Top 5 Things to Do in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), China

Shangri-La, a small town high up in the Himalayas that for some is the beginning of a journey into Tibet, for many the end of a foray into Yunnan and for others just a taste of Tibet (if they don’t plan on going on any further). For me personally it was a mix of end of Yunnan and a taste of Tibet, coz as Indians we need additional permissions to enter mainland Tibet. And my own first impressions of the town itself were quite disappointing as all I initially saw were numerous commercial buildings and a very sleepy touristy town. However I soon realized that the way to explore Shangri-La is to keep it as a base and explore the beautiful landscape all around it.

Mountains near Shangri-La, Tibet, China

And based on our own experiences and learnings, please find below the top 5 things that you should do in Shangri-La –

Adding a dash of spirituality to our Yunnan trip – Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Zhongdian

I love visiting Buddhist monasteries and exploring their varied shapes, the beautiful paintings with bursts of vibrant colors and the calming silence surrounding it (no matter how crowded it is). Hence my trip to Shangri-La would have been incomplete without a visit to the ancient Songzanlin Monastery or the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. This famous monastery, also known as ‘Little Potala Palace’ or Guihua Monastery, is located 5 km away from the city of Zhongdian on top of Fopinshan Mountain. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Yunnan province and is one of the most famous and important monasteries in southwest China.

Songzanlin Monastery or the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Shangri-La

Visiting China’s first national park – Pudacuo or Potatso National Park

Travel takes you to many places that are beautiful. But at times you find yourself in places where the words “beautiful”, “stunning”, “picturesque” or “gorgeous” just don’t seem to do it justice. Pudacuo National Park or Potatso National Park near Shangri-La (Zhongdian), China is one such place. One look at it and I was reminded of words Jane Austin’s protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet had used to describe her first sight of Darcy’s estate of Pemberley – “She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste”.

The entrance of the Pudacuo National Park, Shangri-La