Live Your Best Lives
If someone asked you—Have you hiked any of the world's top ten hiking trails? How far would you hike to camp under the stars in the snowy mountains? What's the latest viral hiking trail? How would you answer?
Do you think you need to travel all over China to fulfill these three requirements? I'd like to tell you, not necessarily! They're all in one place: Shangri-La, Yunnan.
When it comes to hiking in Yunnan, everyone seems to know Yubeng.
But as Yubeng becomes more and more well-known, more and more people begin to turn their attention beyond Yubeng. Shangri-La has excellent hiking resources, and it has become an emerging destination after Yubeng.
Before it's overly commercialized, we've carefully selected three destinations to create a scenic hike that rivals Yubeng—Yunnan's newest hiking gem. Come check it out.
The world's top ten hiking trails
Tiger Leaping Gorge is located at the junction of Lijiang and Shangri-La, with Haba Snow Mountain to the west and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the east. The canyon has a vertical height difference of more than 3,900 meters and is one of the deepest canyons in the world.
Picture @Leader Liangzi
Tiger Leaping Gorge's stunning scenery and moderate difficulty are the first to attract foreign friends. Before 2020, the most common people seen on the trail were Westerners and Koreans. It was known as one of the top 10 hiking routes in the world.
The roadside slogans are always in Chinese, English and Korean, giving the hike an international feel.
Walking on the steep cliffs of Tiger Leaping Gorge and looking at the surging Jinsha River beneath your feet, you will understand what it means to "life in this world is like that of a traveler on a long journey."
A secluded outdoor paradise
Haba Snow Mountain has always been famous for its beginner-level climbing experience. Most people come here to climb the snow mountain, so many people ignore the beautiful scenery of the hiking route on the west slope.
This is a hiking route that was delayed by snow mountain climbing. It does not have the steepness of Yulong Snow Mountain and Meili Snow Mountain. It only has gentle climbs, vertical altitudes and three-dimensional scenery.
From primeval forests to alpine meadows to river valley scenery, the stunning reflections of the snow-capped mountains on the sea, the rugged rocks in the river valley and the vast plateau meadows are all hidden in the corner of the west slope of Haba, with scenery no less spectacular than Yubeng all year round.
There is no hustle and bustle of crowds here, only quiet snow-capped mountains, meadows, cattle and sheep, and starry sky. This place is most suitable for people who pursue pure outdoor activities.
The sun and moon in my heart
The first time Abujicuo officially entered the public eye was in the TV series "Happy Trio" broadcast in 2019. While everyone envied Chen Yihan and her husband's happy married life, they were also amazed that there was such a secret treasure in Shangri-La.
It was not until Abujicuo was officially released on Xiaohongshu that people were impressed by this short hiking route and began to ask: what kind of sacred place is this?
Picture @Xiaohongshu screenshot
As can be seen from the satellite map, Abuji Cotso is located at the foot of the snow-capped mountains not far from Shangri-La. The one-hour journey from Shangri-La may be another reason for its popularity.
The sharp rocks, clear lake water and dense primeval forests on the road make Abujicuo a place that many outdoor enthusiasts yearn for.
Abuji Co - the sacred lake of the Tibetans in Shangri-La, a virgin-quiet blue lake, as magnificent, lush, peaceful and beautiful as a dream, is the sun and moon in the hearts of those who have been there.
Everywhere you look, you see a painting
You can’t talk about Shangri-La without visiting Songzanlin Temple. The full name of Songzanlin Temple is Ganden Songzanlin Temple, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province.
It plays an important role in the entire Tibetan area and is known as the "Little Potala Palace". It is built against the mountain and looks like an ancient castle. It is also known as the "Tibetan Art Museum" and is a culmination of Tibetan plastic arts.
Similar to Tibetan Buddhist architectural style, the two main halls of Songzanlin Monastery, Zhacang and Jikang, stand tall in the center, surrounded by eight Kangcan and monks' quarters, which are arranged at different heights and have clear three-dimensional outlines.
When you walk in, you will find beautiful buildings everywhere. There are no bustling crowds, only very devout believers.
Camping under the stars is the real outdoors, listening to the voice of your heart beside the snow-capped mountains.
Beside the snow-capped mountains, under the starry sky, bid farewell to the noisy crowds, each with his own tent, away from the world of electricity and the Internet.
China-TravelNote selects accommodations and stays in the popular Tiger Leaping Gorge inn - Midway Inn. This inn is also known as HALF WAY, a name given to it by authentic foreigners. As the name suggests, it is located in the middle of the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike.
HALF WAY has become an internet-famous inn because of its unique balcony – the "Balcony That Will Make You Cool". Built on a cliff, the inn has a balcony with its back against Haba Snow Mountain and facing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The majestic mountains, the gentle evening breeze, the surging clouds and the turbulent Jinsha River, as well as the splendor of Tiger Leaping Gorge, can all be seen from the balcony.
You would never have thought that the gate of Dukezong Ancient City is actually a hotel. We have selected the most representative Tibetan hotels located at the gate of Dukezong Ancient City. Stay in the ancient city and the scenery will be right outside your door.
At night in Shangri-La, head straight to the square of Moonlight Ancient Town, dance the Guozhuang dance with the local Tibetans and feel the Tibetan hospitality, or go to Guishan Park to turn the world's largest prayer wheel.
Because the route is extremely rare, we have specially equipped a professional team of leaders and guides, each of whom has received systematic outdoor rescue training.
In addition, China-TravelNote provides free trekking poles, tents, oxygen cylinders, and a China-TravelNote exclusive backpack to help you with your journey.
The tourists will gather at the agreed time and take a bus to the starting point of the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike. This will mark the beginning of the hike. The tourists will experience the unique architectural style of the Naxi people at the Naxi Yage and begin their exploration of the Tiger Leaping Gorge under the guidance of a guide. The tour will then take a break for lunch at the Tea Horse Inn before arriving at the final stop, the Midway Inn.
After enjoying the morning view of the canyon at the inn, we hiked from the Midway Inn to Teacher Zhang's Inn. This is a trail carved by Teacher Zhang and his family that goes straight to the bottom of the valley, at an altitude of 1,800m. You can feel the majestic Jinsha River up close and challenge the Warrior Ladder. Then we returned to the highway and took a bus back to the Midway Inn.
Wake up to the sunrise over the canyon, enjoy breakfast in Tiger Leaping Gorge, and then head to Haibaluo Village, the base camp for hikers climbing Haba Snow Mountain from the west slope. Spend the night at Camp One and enjoy a starry night camping trip under the snow-capped mountains.
Get up in the morning, pack up the tent and head to Shuanghai, where you can take pictures of the classic snow-capped mountains and take a photo with the sacred tree. Then go down the mountain and return to Dukezong Ancient Town in time. After a night of camping, you can take a hot bath in the hotel, eat delicious Tibetan food, and then go to Moonlight Square to dance the Guozhuang dance with the local people and enjoy the night of Dukezong.
In the morning, we didn't need to clean up the room (we were staying two nights). We packed our dry food and other necessary items for the hike and headed to the Abujicuo hiking spot. Abujicuo is a sacred lake for the locals, where they pray for rain. The scenery is pristine, and the blue, reflective surface of the lake astounds everyone who comes here. The plateau scenery, the sharp mountains and rocks, and the lake view after reaching the summit all give people a sense of victory.
After a late sleep and breakfast, we will head to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, where we will circle around Lhamoyangcuo Lake and then enter the temple to experience the profound Tibetan Buddhist culture. There will be a tour guide explaining the temple, and you can follow the guide's pace to gain a deeper understanding. Then we will return to Shangri-La/Lijiang to disperse.
"The world's most magnificent, bizarre and extraordinary sights are often found in dangerous and remote places, where few people go."
