The Fabled Paradise of Yunnan
Plan My Trip →Shangri-La (Deqen) is Yunnan's fabled highland paradise — a Tibetan city of monasteries, mountain lakes, and the sacred peak of Meili Snow Mountain. Discover the enchanting beauty of this region.
Shangri-La took its name from James Hilton's Lost Horizon, but the region's beauty is real — Tibetan culture, highland scenery, and an atmosphere of peace that matches the legend.
The town of Shangri-La (formerly Zhongdian) is a Tibetan settlement of monasteries, old streets, and prayer flags — the cultural heart of northwest Yunnan.
The Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, is the region's spiritual center — a vast complex of golden-roofed halls and monks in crimson robes.
The sacred Meili Snow Mountain, with its unclimbed peak of Kawagarbo, is the region's great sight — a wall of snow peaks that glows at sunrise above the Salween gorge.
The region's lakes — Napa Lake, Bitahai — and its deep valleys offer serene landscapes of water, forest, and mountain. The Tibetan villages along the way add to the charm.
Shangri-La sits at about 3,300 meters — take it easy for acclimatization. The best seasons are spring and autumn. Reach it by flight from Kunming or by road from Lijiang.