I. Preliminary preparation
• Certificate: Bring your ID card, if you have a student ID card, an officer's card, an old-age card and other certificates, some scenic spots can enjoy ticket discounts.
• Clothing: Shangri-La has a high altitude and a large temperature difference between day and night. Even in summer, you need to prepare thick coats, such as jackets, down jackets, etc.; in winter, you need to be fully armed, and thick cotton-padded coats, warm trousers, snow boots, scarves and gloves are indispensable. At the same time, sunscreen clothing such as sunscreen clothing and sun hats are also indispensable.
• Drugs: Prepare anti-highland reaction drugs in advance, such as Hongdiola (take one week in advance), plateau safety, etc. You can also bring cold medicine, antipyretic medicine, gastrointestinal medicine, motion sickness medicine and other common drugs.
• Other items: high-power sunscreen, sunglasses (anti-snow blindness and strong ultraviolet rays), moisturizing skin care products (dry plateau climate), thermos cups (hot water can be drunk at any time), and cameras, mobile phone chargers and other electronic devices.
II. Recommendation of scenic spots
• Dukezong Ancient City: the best-preserved and largest Tibetan residential group in China, and also the hub of the tea-horse ancient road. There is an ancient bluestone road in the ancient city, where you can feel the traces of time. Moonlight Square is the center of the ancient city. The Guishan Park on the square has the world's largest meridian cylinder. It takes many people to work together to rotate it, turn it, and pray for yourself and your family. The white tower on Sifang Street is full of sacred atmosphere, and the Tangka Painting Academy next to it can let you enjoy the exquisite Tangka art. When night fell, the lights of the ancient city lit up, shining with the moonlight, which was extremely beautiful.
• Songzanlin Temple: known as "Little Potala Palace", it is the largest Tibetan temple in Yunnan. The temple is built on the mountain, the building is magnificent, and the golden roof shines in the sun. When the door opens at 7:30 a.m., you can avoid the tour group. The Ram Yangcuo Lake plank road in front of the temple is an excellent place to take photos, which can take pictures of the beautiful reflection of Songzanlin Temple. Listen to the commentator talk about the history of the temple and the Tibetan ** culture. Remember to turn the singular number of times clockwise when turning the scripture.
• Pudatso National Park: "All sentient beings arrive at the lake of the boat on the other side", where there are vast virgin forests, clear plateau lakes, and continuous meadows. In autumn, the forest is full of dyeing, and the scenery is the best around mid-October. The new way to play is to walk to Luorong Village, about 3 kilometers of primitive forest, where you can feel the charm of nature at close range. You can choose a walking plank road to enjoy the lake view, which is better than taking a cruise ship.
• Napa Sea: It is a seasonal lake, sometimes alpine meadows, and sometimes turned into a plateau wetland lake. Drive 16 kilometers from Shangri-La and navigate the "Lake Ring Road". It is recommended to go around the lake clockwise to enjoy the beautiful scenery. From June to August, there is an Internet celebrity underwater highway, and the smooth light shooting effect is good in the morning; in December, you can see the black-necked cranes, remember to bring a telephoto lens. Rent an electric car at a cost of about 60 yuan per day, and you can freely enjoy the scenery along the way.
• Balagzong: The ticket package is 225 yuan, including a sightseeing car. It is recommended to stay in the starry sky tent hotel in the scenic spot, and you can see the bright Milky Way when you look up. There is an echo wall glass plank road in the scenic area, which is thrilling and exciting; there is also a natural Buddha-shaped snow mountain - Shambhala Pagoda, which is amazing.
• Rizhao Jinshan Mountain in Meili Snow Mountain: Rizhao Jinshan Mountain will appear in only about 40 days a year in Meili Snow Mountain, and the probability of encounters in autumn will increase greatly. It is said that those who see this scene will have good luck for a whole year. The best time to watch is from November to May of the following year. Before you go, be sure to check the weather forecast and show good weather before going. You can choose the observation deck of the thick fog at the viewing point, which has a wide view and is an excellent place to enjoy the full view of Meili Snow Mountain.
III. Tour route planning
1. Two-day tour
• Day 1: Dukezong Ancient City - Songzanlin Temple
Morning: Arrive at Shangri-La, stay in the inn in the ancient city of Dukezong, adapt to the plateau environment, stroll around the ancient city, and appreciate the Tibetan architecture.
Afternoon: Go to Songzanlin Temple, visit the temple, learn about the Tibetan ** culture, and take photos on the Ramyangcuo Lake plank road.
Evening: Return to the ancient city, participate in the Tibetan square dance on Sifang Street, and taste Tibetan food.
• The second day: Pudatso National Park
Morning: Go to Pudacuo National Park, walk in the primitive forest of Luorong Village, and enjoy the natural scenery.
Afternoon: Visit the Capital Lake, stroll along the plank road, and then return to the city.
2. Three-day tour
• Day 1: Dukezong Ancient City - Napa Sea
Morning: Arrive at Shangri-La, visit the ancient city of Dukezong, turn the meridian, and visit the Tangka Academy.
Afternoon: Go to the Napa Sea, you can choose to ride a horse or walk around the lake to enjoy the lake and mountains.
Evening: Taste local food in the village near the Napa Sea and feel the quiet atmosphere of the countryside.
• The second day: Songzanlin Temple - Balagzong
Morning: Go to Songzanlin Temple, get up early to avoid the flow of people, and learn more about the history of the temple.
Afternoon: Go to Balagzong, check in the Starry Tent Hotel in the scenic area, and enjoy the starry sky.
• Day 3: Balagzong - Dukezong Ancient City
Morning: Visit the Balagzong echo wall glass plank road, Shambhala Pagoda and other scenic spots.
Afternoon: Return to the ancient city of Dukezong, buy souvenirs, and prepare for the return trip.
3. Five-day tour
• The first day: Dukezong Ancient City
Morning: Arrive at Shangri-La, stay in the ancient city inn, and after a short rest, visit the ancient city and feel the Tibetan life.
Afternoon: Experience painting mini-tangka in the ancient city and have an in-depth understanding of Tibetan art and culture.
Evening: Taste yak beef hot pot and other delicacies in the ancient city restaurant, and enjoy the night view of the ancient city.
• The second day: Songzanlin Temple - Pudacuo National Park
Morning: Go to Songzanlin Temple, visit the temple architecture, listen to the explanation and understand the Tibetan biography**.
Afternoon: Go to Pudacuo National Park to visit the Luorong Village section and the Subordinate Lake.
Evening: Return to the city for accommodation.
• Day 3: Napa Sea - Xiaozhongdian
Morning: Go to the Napa Sea and rent an electric car to visit the lake.
Afternoon: Go to Xiaozhongdian to enjoy the wolf poisonous flowers (September-October) or other seasonal flowers.
Evening: Stay near Xiaozhongdian or return to the city.
• Day 4: Jinsha River Turn - Benzi Column Painting Tangka - Nixi Black Pottery Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience
Morning: Go to the observation deck of the Jinsha River and enjoy the unique Jiangwan.
Afternoon: Participate in the Tangka painting experience in the Benzi column, and then go to Nixi to experience the making of black pottery.
Evening: Return to the city for accommodation.
• Day 5: Meili Snow Mountain (Fog Top Observation Deck) - Avalanche Village (If you don't have enough time, you can go to Avalanche Village)
Early morning: charter a car to the observation deck of the thick fog, waiting to see the Rizhao Jinshan Mountain of Meili Snow Mountain.
Morning: If you go to Avalanche Village, you need to walk for about 6 hours to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the virgin forest and snowy mountains.
Evening: Participate in Tibetan home visits, taste Tibetan food, drink barley wine, and jump into Guozhuang. After that, return to the city or return according to the itinerary.
IV. Traffic Guide
• External transportation
Airplane: Diqing Shangri-La Airport is close to the city, and there are flights to and from Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou and other cities. After arriving at the airport, you can take the airport bus to the city for about 20 yuan; you can also choose to take a taxi, which costs about 30-40 yuan.
Bus: If you depart from Lijiang, you can take a bus to Shangri-La at Lijiang Passenger Station, which takes about 3 to 4 hours and costs 60-80 yuan. If you depart from Dali, there is also a direct shuttle bus to Shangri-La, which takes about 5-6 hours.
• Internal transportation
Bus: Shangri-La urban bus lines can reach major scenic spots, such as Songzanlin Temple, Napahai, etc. The ticket price is 1-2 yuan, which is economical, but the number of trains may be small, so you need to pay attention to the operation time.
Taxi: The starting price of taking a taxi in the city is generally 7-10 yuan, but when going to some remote scenic spots, you may encounter driver bargaining. It is best to know the approximate price range before traveling.
Car charter / carpool: Tourists who want to arrange their trip freely and have an in-depth tour can choose to charter a car or carpool.
V. Food Recommendation
• Yak beef hot pot: This can be called the "home flower" of Shangri-La cuisine. Choose the fresh and tender parts of the local plateau yak, cut it into medium-sized pieces of meat, and put it in a copper pot or clay pot to stew. The yak beef is firm and chewy, but it is fresh and tender after stewing. You can feel the fiber of the meat in the mouth, and the rich meat fragrance spreads on the tip of the tongue. In the cold Shangri-La, let's have a pot of yak beef hot pot, and the warmth spreads from the stomach to the whole body.
• Air-dried yak beef: This is a traditional Tibetan food, and the production process is full of wisdom. When eating, you need to tear it into small pieces by hand. Although it is a little difficult to chew, the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. The rich and mellow meat fragrance permeates your mouth, and you can feel the unique plateau flavor. It is a good product to relieve your glutish and replenish energy on the journey.
• Barley wine: It is brewed with barley as raw material through fermentation, distillation and other processes. The degree of barley wine is not high. The body is clear and transparent, with a faint barley aroma, and the taste is mellow and slightly sweet. In local Tibetan homes or special Tibetan restaurants, you can often taste self-brewed barley wine.
• Tibetan-style Zangba: Zangba is a traditional staple food of Tibetan compatriots. Stir-fry the barley and grind it into flour, which is glutinous rice flour. When eating, put an appropriate amount of glutinous rice noodles in a bowl, add butter tea or barley wine, and slowly stir and knead it into a ball. For the first attempt, you can first mix a small amount of rice cake powder with ghee tea, and gradually adjust the proportion to find the taste that suits you.
• Barley cake dipped in ghee milk residue: You can taste it in the special hot pot of Chaiqin Zangjia. The barley cake is crispy, with sweet butter milk residue, sweet and salty, and rich in taste.
• Tibetan-flavored pork pancake rolls: one of the signatures of Minzhu Ram Tibetan food. Tibetan-flavored pork is firm, and the pancake rolls with pork and chili sauce are delicious. You can also taste self-brewed barley wine here. Remember to pack a small cup to avoid getting drunk.
• Milk residue steamed buns: Milk residue is a by-product of the process of making ghee, which is rich in protein. Mix the milk residue with a small amount of sugar and flour to make a filling, wrap it in the fermented dough, knead it into the shape of a bun, and steam it. The crust of the milk slag bun is soft, the filling is sour and sweet, and it exudes a strong milk fragrance. It is a special noodle with a unique Tibetan flavor, which can be tasted in local Tibetan restaurants.
• Butter tea: As a traditional Tibetan drink, the production process of butter tea is unique. The ghee is brown and milky yellow, and the aroma is rich and mellow. It can not only resist cold and keep warm, but also relieve the discomfort caused by altitude sickness.
• Pipa meat: also known as pig meat, got its name because its shape is like a pipa. When making, remove all the bones of the whole pig except the skull, apply salt, Sichuan pepper and other seasonings in the pig's body, and then marinate and dry it for a long time. Pipa meat can be boiled, stir-fried and steamed. After cooking, it is fat but not greasy. The fragrance is unique, which can make people feel the unique charm of traditional Tibetan cuisine.
• Pine mushroom food: In the rainy season every year, precious pine mushrooms grow in the Shangri-La mountains and forests. The matsutake is fresh and tender, with a unique and rich aroma. You can slice the matsutake and fry it. Just sprinkle a little salt for seasoning, and you can taste the most delicious matsutake. You can also stew it with the native chicken to make matsutake chicken soup. The soup is delicious and nutritious. It is a must-see seasonal delicacy.
VI. Precautions
• Plateau reaction: When you first arrive at Shangri-La, avoid strenuous exercise, such as running, jumping, etc., so that the body can gradually adapt to the plateau environment. Don't wash your hair and take a shower on the first day to prevent a cold from causing altitude sickness. If the symptoms of high reaction are serious, such as severe headache, dyspnea, etc., seek medical treatment in time.
• Religious culture: Respect the religious beliefs and customs of the local Tibetans. When visiting the temple, don't make a loud noise, don't use your fingers on the Buddha statue; turn the meridian cylinder and turn the white tower clockwise; don't touch the stones piled by Mani at will; don't touch the top of the Tibetan children's head; when shooting **, get the consent of the other party first, and don't shoot the face directly.
• Shopping consumption: When buying special products or souvenirs, pay attention to distinguishing the quality and price, especially some expensive items such as pearls, so as to avoid being cheated. Choose a regular merchant to buy and keep the shopping voucher.
• Weather and road conditions: The weather in Shangri-La is changeable. Check the weather forecast and bring rain gear before traveling. If you plan to drive to remote areas such as Meri Snow Mountain, pay attention to the road conditions and avoid the rainy season (June-August) to the Deqin section. During this period, geological disasters such as landslides may occur due to rainfall.
• Food safety: Try to choose a regular restaurant and avoid raw and cold food to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort. In high-altitude areas, gastrointestinal function is relatively weak, and special attention should be paid to food hygiene.