This itinerary begins from Heqing(鹤庆) County，Dali，which is Tibet’s distant relative, then to Caohai Wetland（草海）, Stone Forest（石寨子）, Guanyin Valley（观音峡）, Lijiang Ancient Town（丽江古城）, Lugu Lake（泸沽湖）and Legendary  Lugu-Yading Road（“泸亚路”）. Next, we visited Daocheng（稻城）, Xingcheng（乡城）, Shangri La（香格里拉）, Xiaozhongdian Town（小中甸）, Tiger Leaping Gorge（虎跳峡）, Lashihai（拉市海）, finally left from Lijiang Ancient Town to the beginning place. The silver accessories and bronze containers the Tibetan used were almost made by Bai people of Heqing, some of them even being exported to far-off Nepal and India, etc.. Therefore, we decide to depart from my hometown—Heqing, to start our Shangri La-Cycling.

We traveled through many assorted habitations of minorities, such as Bai ethnic, Naxi ethnic, Yi ethnic, Mosuo, Mongolian, Pumi and Tibetan, etc. The custom and culture along the road is unrivalled. There are two world-famous beauty spot, Lugu Lake and Yading Village（亚丁村）, and the road connects each other is Lugu-Yading Road. This road starts from Lugu Town of Yanyuan County（盐源县）, and extends from the north-west to south-east, passes through from Daocheng of Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture（甘孜藏族自治州） to Muli（木里） and Yanyuan of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture（凉山彝族自治州）, at last, ends in Yading Village, the whole distance of 255 km. The Lugu-Yading Road is called the “pilgrim’s road of Sichuan” by railway experts. Its toughness, trenchers and hardship speak for itself. Consequently, it also gained a fame of “scenery secluded in a boudoir.  

Date: July 22^nd,2014-September 1^st, 2014, 11 days’ duration.

The whole plan of 1314 km cycling as following:

 We booked sleeping berthes to Heqing train station. When we arrived at that night, we happened to catch the Torch Festival. We’ve received a warm welcome from Bai people there. Afterwards, we live in my home, a traditional habitation of Bai Ethnic. ( The train could take our bikes and ticket price is 130 yuan per people.)

At Yunnan Province, many other minorities also celebrated the Torch Festival, but each of them takes it in a different way. Bai people hold the festival at 25^th June every lunar year. It is spoken as “Fu Wang Dance” in Bai’s language, which means “carnival June”. Wherever it is city or country, montane area or flood plain, there is no exception not to celebrate. In Bai people’s mind, it is the second ceremonious festival compare to the Spring Festival. Large bonfires are lit while people sit, sing, and dance around them, and every family are supposed to prepare the dainties, assorted material of festival. Additionally, every married girl should return their first home to have a reunion. Before the festival, what be sold pervasively along the bazaars are symbols of the Torch Festival, like small buckets with bamboo sticks, small torches, paper sachets, and pineapple flowers that were used by women to dye red nails, the festival atmosphere is very rich.

Day 1: Heqing County → Caohai Wetland → Xintun Town → Qihe Town of Lijiang →Guanyin Valley → Guanpo( A highway of Lijiang, you will cycle upslope five kilometer here.) → Lijiang Ancient Town → Dadong Country ( you will cycle upslope 15 km and downslope 18 km at here.) → Sown Mountain Highway → Mingquan Town ( upslope about 22 km) the whole distance of 152 km or so. Accommodation at Mingquan Town, triple room, 20 yuan per person, 30 yuan per person for meal.  

Day 2: Mingquan Town → Ahai Hydroelectric Station( down slope 20 km ) → Red Bridge Town of Ningliang County (upslope 15 km) → Lugu Lake (upslope 30km) , the whole distance of about 150 km. Accommodation at Caohai Inn, beside the Luowa Jetty of Lugu Lake, unit price of twin room is100 yuan per room, 30 yuan per person for meal. Ticket price of boating to Wangfei Island is 50 yuan.  

Day 3: Luowa Jetty → Lugu Lake Town (you will view the dazzling scenery of Lugu Lake along the way.) → Dazui Village ( upslope 10 km, then downslope 13 km) → Qiansuo Country → (cycling intermittently up and down about 26 km) → Wujiao Mongolian Country, the whole distance of approximately 73 km. From today on, start our journey along the Lugu-Yading Road. (This road starts from Lugu Town of Yanyuan County, and extends from the north-west to south-east, passes through from Daocheng of Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture to Muli and Yanyuan of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, at last, ends in Yading Village, the whole distance of 255.805 km.) The way lead to Qiansuo is newly dug and built, so that there are many pits and holes. Dazui Village is a habitation of Naxi people. It belongs to Muli, but later in 1956 was a part of Yanyuan’s territory. Accommodation at Wujiao Mongolian Country Hotel, costs 20 yuan per person; 20 yuan for a meal.

Day 4: WUjiao Country (upslope 36 km) → Yakou (downslope 27 km) → ( up and down slope 8 km) → 915 Linchang(up and down slope 25 km → Guzeng (upslope 10 km), the whole distance of 101 km. After departed from Wujiao, we have to tramp over the Luopuluo Mountain, which situated an altitude of 4160 km. The Lugu-Yading Road extends about 40 kilometers above the altitude of 4000. If you have altitude sickness, please pay attention to this. We accommodated at Zhaxi restaurant, located at halfway up the mountain, which just costs 20 yuan per person. 30 yuan per person for dinner. The host is very friendly and warm. At the second day, its Tibetan style breakfast is free. Moreover, the host cooked many potatoes for us. Thanks so much.

D5固增扎西饭店-岔路口（上坡4KM)-陇撒牧场(25KM上坡，10公里起伏路面）-垭口（12KM上坡）-瓦托（30KM冲坡），81KM。住藏民家里，20元/人，吃完饭20元/人。垭口海拔4224M，上面较冷，注意保暖。住藏民家中一定要明确价格，不要听信藏民的到时候再说。 
D6 瓦托-日美乡俄西桥（此处可以补给）-铁索桥（碎石沿江起伏路20KM，路况是泸亚路最糟糕的，一路有落石砸下）-香城蒙自乡-香格里拉镇-亚丁，共85KM。住亚丁仁村，三人间80元/间，吃饭荤菜30元，素菜20元，早上5点起来，可以骑车沿亚丁旅游专线至牛郎神山看日出。
D7 亚丁-香格里拉镇(7KM起伏路面)-杜鹃谷温泉（23KM起伏路面）-稻城县城-桑堆乡(30KM起伏路面）-沙贡乡（起伏路面）,共153KM。住小旅馆，100元/间，吃完饭40元/人。
D8沙贡乡-乡城-黑大村（3KM起伏路）-大雪山第三哑口（有30KM上坡）-大雪山第二哑口（下坡5公里，上坡11公里）-大雪山第一哑口（下坡5公里，上坡16公里）-香格里拉上翁水(25KM盘山公路，海拔在4500M左右)-中翁水（4KM)，共128KM。整个村只有两个旅馆，条件恶劣，住宿10元/人，吃完饭20元/人。乡城属干热河谷。白色的藏寨非常夺目，据说当地老乡把房屋修建好之后，取当地特有的阿嘎土搅拌成白色的泥浆，用茶壶从墙头浇下来，自然成了白色醒目的藏寨。乡城县在个小山坡上，进城还要爬2－3公里的大坡。
D9中翁水-下翁水（6KM下坡）-小雪山第二哑口（有23KM上坡）-小雪山第一哑口(24KM盘山公路下坡，海拔在4100M左右)-格咱乡-垭口（30KM上坡）-香格里拉（31公里缓下坡），共122KM。住香格里拉，120元/三人间，吃晚饭30元/人。
D10中甸（香格里拉）-小中甸-虎跳峡-香格里拉经济开发区，一马平川的214国道，共120KM。我们早上骑行漫步独克宗古城石板路上，尽管火烧后古城满目疮痍，但石板路上还留着深深的马蹄印，硕大的转经筒依然还在。在香格里拉，有一座被藏人称作“独克宗”的古城，独克宗又名月光之城，它是按照佛经中的香巴拉理想国建成的。古城依山势而建，路面起伏不平，那是一些岁月久远的旧石头就着自然地势铺成的。小中甸到虎跳峡的是条极佳的雪山骑行线，一路可赏哈巴雪山和玉龙雪山。住开发区旅馆，标间100元/间，吃饭40元/人。
D11香格里拉经济开发区-九河乡-太安乡-拉市镇-丽江古城-七河镇-观音峡-鹤庆辛屯-鹤庆草海，共149KM。途径观音峡，骑行进入景区感受纳西文化的魅力。