Shangri-La

Shangri-La Overview

Chinese Name: 香格里拉 English IPA: Shangri-la Location: Northwest of Yunnan Population (city): 174,585 Language: Tibetan Language Zip code: 674400 Tel code: 0887 Time zone: UTC+8

Shangri-la, which means “sun and moon in the heart” in Tibetan language, is the city under the jurisdiction of Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture and the capital city of Diqing prefecture. Located in the northwest of Yunnan province and the hinterland of Hengduan mountain area on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, Shangri-la is the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet provinces and also the location of the world natural heritage, three parallel rivers scenic area. Shangri-La is the “Eden in dream”. Since it first appeared in British novelist James Hilton’s Lost Horizon in the 1939, it has been associated with the mystique of a place which could not possibly exist here on Earth. There are the lofty and continuous snowy mountains, endless grasslands, steep and grand gorges, azure lakes and the bucolic villages always leaving a deep impression on visitors.

Highlights:

  • An Earthly Paradise: Due to the special geographic position, there are abundant natural sceneries and human landscapes. You can enjoy the clear air, blue sky and white clouds, the boundless pasture, the holy temples and monasteries, etc.
  • Ideal Place for Adventure Tour: Shangri-La is an ideal destination for those who love climbing and hiking. As for hikers, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Haba Snow Mountain are the best choice for adventure.
  • Minority Culture: Tibetan is the main minority in Shangri-la. Here you can experience the strong Tibetan atmosphere, including Tibetan monasteries, villages, as well as Tibetan festivals. Besides, there are many other ethnic groups such as Naxi, Yi, Bai.
  • Shangri-la Food: Shangri-la food is mainly Tibetan flavor, buttered tea and Zanba are the main food here. Yaks are the main livestock of Tibetan people. Yak milk can be made into milk residue and cheese. Yak beef can be braised in soy sauce, which is very delicious.

Hot Destinations in Shangri-La

Other Destinations in Shangri-La

    Shangri-La Attractions

    Shangri-La is depicted as "Eden in dream" by British novelist James Hilton's Lost Horizon in the 1939, a famous area with numerous natural landscapes and unique Tibetan customs. The Tibetan area of Shangri-la has a long history and beautiful natural scenery, including Pudacuo national park, Dukezong ancient town, Songzanlin Monastery, Tiger Leaping Gorge and other famous scenic spots. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Shangri-la by cycling around the Napahai lake, hiking in Tiger Leaping Gorge or taking a [...]

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    Shangri-La Tours

    As one of the most important destinations on the Yunnan classic tour routes, Shangri-la tours are connected with other top destinations in Yunnan, like Kunming, Dali and Lijiang, etc. Various visitors come to Shangri-La to find the vivid landscape in the Lost Horizon. It is recommended to stay 3-7 days to visit the classic must-see scenic spots in Shangrila. Our Shangri-la tours provides tour packages in various tour themes, including hiking tour, climbing tour, birding tour, cycling tour, [...]

    Climate & When to Go

    Climate & When to Go, Shangri-La , China Climate & When to Go

    The information on Shangri-la climate could be helpful for preparing a Shangri-la travel. Shangri-la is about 3300 meters above sea level, and belongs to plateau humid climate. The climate changes little among the four seasons, but the temperature varies greatly between daytime and night. The temperature can be more than 30℃ on sunny days. However, in the morning and evening, people may feel as cold as winter. So, visitors should take their coats with them when visiting Shangri-la.  Shangri-la Weather [...]

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    Transportation

    Transportation, Shangri-La , China Transportation

    At present, there are no trains in shangri-la. Aviation and road are the main ways to enter shangri-la. The special geographical location makes Shangri-la transportation different from other parts of China. Shangri-la currently has only one airport with relatively limited daily flights. There is no railway in Shangri-la, but Kunming, Dali and Lijiang are all connected by railway. To get there, tourists usually start their journey from Kunming, go to Lijiang first, then to Shangri-la by long-distance [...]

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    Festivals and Activities

    Discover traditional ethnic festivals and activities is an important part of Yunnan travel. As the main minority inhabited in Shangri-La, Tibetans created brilliant culture and customs, among which the unique ethnic festivals of Tibetans enjoy high reputation and attract tourists home and abroad to visit. Here below are some festivals and activities in Shangri-la worthing to experience. Festivals in Shangri-la Besides some Chinese traditional festivals, like New Year's Day(January 1), Spring Festival(usually in late Jan. or early Feb.; February 5, 2019), Lantern Festival(The fifteenth day of the [...]

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    Travel Tips

    To have a better travel experience in Shangri-la, here are some useful Shangri-la travel tips which may be helpful for your Shangri-la tour. When plan your trip to Shangri-la, view our answers to questions about Shangri-la travel to get better understanding of Shangri-la Yunnan. Useful Numbers Here below are some useful numbers in Shangri-la, in case the emergency while you are traveling (such as fire or traffic accidents), or have other complaints or questions. Area Code 0887 Police (Calling) 110 Police (Text message) 12110 First-aid Ambulance 120 Fire 119 Traffic Accidents 122 SOS [...]

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    Useful Maps

    To help you have a better understanding of Shangri-la, we have collected some useful Shangri-la maps including Shangri-la location map, Shangri-la regional map, Shangri-la tourists attractions map, Shangri-la City map, Shangri-la transportation map, Shangri-la travel map, etc, through which you can probably know how to get to Shangri-la city and what to discover there. Shangri-la City Maps Shangri-la Transportation Maps [images_gallery type="post" cat_slug="maps" tag_slug="tacheng-golden-snub-nosed-monkey,transportation-maps" feature_post="56" [...]

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    Shangri-La Accommodation

    With the popularity of Shangri-La in the world in recent years, more and more people come to visit this wonderland, so Shanri-la accommodation is convenient. Shangri-la has many modern or traditional Tibetan hotels to choose from. The right hotel can make your days on the plateau more comfortable. You can choose to live in the downtown of Shangri-la, where there are many more options. You can also live in Dukezong Ancient Town, which is not far from the downtown and [...]

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