Shangri-La tips - by travel authority Howard Hillman

Shangri-La tips & insights

to save you time, money & disappointment

Travel pointers
on Shangri-La

Best time of day
to visit the
Songzanlin Monastery

Go early in the morning or in the late afternoon to experience its tranquil character. It can be teeming with tour groups between those periods, especially in the late morning.

Photographing Songzanlin

Indoor shots
Photographing inside the various temples is not allowed. External shots are okay (see photo).

Viewpoint
There is a hill in front of the lamasery complex that offers a superb panoramic view (admission fee charged).

Zhongdian name confusion

Originally, Zhongdian bore a Tibetan name, Gyelthang (or Jianthang). In 1957, it was officially changed to the Chinese name Zhongdian. However, most local Tibetans still call their city by its earlier name.

Recently, Zhongdian Town was officially renamed Shangri-La (Xiangelila) for tourism purposes. Because most visitors (and many residents) still refer to it as Zhongdian. I will use that word on my website until the name Shangri-La catches on.

Birth of the mountains

The tall, jagged peaks of Shangri-La were created by the same geological forces that formed the neighboring Himalayan Mountains (eons ago the vast tectonic Indian continental plate began sliding under the Asian one - and this process continues today, slowly elevating the mountains even higher).

Sunscreen

Shangri-La's high altitude means there is less atmosphere to filter out the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays. Therefore, it is easy to get sunburned without knowing it at the time, so wear a hat and apply a high-SPF sunscreen. I also recommend wearing sunglasses outdoors on sunny days. This advice is valid for Lijiang and Deqin as well.

Shangri-La to Lhasa

You can visit both Shangri-La and Tibet on the same vacation without having to take a long, roundabout, plane-switching trip (which used to be the case). There are now scheduled daily flights between Shangri-La (Zhongdian) Airport and Lhasa. There are also scheduled flights from Chengdu, Dali, Kunming, and Lijiang.

Driving distances

Zhongdian is 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Lijiang. The road is good-conditioned, but has many mountainous curves. Figure on a minimum of 4 to 5 hours. Kunming is nearly 500 kilometers (300 miles) away.

Windshield sightseeing

The drive from Lijiang to Zhongdian to Deqin offers spectacular mountain and valley vistas. The closer you get to Deqin, the more the culture, architecture, clothing, food and ethnic features become Tibetan.

Climate

When it's warm in Lijiang in the summer, it can sometimes be rather cold in Zhongdian. Play it safe. Pack layers.

Best seasons

Mid-April to mid-June
Rainfall is light and the colorful countryside wildflowers are blooming.

Mid-September to November
Blue skies and crisp, refreshing air.

Least desirable season

From January to mid-March, temperatures plummet and snowfall can be heavy.