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China travel and tour destination Zongdian Shangri La

China Destination Guide - Zhongdian (Shangri La)

Zhongdian (also known these days as Shangri la) is where Yunnan meets Tibet and it is essentially a Tibetan town high up in the mountains of Yunnan. Its relative remoteness has kept the tourist hoards at bay and it is easy to find peace and quiet outside the town in the lush countryside. In 2001 the local government tried a novel method of cashing in on tourism by renaming the town Shangri-La. This seems to have been ignored by many, not least the local Tibetans who call it Gyeltang or Gyalthang.

What there is to see...

Visit the old town which is slowly showing the influence of increasing tourism but not on the same scale as Lijiang. You can visit families for a taste of the local culture.
Songzanlin Monastery (in Tibetan, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery) is slightly out of town and was restored in 2005.
In mid-June there is a horse racing festival that sees several days of dancing, singing, eating and horse racing and attracts local minorities in all their colourful splendour.

China travel and tour destination Zhongdian Shangri la

Tours we offer that include Zhongdian

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Best time to visit Zhongdian

May to October is the best season to visit with the peak being July and August. Autumn, winter and spring are cold with the town occassionally being cut off by heavy snow.

Best reason to visit Zhongdian

The blend of ethnic Yunnan with Tibet as well as the beautiful countryside in this area.

Our last word on Zhongdian

A popular add-on to any trip that visits Yunnan, Zhongdian is easily reachable from Lijiang and should be considered in any Yunnan itinerary.