Daocheng Yading Scenic Area
A national nature reserve in Daocheng County, Garze Prefecture: known as "the last Shangri-La" after the Shangri-La imagery in British author Hilton's Lost Horizon
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 07:00-18:30
- Ticket
- CNY 146 + sightseeing bus CNY 120
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
A national nature reserve in Daocheng County, Garze Prefecture: known as "the last Shangri-La" after the Shangri-La imagery in British author Hilton's Lost Horizon. The scenic area centers on three sacred mountains — Xiannairi (6032 m, Guanyin Bodhisattva), Yangmaiyong (5958 m, Manjushri Bodhisattva) and Xianuoduoji (5958 m, Vajrapani Bodhisattva); snow mountains, alpine lakes, meadows and Tibetan kora culture together form the full image of "the last pure land on the blue planet"; admission is CNY 146 plus CNY 120 for the sightseeing bus, a second-entry valley ticket costs extra, and the whole route sits above 4000 m, so take it slowly.
Getting there: Shangri-La Town Visitor Center
Photos
More in Daocheng
- Milk Lake · Five-Color Lake
A glacial lake in the col below Mount Yangmaiyong: at approx. 4600 m, named for the ring of milky-white travertine around its waters
- Pearl Lake (Zhuomalacuo)
A short-hike alpine lake at the foot of Mount Xiannairi: Tibetan name Zhuomalacuo, reached via a 2 km boardwalk; the snow peak reflected in emerald water is Yading's easiest spot for photos with a sacred mountain
- Yading Village · Shangri-La Town
Yading Village is a Tibetan village inside the scenic area: at elevations of 3,100-3,900 m, guesthouse windows open straight onto views of Mount Xiannairi and the starry sky — superb conditions for stargazing photography
- Haizi Mountain · Tu'er Mountain (Rabbit Mountain)
Relics of an ancient ice cap between Litang and Daocheng: at around 4,500 m, 1,145 glacial stone lakes of all sizes dot the barren plateau — the largest ancient ice-body relic on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "City in the Sky"
- Sangdui Red Grassland · Zhuojie Monastery
Autumn water-meadows in Sangdui Town, Daocheng: from mid-October to early November the aquatic grasses turn red, and the red grass flats, poplar woods and Tibetan villages compose Daocheng's signature "red grassland + golden forest" photo spot
- Banghe & Sela · Gongga Langjiling Monastery
An autumn-color corridor near Daocheng county town: golden poplar woods spread along the Banghe River, with yak herds on Sela grassland against a backdrop of snow mountains