Daocheng 稻城

1

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

2

A glacial lake in the col below Mount Yangmaiyong: at approx. 4600 m, named for the ring of milky-white travertine around its waters

3

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

4

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

5

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"

6

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

7

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

8

A hot spring village on the edge of Daocheng county town: in Tibetan, "Rubuchaka" means "friendship spring", and Tibetan-style open-air spring pools are built along the springs

9

The Zunsheng Stupa Forest at the entrance to Daocheng county town: 108 white stupas arranged in a ring, with a towering central stupa and prayer wheels lining the kora path

10

Tibetan cultural sites around Daocheng: Zimai Scripture Hall is a scripture-hall building passed down through generations in a Tibetan family's home

11

The 'City in the Sky' on the G318 route: the county seat sits at 4,014 m elevation, and 'Litang' means 'a grassland flat as a bronze mirror' in Tibetan