Yunnan, see the most beautiful snow mountain.

by langrentoh1 on 2012-02-23 11:04:24

Yunnan: See the most beautiful snow mountain

At the summit of Meili Snow Mountain, clouds and mist flow peacefully; at the foot of the snow mountain, glaciers flow quietly... James Hilton must have seen such a scene, which led to the birth of "Lost Horizon" and the word "Shangri-La" has been passed down until today.

After flying to Kunming, head to the county of Shangri-La, then to Deqin, which is 186 kilometers away from the county. You will need to spend a day on the way, but the scenery along the way is nice.

Deqin is an ancient small mountain city built against the mountain. The car comes from Zhongdian, with no one in sight along the way. It is said that during the summer mornings and evenings, rainbows often appear around Deqin. The reflection of the rainbow on the snow mountain is incredibly beautiful!

At the foot of the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain, Kawagebo, lies the Mingyong Glacier. After tens of thousands of years of growth, extension, compression, and further extension, it has formed a natural wonder consisting of three parts: fan-shaped, platform-shaped, and tongue-shaped. The Mingyong Glacier is the fastest-moving glacier in China, moving 530 meters every year. The ice waterfall, nearly 1000 meters in height and hundreds of meters wide, cascades out from the clouds and mist. In summer, you can often hear the rumbling sound of avalanches at Lianhua Temple next to the glacier, and see large chunks of ice sliding down. Occasionally, a cool breeze sweeps past your face and down to your feet. Among the green grass slopes and colorful prayer flags, lying down and watching large chunks of ice falling from the sky is truly a great pleasure in life.

There are two roads going up the mountain, one is a walking path, and the other is a horse-riding path (from the entrance to Taizi Temple, horse-riding costs 60 yuan per person, and 20 yuan for the descent. There are no horses available if you get tired along the way, so you can only ride horses at the entrance and Taizi Temple). Both paths are well-maintained cinder roads, making them easy to walk on. When going up the mountain, the walking path is on the left side of the mountain, while the horse-riding path is on the right. It takes about an hour and a half of walking to reach the first place to view the glacier and Meili Snow Mountain - Taizi Temple. This is a very small temple with many Tibetan people coming to worship the mountain, burning incense and hanging prayer flags within the courtyard. To the left of Taizi Temple is the road to the viewing platform, and to the right is the road to Lianhua Temple. Not far into the journey begins a wooden plank栈道 supported by iron frames. Along the way, there is a wide platform where you can sit and face the Kawagebo Peak for a detailed view, which is quite interesting. Going to Lianhua Temple via the right road takes about an hour. This temple is larger than Taizi Temple, with fewer visitors, but on clear days, this is the best place to see Kawagebo Peak.

Tender Tips:

Ticket price: 60 yuan, the ticket check point is on the way up the mountain, and the ticket inspector checks tickets at the starting point of the circular栈道; round-trip horse riding costs 80 yuan. After reaching the Taizi Temple at the foot of the glacier, you still need to walk about 1 kilometer.

Accommodation and Food: Upon entering Mingyong Village, the first house you see is the village chief's home. The kind-hearted village chief will arrange for you to stay in a Tibetan family's home. The locals are very simple and honest, and you can negotiate prices with them directly. Generally, it costs only dozens of yuan per night, and you can also eat yak milk on the spot. Mingyong Villa next to the Mingyong Glacier charges 60 yuan/day/room. Mingyong Tibetan Style Garden charges 20 yuan/day/bed. There is a temple halfway up the glacier climb where you can also stay overnight for 20 yuan/day/room.

Customs: During meals, men sit at the dining table, while women sit on the ground.

Reminder: From Guangzhou to Zhongdian, the altitude increases by more than 3000 meters. Some people may experience mild altitude sickness such as shortness of breath and insomnia. It takes time to adapt to the change in altitude, so slow down your pace of movement and adjust your breathing accordingly.