Shangri-La

The town, long called Zhongdian and renamed in 2001 after the valley in James Hilton's novel, sits at about 3,200 metres where Yunnan meets the Tibetan plateau, with grassland, yaks and Tibetan farmhouses around it. Above it stands Songzanlin, founded in 1679 by the fifth Dalai Lama, a Gelug monastery of white and ochre buildings stacked up a hillside with hundreds of monks, often described as a smaller echo of the Potala in plan. The old town below burned in a 2014 fire and much of it has been rebuilt in timber; a large prayer wheel on the hill above it is turned by visitors and residents.

What you actually see

• Songzanlin monastery - the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan.
• The old town - timber lanes rebuilt after the 2014 fire.
• The great prayer wheel - a large gilded wheel on the hill above town.
• The grassland - yak pasture and Tibetan farmhouses around the valley.

When to go

April to October; summer brings wildflowers on the meadows, autumn clear skies. Winter is severe and cold with some roads closed. Altitude at 3,200 metres affects most arrivals from Lijiang.

Honest expectations

The old town is largely post-2014 reconstruction. Altitude causes headaches, especially arriving fast by bus. Monastery entry is expensive and includes a shuttle.

Nearby

Pudacuo lies east; Meili Snow Mountain is northwest.