Far up in the northwestern edge of Yunnan Province between Sichuan Province to the northeast and Tibet Autonomous Region to the northwest is the magnificent, mountainous Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
It is situated at the heart of the Hengduan Mountains and is the gateway between Yunnan Province and Tibet, the juncture of Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan. Its capital and largest city is the legendary Shangri-La City, the very epitome of exotic wonder.
Diqing is a land of breathtaking scenery at every turn, including powerful surging rivers, towering snowy mountains, sparkling crystal lakes, vast creeping glaciers, expansive grasslands and deep gorges. In a setting of such sublime beauty, spirituality also thrives and Diqing has many monasteries that present a view of Tibetan Buddhism and culture.
Hikers will find much to inspire them in Diqing, and many of them find Yubeng Village and ideal starting point. The Tibetan village at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain is where many trekking enthusiasts gather to set out on their adventures.
The fantastic Mingyong Glacier in Deqin County flows slowly from the top of Kawagebo Peak, a sacred mountain of Tibetans and the highest peak of the fantastic Meili Snow Mountain.
Five kilometers (three miles) in length, Mingyong Glacier is one of the lowest latitude glaciers anywhere in the world. During the winter, its ice tongue creeps down the snowy mountainside from an elevation of 5,500 meters (18,045 feet) and stretches to the bank of the Lancang River.
The fabulous mountainous area is full of scenic wonders, too many to list, such as the Guanyin Waterfalls in Tiger Leaping Gorge, Heihai Lake and Huanghai Lake in Haba Snow Mountain, Pudacuo National Park, the Ice Lake and Sacred Waterfall of Yubeng, the Shangri-La Alpine Botannical Gardens and Tacheng Black Snub-Nosed Monkey National Park.
Diqing is home to many of China's ethnic minorities, including Tibetan, Lisu, Naxi and more.
Diqing is a good transportation hub for northwest Yunnan. From Diqing Shangri-La Airport it is easy to travel to Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming and beyond.
Diqing is the peak of adventure and exhilarating natural beauty.
