Baishuitai Overview
1. Basic Information of Baishuitai
Chinese Name: 白水台
Ticket Price: 30 yuan (for reference only)
Opening Time: 8:00-16:00
Recommanded Hours: 3-4 hours
Altitude: 2,380 meters
Dialing Code: 0887
Zip Code: 674411
2. Location
Baishuitai is located in Baidi Village between Lijiang and Shangri-La City in northwestern Yunnan Province, China. Located slightly north of Haba near the upper Yangtze river valley, it is famous for its natural mineral terraces.
3. Administrative Division
Baishuitai is under the jurisdiction of Baidi Village, Sanba Township. Sanba Township has jurisdiction over 6 villages, namely, Dongba Village (东坝村 ), Baidi Village (白地村), Haba Village(哈巴村), Annan Village (安南村), Washua (瓦刷村), Jiangbian Village (江边村).
4. Climate
The Baishuitai is about 2,380 meters above sea level, and its shape resembles the terraced fields. The main cause is that the calcium bicarbonate in the water is irradiated by sunlight, and the water evaporates to form a white deposit of calcium carbonate, which then covers the surface and forms the spring terrace. It is therefore one of the largest spring terraces in China. Baishuitai covers an area of 3 square kilometers and belongs to temperate climate with more rainfall. The temperate climate is characterized by cold winter and hot summer, with four distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is 11.4℃.
5. People
There are 11 ethnic groups, including Naxi, Han, Hui, Yi, Lisu, and Tibetan, and other ethnic groups, of which, Naxi accounts for 62% of the total population.
6. Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Baishuitai is from February to April and September to November. Baishuitai is the birthplace of the Dongba culture. It is hot and rainy in summer. What’s more, the road conditions are not good. Meanwhile, it is easy to produce mudslides and falling rocks. Therefore, it is not recommended visitors to visit Baishuitai in summer. The scenery of Baishuitai is beautiful in spring, summer and autumn. Although the water volume in winter is not large, in the early morning, all terraces are icy. With the sunlight intensity, the ice surface is slowly thawed from bottom to top, crystal clear.
7. Things to Do
There are many attractions around Baishuitai, such as the fabulous natural beauty of plateau, the unique terrace in Baishuitai, Haba Snow Mountain and the splendid Tiger Leaping Gorge.
8. History
As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, Baishuitai has become a famous tourist attraction in western Yunnan.
9. Transportation
Generally, there are no direct planes, trains and long-distance buses to Baishuitai (expect for Lijiang, Tigher Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La), visitors shall transfer to Shangri-La. It is convenient to get to Baishuitai from Shangri-La. However, vistors have many ways to choose, such as cycling.
10. Geography
The Baishui is about 2,380 meters above sea level, and its shape resembles the terraced fields. The main cause is that the calcium bicarbonate in the water is irradiated by sunlight, and the water evaporates to form a white deposit of calcium carbonate, which then covers the surface and forms the spring terrace. It is therefore one of the largest spring terraces in China.
