Day 1: Chengdu—Daocheng Yading Airport
Tourists start from Chengdu airport at 6: 50 in the morning and arrive at Daocheng Aden airport after one hour. After pick-up, tourists will be arranged to visit Haizishan Natural Reserve, which is the largest relic of ancient glacier on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also known as “Ancient Icecap in Dao Cheng”. Inside the scenic spot there are 1145 lakes in total. High-mountain lake is called Haizi by Tibetan people, so it is also known as Haizishan. The landscape of Haizishan is very unique such as rock stream, rock glacier and various glacier rock basins (Haizi) composed of large and small granite boulder (gravel). There are no trees, rivers or even grass, almost as wild as the surface of Mars.
Then tourists can take a bus to Sangdui to appreciate the charming landscape of Red Grassland, but Red Grassland turns to red in October each year (CNY 10 per person, paid by tourists themselves).
After lunch, tourists can enjoy the landscape of Bang River and hundreds of thousands of hectares of green polar forest in Dao Cheng. These polar trees like soldiers guard Bang River and protect Shangri-La of paradise. In spring, the rippling river makes a beautiful spring. In autumn, the river is as brilliant as clouds, like the golden light spreading the ground, which is in fact a perfect nature picture without any decoration. After that, tourists can go sightseeing for landscape of Sela meadow, climb Bowa Peak, appreciate charming scenery of Chitu Valley, visit Konka Langjiling Temple, a temple of Tibetan Buddhism (CNY 10 per person, paid by tourists themselves), and arrive at the hotel in Shangri-La.
Accommodation: Shangri-La Town
Day 2: Riwa—Yading
After breakfast, tourists can take a bus directly from hotel to management station in scenic area, passing by Yading Village and Longtongba, and enter into Yading core scenic area from Zha Guanbeng (more than 30 KM in total, around 2 hours) by transferring sightseeing car (CNY 120 per each, paid by tourists themselves). Then walking several minutes to Chonggu Temple, tourists can appreciate natural Chonggu grassland composed of meadow, forest, stream and piles of Mani, and visit the deity mountain, Xian Nairi (The meaning of Arya Avalokiteshvara in Tibetan, like a Buddha sitting on Lotus Throne peacefully, 6032 M). Tourists can walking appreciate Pearl Lake (means Dromarazo in Tibetan) at the foot of Mount Xian Nairi (3 KM from Chonggu Temple to Pear Lake, 2 hours of walking). Here is the best place to enjoy Mount Xian Nairi. It is said that Pearl Lake was the dressing mirror of the fairy. The beautiful Dromarazo is like a green gem decorated on Lotus Throne. Around the lake, there are towering and green trees, and the lake with rippling blue waves is wonderful to visit. After that, tourists can take a sightseeing car to the hotel in Yading Village, to experience the simple Tibetan family life and resonance of Tibetan folk culture.
Accommodation: Yading Village
Day 3: Yading—Dao Cheng
After breakfast tourists enter into the core scenic spot, walk along Konka Yingou to Chonggu Temple, appreciate natural Chonggu grassland composed of meadow, forest, stream and piles of Mani, and visit the deity mountain, Xian Nairi. Next tourists can take scooter or walk from Chonggu Temple to Luorong Pasture. While climbing the mountain, tourists can see the deity mountain, Charlot Dorji (means Vajrapani Bodhisattva, 5958 M) and Yang Maiyong (means Bodhisattva Manjusri, 5958 M) from long distance, and appreciate wild animals, high-mountain flowers, snow-capped mountains, forests, glaciers, lakes and rivers. They can experience the natural interests of harmonious relationship between human and nature, resonating with the deity mountain and holy water, drowning in the dreamland to their heart’s content.
At Luorong Pasture, tourists can ride a horsefor entertainment (4 hours in total, CNY 300 for riding fee, paid by tourists themselves), go to Milk Lake (means E’rong’cuo in Tibetan, 4500 M, area of 0.5 square hectares). The water is clean and blue, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The scenery is charming and famous for its delicate shape and blue water. It is said that this holy lake can cure deaf and blind or other odd diseases. There is a lap of creamy Calcareous deposit around the lake, so it is called Milk Lake. Beside Milk Lake is Five Color Lake. Five Color Lake means Tenzing in Tibetan, 4600 M, surface of round shape, area of 0.7 square hectares. Due to the refraction of light, the lake will produce five different colors, so it is called Five Color Lake. The snow-capped mountain will reflect on the surface of the lake, presenting fascinating colors. It is said that this holy lake can reshow the history and predict the future. Then they can will take a scooter away the last Shangri-La–Yading step by step, out of scenic spot, and arrive at the hotel in Dao Cheng.
Accommodation: Dao Cheng County
Day 4: DaoCheng—Chengdu
Tourists can appreciate natural scenery in DaoCheng in the morning, take a bus to Yading airport, and finish their pleasant Dao Cheng-Yading round trip!
