Shangri-La

Located high in the northwest of Yunnan Province, Shangri-La is the magical gateway to Tibetan culture and instantly captivates visitors with its deep spiritual tranquility. The magnificent Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, often reverently referred to as the Little Potala Palace due to its impressive architecture, is an animated and significant center of Tibetan Buddhism. The largely untouched nature beckons with the wide-open Pudacuo National Park, which encompasses scenic, crystal-clear mountain lakes, dense ancient forests, and vast, green yak pastures at high altitudes. Local culinary specialties, such as tender yak meat and traditional Tibetan butter tea, perfectly round off the intense cultural experience. Shangri-La has its own airport but is also easily accessible via highly scenic mountain pass roads. Late spring and early summer are widely considered handy for experiencing the lush vegetation and blooming alpine meadows in all their glory.

Nearby cities

Chengdu

Chengdu is a relaxed metropolis famous as the home of giant pandas and the incredibly spicy, numbing Sichuan cuisine.

Wuhan

Wuhan is a bustling metropolis divided by the Yangtze River, famous for its historic Yellow Crane Tower and vibrant cherry blossoms.

Chongqing

Chongqing is a sprawling megacity in southwest China, famous for its hilly terrain, vibrant night views, and spicy hotpot.

Zhengzhou

The capital of Henan province and one of the ancient capitals of China.

Luoyang

One of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, located in Henan province.

Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie fascinates its visitors with gigantic, towering sandstone pillars that famously inspired the blockbuster movie Avatar.

Wulong

Wulong is renowned for its spectacular karst landscapes, including giant sinkholes, natural bridges, and underground caves.

Wulingyuan

Wulingyuan is famous for its thousands of towering quartzite sandstone pillars, which inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar.

Qinghai Lake

The largest inland and saltwater lake in China, surrounded by stunning mountains and bright yellow rapeseed flowers.

Emeishan

One of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, famous for its Golden Summit, misty forests, and mischievous wild monkeys.

Jiuzhaigou Huanglong

Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are renowned for their multi-tiered waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks.

History & landmarks

Leshan

Home to the world's largest stone Buddha statue, carved directly into a red sandstone cliff at the confluence of three rivers.

Dengfeng / Shaolin

Dengfeng is the spiritual home of martial arts, famous worldwide for the legendary Shaolin Temple and Zen Buddhism.

More places

Longmen Grottoes

Tens of thousands of statues of Buddhist figures and their disciples, carved into the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan and Longmenshan m…

Kaifeng Dragon Pavilion

A park built on the site of the imperial palaces of several dynasties when Kaifeng was the capital of China.