Trip Moments Recommendations

The Dafo Temple and Prayer Wheel in Shangri-La (Free Attractions) || You sure know how to have a good time!

Address: Shangri-La, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province Turtle Mountain Park was established during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Built against the mountain, it is the commanding height of the ancient city. Climbing to the top offers a panoramic view of the entire county town. The prayer wheel and Dafo Temple are the most distinctive buildings in the park and are also iconic structures of the ancient city. At the end of the Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La is Moonlight Square, and the small hill to the east of the square is the famous Turtle Mountain Park. Climbing up the steep steps, you will soon reach the Dafo Temple. Following the temple from left to right, you will come to the world's largest prayer wheel. Looking up, the entire prayer wheel is about as tall as a 5-story building, majestic and spectacular. The body of the wheel is gilded with pure copper, and the upper part of the cylinder is embossed with the four great Bodhisattvas: Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara, and Ksitigarbha. The lower part is engraved with the eight treasures of Buddhism. Inside the cylinder are stored 1.24 million mantras, wordless true words, and various Buddhist treasures, weighing a total of approximately 16 tons. To turn such a huge prayer wheel, it takes more than ten people to exert force at the same time. Each turn is equivalent to silently chanting the Buddha's name 1.24 million times. After three full turns, one can pray for disaster relief and blessings for good fortune and auspiciousness. 🌈 Note, the altitude here is 3300 meters, and altitude sickness may occur.

After the great fire, the ancient town of Dukezong

I arrived at Dukezong ancient town early in the morning, and many shops had not yet opened. This 'City of Moonlight' was very quiet, still retaining some of its ancient charm. There's a large prayer wheel, which probably counts as the iconic structure here (I even spent 10 yuan on a prayer wheel fridge magnet). If you're fit, you can also climb the mountain to overlook the entire ancient town. As the shops opened and the number of visitors increased, it became just like Lijiang ancient town, a large-scale comprehensive market, a base for portrait photography. In 2014, a great fire occurred here, and the buildings have mostly been rebuilt since then. If you have time, there are performances in the square at night. Due to a family member feeling unwell and being quite sensitive to the altitude, we left after a short stroll (I was the only one who walked around; they all waited for me in the car, not wanting to move at all).

Northwestern Yunnan | The City of Moonlight - Dukezong

🌙 Dukezong Ancient Town is located in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China. It is the largest and best-preserved group of Tibetan-style residences in China, radiating around Turtle Mountain Park. This place was once an important post on the Ancient Tea Horse Road and the first stop for horse caravans entering Tibet. It has a beautiful name: The City of Moonlight 🌙 Stepping into Dukezong, you can join the locals in the square of Sifang Street to dance the Guozhuang dance, or visit a Tibetan restaurant to experience a different style, or slip into a bar to enjoy some rare tranquility 🌙 Take a leisurely walk and snap photos as you ascend Turtle Mountain Park, and when you reach the commanding heights at the summit, pilgrimage inside and outside the Great Buddha Temple, then spin the prayer wheels to bless your family🧧. This once world's largest prayer wheel, with a diameter of 10 meters, a height of 21 meters, and a weight of sixty tons, contains scriptures, 1.24 million six-word mantras, and 16 tons of various Buddhist treasures, is worthy of your devout respect 🌙 The enchanting night of Dukezong becomes more beautiful as the night deepens, and is definitely worth a visit❤️

Promise me not to miss the night view of the Big Buddha Temple when you come to Shangri-La!

The Big Buddha Temple at night is ten thousand times more beautiful than any Buddhist temple I have seen overseas. On New Year's Eve, the main building and the Vajra Hall shine brightly in the fireworks. It gave me a shocking lesson in Buddhist aesthetics.

Shangri-La | Since you're here, you might as well be a Zoma for a day

As soon as I arrived in Shangri-La, I couldn't wait to ask the Shangri-La Jinwushe Oxygen Homestay if the boss had any Tibetan costume shops to recommend. I rented the clothes and did my own makeup. The shop owner added a bit of blush for me. I took some photos in the ancient city, then went to Baiji Temple. There are many prayer flags on the way to the top of the mountain, which are very photogenic. After all, I've had 5 Tibetan costume experiences, and in the end, I still think the simple ones are the most sophisticated. I didn't hire a photographer for this, I just used a tripod and my phone to take the photos.

In the old tea-horse road, the town has a collection of traces of the vicissitudes of history carved over 1300 years. The prayer wheel, the Big Buddha Temple is here, the Tibetan culture is strong, and after turning the cylinder, turning around the prayer wheel for three laps, it should be something that everyone here must do, a bit high against me, climb here. The top of the mountain is also very very breathless. In the process of going up the steps, I dont dare to go away in a step. Carefully carry the tripod on the night. The Big Buddha Temple at night is more tasteful, and the brightly lit roof illuminates the entire Dukezong Ancient City.