summer.
The trail to the glacier leads up from Míngyǒng’s central square. After 70 minutes of steady uphill walking you will reach the Tibetan Tàizǐ Miào (太子庙), a small temple where there are snack and drink stalls. A further 30 minutes along the trail is Lotus Temple (莲花庙; Liánhuā Miào), which offers fantastic views of the glacier framed by prayer flags and chörten. Horses can also be hired to go up to the glacier (¥200).
If you’re coming from Yǔbēng, you could also hike to Míngyǒng from Xīdāng in around three hours if you hoof it.
Míngyǒng village consists of only a couple hotels, restaurants and shops. You can overnight in the newly renovated Renqin Hotel (仁钦酒店; Rénqīn Jiǔdiàn %139 8871 4330; dm ¥35 d ¥120-160; W) which also serves meals.
From Déqīn, private minibuses to Míngyǒng leave regularly from the bridge near the market at the top end of town (¥20 per person), or you can hire your own for around ¥120.
The road from Déqīn descends into the dramatic Mekong Gorge. Six kilometres before Míngyǒng the road crosses the Mekong River and branches off to Xīdāng. Nearby is a small temple, the Bǎishūlín Miào, and a chörten. There is a checkpoint here where you will need to show your national park ticket.
Fēilái SìBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(飞来寺; Fēilái Temple donation)
Approximately 10km southwest of Déqīn is the small but interesting Tibetan Fēilái Temple (Fēilái Sì), or Naka Zhashi (or Trashi) Gompa in Tibetan, devoted to the spirit of Kawa Karpo. There’s no charge but leave a donation. No photos are allowed inside the tiny hall.
Everyone comes here for the sublime views – particularly the sunrises – of the Méilǐ Xuěshān range, including 6740m Kawa Karpo (also known as Méilǐ Xuěshān or Tàizi Shān) and the even more beautiful peak to the south, 6054m Miacimu (神女; Shénnǚ in Chinese), whose spirit is the female counterpart of Kawa Karpo. Locals come here to burn juniper incense to the wrathful
spirit of the mountain.
Sadly, the weather doesn't always cooperate, often shrouding the peaks in mist. October and November are the likeliest months for your sunrise photo op. A ticket office near the platform sells tickets for Fēilái Sì and other sites.
The ‘town’ is actually just an ugly, expanding strip of concrete shops, hotels and restaurants along the main road. Across the road, the government has unsportingly set up a wall, blocking the view of the mountains (just walk downhill 200m for the same view).
Most backpackers stay at Feeling Village Youth Hostel (觉色滇乡国际青年旅舍; Juésè Diānxiāng Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè %0887 841 6133; [email protected]; dm ¥25-35, d ¥100-120; niW), which has cheerful English-speaking staff, simple but clean rooms with electric blankets and hot water in the evenings. It’s set back from the main road; look for the sign turning right up the little alley at the bottom of the village.
On the main road, the Zàng Jí Wáng Shāngwù Jiǔdiàn (藏吉王商务酒店 %0887 302 2558; d ¥238-280; W) has comfortable rooms with huge windows and spectacular mountain views. Prices are regularly discounted by 20%.
Restaurants on the main road serve pricy Chinese and Western meals.
To get here from Déqīn a taxi will cost you ¥40, or take a minivan (¥10 per person).
YǔBēNG & KAWA KARPO HIKES
The principal reason to visit Déqīn is the chance to hike to the foot of Kawa Karpo. The main destination is Yǔbēng (雨崩) village from where you can make day hikes to mountain meadows, lakes and the fabulous Yǔbēng Waterfall (雨崩神瀑; Yǔbēng Shénpù).
The five-hour, 18km trek to Yǔbēng starts at the Xīdāng (西当) hot spring, about 3km past Xīdāng village. The drive from Fēilái Sì to Xīdāng takes one hour and 40 minutes. There is a ¥5 entrance fee for Yǔbēng, but when you show your receipt at your guesthouse you’ll get ¥5 off your bill.
Yǔbēng consists of two sections. You first arrive in ‘Upper Yǔbēng’, which contains most guesthouses, then the trail continues another 1km to ‘Lower Yǔbēng’. Yǔbēng is busier than it was, so booking ahead at peak periods is a good idea. Lobsang Trekker Lodge (藏巴乐之家; Zàngbālè Zhījiā %139 8879 7053; http://lobsangtrekkerlodge.webs.com; dm ¥30, d ¥150-200; W), in Upper Yǔbēng, is a popular place that offers meals, comfortable rooms and good traveller info. Also recommended is the Interval Time Guesthouse (间隔时光; Jiàngé Shíguāng %180 0887 8300; Upper Yǔbēng; dm ¥25-40, d ¥150; W), which has knowledgable staff and decent food.
From Yǔbēng village, there are loads of treks. It’s a three- to four-hour trip on foot or horseback to the waterfall. Or, you could head south to a picturesque lake (it’s around 4350m high and not easy to find, so take a guide). Guides cost around ¥200 per day. Supplies (food and water) are pricey in Yǔbēng so stock up in Fēilái Sì.
Leaving the village, many travellers hike to Nínóng (尼农) village by the Mekong River, a five-hour downhill trek that includes a hairy one-hour section along a precarious, narrow path. If you are prone to vertigo, head back to Xīdāng instead. Vans run to Déqīn and Fēilái Sì from Nínóng for ¥25 per person or ¥200 for the whole van. If you are stuck, walk 6km to Xīdāng where there is more transport.
Then there’s the legendary Kawa Karpo kora, a 12-day pilgrim circumambulation of Méilǐ Xuěshān. However, half of it is in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, so you’ll need a permit to do it; and you’ll definitely need a guide.
4Sleeping & Eating
The main places to stay are located in Yǔbēng village, which is divided into an upper and lower section. The majority of guesthouses can be found in 'Upper Yǔbēng', although there are a few in 'Lower Yǔbēng'. Thankfully, hot water and wi-fi are now standard.
Guesthouses double as restaurants in Yǔbēng.
8Getting There & Away
For Shangri-la, five daily buses leave from Déqīn's small bus station on the main street (¥58, four hours, 8.30am, 9.30am, 10.30am, 12.30pm and 4pm). There are also daily buses to Lìjiāng (¥114, eight hours, 7.30am), Kūnmíng (¥258, 16 hours, 1pm) and Xiàguān (¥148, 12 hours, 3pm).
A shared van from Fēilái Sì to Xīdāng will cost ¥20 per person or ¥180 for the whole van. You could also hike all the way from Fēilái Sì using local roads and paths. Another possibility is the bus from Déqīn to Xīdāng (¥20, 8.30am and 3pm), which stops in Fēilái Sì.
Nù Jiāng Valley 怒江大峡谷
The 320km-long Nù Jiāng Valley (怒江大峡谷) is one of Yúnnán’s best-kept secrets. The Nù Jiāng (known as the 'Salween' in Myanmar; its name in Chinese means ‘Raging River’) is the second-longest river in Southeast Asia and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Sandwiched between Gāolígòng Shān and Myanmar to the west, Tibet to the north and the imposing Bìluó Shān to the east, the gorge holds nearly a quarter of China’s flora and fauna species, and half of China’s endangered species. The valley also has an exotic mix of Han, Nu, Lisu, Drung and Tibetan nationalities, and even the odd Burmese trader. And it’s simply stunning – all of it.
But like other parts of rural Yúnnán, change is coming to the Nù Jiāng Valley. The local government is touting investment opportunities in everything from truffle farms to stone quarries, and the main towns – Liùkù and Fúgòng especially – are booming, with new apartment blocks and shops appearing and Han migrants arriving in numbers.
Nevertheless, the Nù Jiāng remains one of only two rivers that have not been dammed in all China and the signs are that it will, thankfully, stay that way. And getting here remains a pain, which is a good thing in terms of keeping the valley as pristine as is possible in China. Travellers, though, should be prepared for roads that can be impassable due to heavy rain and/or landslides.
All traffic enters via Liùkù. From there, you trundle nine hours up the valley, marvelling at the scenery, and then head back the way you came.
Plans have been announced to blast a road from Gòngshān in the northern part of the valley to Déqīn, and another from the village of Bǐngzhōngluò even further north into Tibet. Given the immense topographical challenges, these schemes are a long way off. But you should make sure to get here before they happen.
Almost all hotels, guesthouses and hostels are confined to the main towns in the Nù Jiāng Valley – Liùkù, Fúgòng and Gòngshān – and the village of Bǐngzhōngluò. You can find bearable rooms from ¥80 and up.
Liùkù is the main transport hub for the Nù Jiāng Valley and you will have to go through there for buses heading into the valley.
Liùkù 六库
%0886 / Pop 184, 835
Liùkù (六库) is the lively, pleasant capital of the prefecture. Divided by the Nù Jiāng River, it’s the main transport hub of the region and growing fast, although it’s of little intrinsic interest.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are a handful of scruffy cheapies on Chuancheng Lu in the centre of town where rooms can be found from ¥80. Otherwise, most hotels are in the midrange bracket.
To eat, head to the riverbank, south of Renmin Lu, where lots of outdoor restaurants cook great barbecued fish.
Jīnyáng BīnguǎnHOTEL$
(金洋宾馆 %0886 381 0666; Chuancheng Lu; 穿城路 tw ¥138; aW)
This new place is a solid budget choice with big rooms and bathrooms, although the ones facing Chuancheng Lu can be noisy.
Nùjiāng Géruì Shāngwù JiǔdiànHOTEL$$$
(怒江格瑞商务酒店 %0886 388 8885; 123 Chuancheng Lu; 穿城路123号 d ¥488; aW)
Routine discounts of 70% bring this place into the budget category. It has modern showers and large, comfortable rooms, although they can be a bit smoky. After crossing the bridge it’s one block uphill from Renmin Lu.
8Information
You will likely have to register your passport at a police checkpoint about 30 minutes before entering Liùkù.
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng h9am-5pm)
Located uphil
l from the bus station.
8Getting There & Away
The bus station is located south of the centre and across the river (a ¥15 taxi ride).
ABǎoshān ¥52, three to four hours, eight daily (8am to 4.30pm)
ABǐngzhōngluò ¥85, nine hours, one daily (8.20am)
AFúgòng ¥35, four hours, nine daily (7.20am to 4.20pm)
AGòngshān ¥78, eight hours, eight daily (7am to 1pm)
AKūnmíng ¥190 to ¥251, nine hours, seven daily (8.30am to 7pm)
ATéngchōng ¥58, six hours, three daily (8am, 10am and 11am)
AXiàguān ¥88, four to five hours, 10 daily (8am to 7pm)
Fúgòng 福贡
%0886 / Pop 98,616
Hemmed in by steep cliffs on all sides, Fúgòng (福贡) offers some of the best scenery in the Nù Jiāng Valley and has a large Lisu population. The town itself is unremarkable, although it is expanding rapidly (it has working ATMs now). Fúgòng is roughly halfway up the valley and the best place to break your journey if it’s late.
4Sleeping & Eating
All of Fúgòng's hotels are budget or midrange. There are no hostels here. The cheapest beds (from ¥50) can be found around the bus station.
Róngdū Shāngwù JiǔdiànHOTEL$
(荣都商务酒店 %0886 889 4666; 2 Shiyue Jie; 石月街2号 tw ¥198; aW)
On the corner of the bus station street and the main drag, this new hotel offers clean, sizeable and modern rooms (sit-down toilets) and has a good wi-fi connection. Discounts of 50% are standard.
Lonely Planet China Page 145
