Gadansong Zanlin Temple

||Some people say, Shangri-La, which must be visited once in a lifetime, what kind of magic does it have. Shangri-La, a must-visit place in a lifetime, 4-day 3-night free travel guide||Some people say, Shangri-La, which must be visited once in a lifetime, what kind of magic does it have⁉️ The place closest to heaven, the sun shines on the mountains, temples, mountains and lakes, this 4-day 3-night winter tour guide to Shangri-La is for you who are about to set off👇👇 . 1️⃣Day one It is recommended to fly directly or transfer in Lijiang. The scenic spots in Shangri-La are far apart. There are no direct buses and subways. It is recommended to charter a car or rent a car🚗 🔘The first stop is the Songzanlin Temple, which is known as the Little Potala Palace. It is a place where you can chase your soul. The ticket is 75 yuan. You can rent a set of Tibetan clothes around the scenic spot. The average price is 100 yuan, which includes taking pictures, super out of the picture📷 🔘Then go to Dukezong Ancient City, no need for tickets, there is the world's largest prayer wheel, go and turn the prayer wheel to pray for the family🙏 . 2️⃣ Day two 🔘Depart for Pudacuo National Forest Park, 40 minutes away, the ticket is 138 yuan, walk slowly along Shudu Lake, as if entering a fairy tale world🌳 . 3️⃣ Day three The last stop in Shangri-La, the popular water road Napahai, with an altitude of 3462 meters, has snowfields, grasslands, lakes, and wetlands. No need for tickets, the scenery is beautiful🏞 . 4️⃣Day four: Return according to your own itinerary. . Such a beautiful Shangri-La must bring your favorite people to check in💯 . . ✅Recommended accommodation 🏨Shangri-La Lishui Hotel . ✔️The hotel is located in Dukezong Ancient City, Shangri-La, overlooking the City of Moonlight. ✔️Provide free airport transfer service for Shangri-La Airport. ✔️Free shuttle service for electric vehicles at Dukezong Ancient City (designated entrance and exit of the ancient city). ✔️Each room in Shangri-La Lishui is equipped with diffused oxygen. ✔️Free all-day drink Lishui coffee☕️

This year's Valentine's Day and the fifth day of the lunar new year to welcome the God of Wealth are on the same day - The first trip of Valentine's Day is recommended to go to Shangri-La Lovers in love check in the paradise on earth Record the beautiful moments together 📷 The first incense to welcome the God of Wealth is recommended to go to Songzanlin Monastery It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Worshiping the four major Dharma protectors of wealth - 🗒️Travel Tips： 1⃣️Enter and exit the Buddha Hall clockwise, no photos, no hats, no sunglasses. 2⃣️Entrance stairs, go up on the left and down on the right; the oxygen is thin in the plateau area, go slower, rest if you feel uncomfortable. - The intuitive feeling of Songzanlin Monastery is The beauty is shocking 💯 ✅Can be photographed: The majestic architectural complex The golden roofs In the sun ☀️, in the blue sky The beauty is speechless～ ❌Cannot be photographed: Everything in the Buddha Hall is shocking Every mural, every Buddha statue is amazing Walk around clockwise 🧭 It seems to be able to sense the cycle of fate - The Dharma Hall on the fourth floor of the main hall That is, the God of Wealth Hall Go here to welcome the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month After all, contemporary young people Mainly one ➡️Kneeling in front of the God of Wealth Hall for a long time - There are many couples in Songzanlin Monastery wearing Tibetan clothes to check in Baozi who likes to take pictures 📷 can also try Clothing ➕ makeup together are not expensive ➡️two digits The temple is very photogenic and looks good no matter how you take it The side hall 🈶️ has the corresponding zodiac Buddha You can go and pray for good luck 🍀Sincerity can move God -

📍The last stop, each one is a memory~ 1. Just got off the high-speed rail station and bounced excitedly. The newly opened high-speed rail, from Lijiang to Shangri-La is less than 50r💰. While waiting for the homestay pick-up, I communicated with Teacher He about photography composition, and the visual impact of Tibetans blending into the blue sky and red land. 2. On the way to Songzanlin Temple, I rented a set of Tibetan clothes (my set is 120r including makeup and costume, ordinary clothes can be 80r💰), and I felt like a woman like an eagle after putting it on. (Red is recommended as the most classic for shooting, I chose blue because it is special) I was praised by passers-by and asked for the store name in the ancient city hehe. 3. It's only thirteen yuan to take a taxi from Songzanlin Temple to the ancient city, and students can enjoy half price. If you have time, you can go to Napahai and take pictures with little sheep🐑 (I didn't go because I think the grassland is not good-looking in winter). 4. Speaking of food. I personally think the Tibetan food here is quite delicious, the prices are low and the folk customs are simple. An average of 50 per person can eat super full. 5. Walking in the Dukezong Ancient City at night, I found everyone dancing around. Most of them are young people, although they don't know each other, they will join the team whether they can dance or not (like me), the atmosphere is free and casual. I know I'm lucky, I always meet noble people on the journey. Everyone sits around the fire and chats in winter, and there are self-cooked butter tea and cheese snacks, which are warm and comfortable! 😘

After arriving, I couldn't stop marveling in my heart at how spectacular it is! How should I put it? It's like 'fake', simply incredible. It is said that those who see the 'Little Potala Palace' will have good fortune Yunnan's Little Potala Palace Songzanlin Monastery It's so stunning, I must share the complete guide with everyone! 🚌Transportation Shangri-La County Town - Changzheng Road No. 3 bus goes directly 🚗Self-driving 7 kilometers from Dukezong Ancient Town, 15 minutes 13 kilometers from the guesthouses near Napahai, 22 minutes How to play at Songzanlin Monastery? 1⃣️Lake Loop Plank Road Line About 1 hour, passing 9 scenic spots, actually the best spot for a panoramic view is the last one, so if you don't want to walk around the lake! You can get off the bus on the way back, and it's a 5-minute walk to the photo spot 2⃣️Temple Route Songzanlin Monastery Gate Tower - Tsongkhapa Hall - Tshogs-chen Hall - Main Kang Shakyamuni Buddha Hall (free tour guide available) 👗【Clothing】 Rent casually next to Songzanlin Monastery ⚠️Visiting Precautions 1⃣️Enter and tour in a clockwise direction, which was also told to me by a young lady on the road, very good 2⃣️Remove hats and sunglasses when entering the temple hall, and do not dress in revealing clothes 3⃣️Avoid pointing at Buddha statues with the index finger, instead keep all five fingers together, palm facing up ❤️Essential Items 1⃣️The plateau is dry, bring hydrating masks/eye drops! 2⃣️Sunscreen, the ultraviolet rays on the plateau are too strong 3⃣️If you have altitude sickness, you can bring your own oxygen, which is much cheaper than buying it locally 4⃣️The distances between Shangri-La attractions are quite far, it's too dangerous to take calls while driving, wear a smartwatch, you can answer calls and reply to messages with voice very conveniently

Shangri-La is amazing!!! 😍 It’s located northwest of Yunnan and its 11,300 feet above sea level! 😲 Me and my friend stayed in Shangri La old town area and we love everything in there. The area is so cute and have a lot of nice boutique hotel as well as antique shops! Not only that, but Shangri La is also famous for their unbelievable nature and monastery! We went to few of the famous places in there like, Songzanlin Monastery, Napa Lake, and Shika Snow Mountain. Those three places are really recommended to go visit! 🙌🏼 #naturalwonders#roadtrip

In Shangri-La, there is a must-visit place, that is the "Little Potala Palace"—Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province. The entire monastery is built against the mountain, resembling an ancient castle, shining brilliantly under the harsh highland sun, captivating to the eye. 📍Location: At the foot of Foping Mountain, north of Shangri-La city area, Diqing, Yunnan Built in the 20th year of Kangxi (1681 AD), the main temple is grand, with the three halls of "Jikang", "Zhacang", and "Zhukang" standing tall in the center. Opposite Songzanlin Monastery, lies the very famous Lamuyangcuo Lake, both the lake and the buildings are spectacular and imposing, here one can experience a uniquely serene world... 🔍How to get from Lijiang to Shangri-La? Carpool from Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge, then take a direct bus to Shangri-La. 💕tips: Although the train is fast, there are too many tunnels along the way, missing a lot of scenery, such as the classic Tiger Leaping Gorge. It is also inconvenient to run between train stations back and forth, so it is not recommended. How to get from Dukezong Ancient Town to Songzanlin Monastery? ❶Take bus No. 3 directly to Songzanlin Monastery, the fare is 2 yuan, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. ❷DIDI, from the old town to Songzanlin Monastery costs 14 yuan, and the journey takes about 15 minutes. 🗺️Classic tour route of Songzanlin Monastery: ❶Songzanlin Monastery main entrance - Tsongkhapa Hall - Zhacang Hall - Main Kang Sakyamuni Buddha, the tour takes about 1.5 hours ㅤ ❷Songzanlin Monastery lake circuit boardwalk:ㅤ Songzanlin main entrance → floating bridge → distant view photography → Dongquesheng → sacred tree → Xiaojiezi → Lamuyangcuo Square → sacred spring → Songzanlin Monastery viewing platform No ticket purchase, sightseeing takes about 1 hour.ㅤ ㅤ ❸Songzanlin Monastery internal visit route:ㅤ Songzanlin Monastery main entrance - Jidekang - Zhayakang - Tsongkhapa Hall - Zhacang Hall - Main Kang Shakya Muni Buddha Hall - Rongbakang - Dukekang - Songzanlin Monastery gate tower. The whole tour takes about 3 hours. 🎫Ticket purchase: It is recommended to buy at the scenic spot window, only 55 yuan for the main entrance ticket + 10 yuan for a one-way sightseeing car (a total of only 65 yuan) 💡Important tips: ①Do not wear skirts or inappropriate clothing inside the temple ②Do not wear hats or sunglasses inside. ③Do not step on the door frame, no photography of any Buddha images. ④Please walk clockwise into the courtyard when visiting, do not take a return path.

Before going to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, I was full of longing After arriving, it was a photo shoot But still joined the Tibetan costume one-day experience - This stubborn tourist didn't buy a scenic area bus ticket, chose to walk up Thinking that walking along the way could see more of the Lamuyangtso Lake Regrettably, the lake is under reconstruction, only unfinished plank roads and big pits... Fortunately, I got on the No. 3 bus when I went down the mountain, and it only cost 2 yuan to get to the entrance of the scenic area - During the tour, in addition to listening to the voice by myself, I occasionally encountered a team led by a guide I learned some Buddhist knowledge sporadically, and gained some insights 👇🏻The following are some experiences from people who have been here: . ❌ Lamuyangtso Lake is currently under reconstruction, you can't see anything ✅Bring your ID card to buy individual tickets at the counter - 55r ✅Walking up the mountain is about 1.5km, about 10-15 minutes ✅After exiting the ticket check, you can also wait for the No. 3 bus across the street to go up the mountain ✅Stairs go up on the left and down on the right, visit the hall clockwise ❌You need to take off your hat, remove your sunglasses, and no photography is allowed in the hall ✅You can take the No. 3 bus down the mountain, which can reach the ancient city and the city, and there will be no bus after 18:00 ✅Keep your ticket stub, they will check tickets - Photos taken on May 30 Shangri-La travel | Shangri-La tourism | Diqing travel | Diqing tourism

Songzanlin Monastery is known as the 'Little Potala Palace' because it looks quite similar to the Potala Palace in Lhasa when seen from a distance. It holds a significant position throughout the Tibetan area and is a must-visit stop for tourists in Shangri-La. The temple is mainly decorated in red, yellow, and white, and the views are spectacular, whether you're looking at the architectural complex from afar or overlooking the scenery of Lamuyangcuo Lake from the temple. ⏰ Opening hours: 8:00-17:30 (entry stops at 5:00 pm) Suggested visiting time: About 2h, it's recommended to arrive in the morning, as it gets crowded after noon. 🚌 Transportation: Take a Didi from the old town to the ticket office of Songzanlin Monastery, which takes about 20 minutes. About tickets 🎫 It's more economical to buy tickets at the manual ticket counter. Tell the ticket seller you only need a one-way bus ticket up the mountain + entrance ticket. When coming down the mountain, you can take the public bus directly, which only costs 2️⃣ yuan to get back to the ticket office of Songzanlin Monastery or the old town. The ticket is 55 + 10 for the bus ticket up the mountain, totaling 65. The cost for a guide is extra, depending on what you need. If you're fit enough, you can even walk the 5km uphill (about 30 minutes). If you buy tickets from a machine, it's 81, and remember to bring your ID card❗️ 📷 About sightseeing: At the entrance, you need to climb stairs to reach the temple. Friends who are less physically strong in the plateau area should rest intermittently instead of rushing up all at once, and it's recommended to carry a bottle of oxygen to prevent altitude sickness. 4️⃣ key spots are: Songzanlin Monastery Gate Tower - Tsongkhapa Hall - Tshogschen Hall - Main Kangyur Sakyamuni Hall. Note that in Tibetan culture, you start from the left and walk clockwise. Do not take photos directly of the Buddha statues inside the temple!

The term 'Shangri-La' first appeared in the novel 'Lost Horizon' by British author James Hilton. The story mainly tells of four Western travelers who accidentally come to the secret realm of Shangri-La, located in the mountains of the Tibetan area in China, in search of the Shangri-La Monastery in the 1930s. The novel made the term 'Shangri-La' famous, and it has become synonymous with paradise, Eden, beauty, happiness, and more. Nowadays, the location of Shangri-La is commonly believed to be in Zhongdian, Diqing of Yunnan, which has been renamed 'Shangri-La.' The original form of the 'Shangri-La Lama Temple' is the Songzanlin Monastery in Zhongdian. ⛰️ Songzanlin Monastery is a temple built on the mountain, resembling the Potala Palace in Lhasa, hence it is known as the 'Little Potala Palace.' It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan. In front of the Songzanlin Monastery, there is a large lake, the Lamuyangcuo Lake. 📷 Taking a photo with Songzanlin Monastery from the walkway or viewing platform on the other side of the lake is a good choice. 📍 The Ganden Songzanlin Monastery is located on Niwang Road, Jiantang Town, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, with convenient access from the city center and parking available for self-driving visitors. 💰 The ticket price is 90 yuan per person, including a sightseeing car. ⛰️ The altitude is over 3000 meters, with no personal risk of altitude sickness. 🌞 Strong ultraviolet rays, with a large temperature difference between day and night. ✔️ Attractions in or around Shangri-La City: 🔸Dukezong Ancient Town, 🔸Napa Lake, 🔸Pudacuo, 🔸Tiger Leaping Gorge, 🔸Meili Snow Mountain.

Following the itinerary, we arrive at the Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, known as the 'Little Potala Palace'. Inside the main hall, candlelight flickers, exuding the scent of yak butter, with Buddha statues enshrined in the center and on both sides. Outside the hall, the white walls, red eaves, and golden tiles are magnificent, imposing, and solemn. The red-robed monks, prayer wheels, white stupas, and prayer flags on the mountain top evoke a sense of awe and devotion.

Shangrila or Xianggelila in North-Yunnan is a town with Tibetan characteristics. Shangrila mainly consists of two areas split by a street: Dukezong old town to the south and a new modern area to the north, while the old town is always the tourists focus to experience the real Tibetan feeling of the town. 🧳 What to do in Shangrila? •Visiting Tibetan temples •Coffee and local cuisine •Hiking, biking or horse-riding in the mountains •Just relax in the old town 📍How to get here? You can take a bus from Lijiang or Dali. The street got renovated recently and it's only 2 to 4 hours. #bucketlistreboot #shangrila #yunnan #tibetanculture #chinatravel

I remember the first time I went to Shangri-La 20 years ago, the Songzanlin Monastery gave me a tremendous shock. Not only because it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province, the center of the Gelug school in the Sichuan-Yunnan area, but also because of the magnificent giant statues in the temple, which combine sanctity and beauty, leaving me with an unforgettable impression. This time, revisiting Shangri-La, Songzanlin Monastery is like returning to an old haunt. However, the monastery today is no longer as I remember it; its area has expanded many times over, completely encompassing the Lamuyangtso Lake, and the visitor center has been built several kilometers away, where they now run a sightseeing car business. Tourists with sunburn makeup occupy every corner of the temple, and everywhere you look are Tibetan princesses and princes on the run, making the place look more like a fashion show than a temple. However, to be fair, Songzanlin Monastery itself is still quite as I remember it, with the temple complex built against the mountain, resembling an ancient castle. Climbing the steep stairs, you reach the highest point with the three main temples of Zhacang, Jikang, and Zhukang, surrounded by the eight Kangshen, monks' quarters, and other buildings, with their varying heights and layered progression creating a clear three-dimensional outline. The main building, Zhacang, means 'monastery' in Tibetan, which is where the monks study scriptures and doctrines. Walking into it, whether it's the murals on the walls or the Buddha statues in the center and on both sides of the main hall, instantly takes me back to my memories of 20 years ago. However, having seen many temples in the Tibetan region since then, they somehow don't seem as stunning as they once were. What surprised me was that despite its high status in the Tibetan region, Songzanlin Monastery is not even a provincial heritage site, perhaps because there are too many new additions, making it look increasingly brand new. Of course, Songzanlin Monastery is still very photogenic, otherwise, it wouldn't be known as the 'Little Potala Palace'. But the best photo spots are not inside the temple, but around its perimeter: 📷Spot 1⃣️ Along Lamuyangtso Lake No need for a telephoto lens, a standard camera or smartphone will do. You can shoot from multiple angles around the lake, especially from the sky burial site, which is an unobstructed high point. In the morning or evening, you should be able to capture the reflection of Songzanlin Monastery 📷Spot 2⃣️ Dari Viewing Platform On the way to Napahai, the location is a bit far, but you can capture the fields, villages, and the monastery in one frame, especially impressive in the morning mist. However, you need a telephoto lens to get a good shot, otherwise, you'll have to crop the image yourself, which is less effective. The biggest pitfall 🕳️ of Songzanlin Monastery is actually the ticket price. Online tickets and self-service ticket machines only sell one type of combo ticket for 90 yuan per person, which includes a temple ticket for 55 yuan, a round-trip sightseeing car for 20 yuan, and a guide fee for 15 yuan. However, at the manual ticket counter, you can buy them separately. Personal suggestions: ✅ If it's not your first time visiting a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, you can skip the guided tour, as it takes up time and the content is very basic, not very useful. ✅ The sightseeing car is optional; if you decide to take it, just buy a one-way ticket. It's less than half an hour's walk, and you can also check out the lakeside photo spots of Lamuyangtso along the way. On the way back, you can take the No. 3 bus, which costs 2 yuan and passes through the visitor center parking lot. You can also take this bus directly back to Dukezong Ancient Town.