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Top 5

Shangri-La attractions

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Top 5
attractions in the
Shangri-La vicinity

PAGE ONE for

Zhongdian

The town of Zhongdian has both an old and a contemporary section. The latter lacks tourist appeal. However, the old town has interesting facets, including these:

Ambiance
The reconstructed Zhongdian Old Town is not as large as its Lijiang counterpart, but is less commercialized and not as crowded with tourists (at least not yet). Its building designs are less polished and sophisticated, which lends a more genuine old town feeling.

Tibetan dance
On most nights, town folk and countrysiders (many in their colorful traditional attire) gather in the main square starting at dusk. They form concentric circles to dance Tibetan style. You are welcome to join in. This community event is larger, more spirited than the one in Lijiang because its Sifang Square is bigger and because the town has a larger Tibetan ethnic population.

Giant prayer wheel
An eye-catching 24-meter (80-foot) tall golden prayer wheel sits on a hill. Though it was built recently for the sake of tourism, it has become an authentic item because local Buddhists now climb the hill to spin it to submit their prayers. You can twirl it, too, but do it only clockwise, as religious tradition dictates.

Baishui Terrace

Crystallized calcium carbonate deposits over countless millennia created a bizarre formation resembling frozen cascading water. Click the link below for page on this Hillman Wonder Bronze Medal world winner.

Baishui Terrace

Honorable mentions

Bitahai
Visitors enjoy a beautiful lake and nature reserve in a remote tranquil setting surrounded by primitive forests and arresting snow mountains.

Napahai
During the rainy summer season, this nature reserve has a sizable shallow lake. During the drier months, the water disappears and the former lake bottom becomes a vast green pastureland dotted with yaks, horses and sheep.

Deqin
Although this town is hardly a tourist destination, it is a perfect base from seeing the captivating sights of northernmost Yunnan, including Kagebo Peak of Meili Mountain (see photo). The town is situated close to where Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet converge.

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Top 5

Shangri-La attractions

page 2

Top 5 attractions in the Shangri-La vicinity

PAGE ONE for

Zhongdian

Ambiance The reconstructed Zhongdian Old Town is not as large as its Lijiang counterpart, but is less commercialized and not as crowded with tourists (at least not yet). Its building designs are less polished and sophisticated, which lends a more genuine old town feeling.

Baishui Terrace

Honorable mentions

Bitahai Visitors enjoy a beautiful lake and nature reserve in a remote tranquil setting surrounded by primitive forests and arresting snow mountains.

Napahai During the rainy summer season, this nature reserve has a sizable shallow lake. During the drier months, the water disappears and the former lake bottom becomes a vast green pastureland dotted with yaks, horses and sheep.

Deqin Although this town is hardly a tourist destination, it is a perfect base from seeing the captivating sights of northernmost Yunnan, including Kagebo Peak of Meili Mountain (see photo). The town is situated close to where Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet converge.

Top 5
attractions in the
Shangri-La vicinity

Ambiance
The reconstructed Zhongdian Old Town is not as large as its Lijiang counterpart, but is less commercialized and not as crowded with tourists (at least not yet). Its building designs are less polished and sophisticated, which lends a more genuine old town feeling.

Bitahai
Visitors enjoy a beautiful lake and nature reserve in a remote tranquil setting surrounded by primitive forests and arresting snow mountains.

Napahai
During the rainy summer season, this nature reserve has a sizable shallow lake. During the drier months, the water disappears and the former lake bottom becomes a vast green pastureland dotted with yaks, horses and sheep.

Deqin
Although this town is hardly a tourist destination, it is a perfect base from seeing the captivating sights of northernmost Yunnan, including Kagebo Peak of Meili Mountain (see photo). The town is situated close to where Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet converge.