Is it better to go to Shangri-La or Xishuangbanna when traveling in Yunnan?
Speaking of these two places, they are both very good, because Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna are two places with completely different styles. Each place has its own characteristics and will have different feelings. There are mainly the following differences: First, the difference in geographical location and altitude. Shangri-La is located in the northwest of Yunnan, in the hinterland of the Hengduan Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an altitude of about 3,500 meters. Most tourists will suffer from altitude sickness to some extent when they come here, so try not to exercise strenuously when you first arrive, especially running or jumping. The climate here has four distinct seasons, which is very similar to the weather in the north. The summer is very hot, and the winter is snowy and cold. Especially the ultraviolet rays here are very strong. It is recommended to wear sunglasses and a sun hat when going out. Xishuangbanna is located in the southernmost part of Yunnan, a tropical humid area south of the Tropic of Cancer, adjacent to Myanmar and Laos, and is covered by tropical rainforest. It is relatively warm here all year round, it rains frequently, and there is almost no winter, so sun protection is a must. Second, the scenery is completely different. Shangri-La is famous for James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon". The topography here is famous for its high mountains and canyons, and the snow-capped mountains of large rivers. Within the territory, there are Pudacuo, Haba Snow Mountain, Meili Snow Mountain, Balagezong, Xiaozhongdian, Bita Sea and so on are worth visiting. Every May, wild chrysanthemums bloom all over the mountains and fields, and in October, wolfsbane flowers bloom all over the meadows. Xishuangbanna is the only tropical rainforest nature reserve in China. It has a warm and humid climate and lush trees. Many rare birds and animals live in this tropical jungle, especially the Asian wild elephants are the most famous. Xishuangbanna is also a paradise for unique and rare plants. The Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is located here. Third, the national cultures are completely different. Shangri-La is mainly composed of Tibetans. The Tibetans here believe in Tibetan Buddhism, turn around and kowtow, dance in Guozhuang and Xuanzi. There is a Songzanlin Temple known as the Little Potala Palace in the territory, and there is a horse race every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Festivals such as "February 8th" of the Naxi people and "Torch Festival" of the Yi people. Xishuangbanna is mainly composed of Dai people who believe in Theravada Buddhism. The Dai people live near water, so they are said to be a nation made of water. The Dai girls here are tender, elegant, tepid and charming. Food is mainly raw, cold, sour and spicy, which can relieve the heat. The most solemn festival is the world-famous Water Splashing Festival. On this day, everyone in the streets and alleys will be immersed in the ocean of water and go crazy together. Shangri-La Shangri-La is known as the "Great Mountain Garden", "Kingdom of Animals and Plants", and "Kingdom of Non-ferrous Metals". Travel 315 kilometers north from Dali along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway to Central Town, Shangri-La County, the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Shangri-La is located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, at the northern end of the southern section of the Hengduan Mountains, in the hinterland of the "Three Parallel Rivers", forming a unique landscape integrating snow-capped mountains, canyons, grasslands, alpine lakes, virgin forests and ethnic customs. Diqing Prefecture has a land area of 23,870 square kilometers. It is connected to the Qamdo area of Tibet in the north, the Garze Tibetan people in Sichuan and the Yi people in Liangshan to the east, and the Lijiang and Nujiang Lisu people in Yunnan and the west. There are continuous snow peaks in the Shangri-La Scenic Area, and Kawagebo Peak, the highest peak in Yunnan Province, is majestic. Within Zhongdian County, there are 470 snow-capped mountains with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and deep canyons. The most famous are the Jinsha River Tiger Leaping Gorge, Lancang River Gorge and other grand canyons, as well as vast alpine grassland pastures, vast virgin forests and dotted Mountain lake. TOP5 Must-Visit Attractions It is an important part of the World Natural Heritage "Three Parallel Rivers" Scenic Area. The first national park established by the Chinese government, the scenery varies throughout the year and is a paradise for photographers. The appearance of Songzanlin Temple in Pudacuo National Park is very similar to the Potala Palace in Tibet. It is known as the "Little Potala Palace" and is also the main temple of Tibetan Buddhism in Yunnan. Every year from December 26th to 29th in the Tibetan calendar, Tibetans will hold the Gedong Festival here, which mainly focuses on "divine dancing". Gardan Songzanlin Monastery is the largest spring pasture in northwest Yunnan, with different scenery throughout the seasons. The beautiful moonlight city of Napa Sea, where you can relive the vicissitudes of the Tea Horse Road. Dukezong Ancient City Park stands the world's largest Turn the prayer wheel and climb up to the Chaoyang Tower in the park for a panoramic view of the ancient city. It also includes attractions: the Great Buddha Temple, the prayer wheel of the Great Buddha Temple, and the Guishan Park Route Recommendation Shangri-La Meili Snow Mountain Three-Day Tour D1: Lijiang Tiger Leaping Gorge Yi Village Yila Grassland Run Zilan Baima Snow Mountain Feilai Temple D2: Feilai Temple Lancang River Grand Canyon Mingyong Glacier Baima Snow Mountain Benzilan Shangri-La D3: Shangri-La Pudacuo Shangri-La Lijiang Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna is a flat dam surrounded by mountains. It is located at the southern end of Yunnan Province, close to Laos. , Myanmar are connected by mountains and rivers, and are close neighbors to Thailand and Vietnam. It governs Jinghong City, Menghai County, and Mengla County. The Lancang River irrigates this green land and is called the Mekong River after it exits the country. It flows through the five countries of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam and then merges into the Pacific Ocean. It is known as the "Danube River of the East". It can be seen from the map that the two famous mountains on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the east and west surround Xishuangbanna. Between the mountains there are patches of flat land, where there are Phoenix tail bamboos and the Dai people surrounded by big banyan trees. Stockade.
TOP5 must-visit attractions: Watch the Sky Tree at the world's highest skywalk and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Eastern Amazon. This area also includes attractions: Xishuangbanna Skywalk, Skytree Scenic Area, a forest park with a strong original atmosphere, as well as cute animals and interesting Dai people. Folk activities also include attractions here: Peacock Villa, Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park, where you can experience the purest Dai customs. There are splashing water performances every day in Splashing Water Square. There are also attractions here: Manchunman Buddhist Temple, Xishuangbanna Dai Garden (Olive Dam), the largest in China Botanical Garden, known as the "Heart of Emerald" Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna. There are also theatrical performances and bonfire parties in the evening. Manting Park Route Recommendation D1: Pu'er National Forest Park - Wild Elephant Valley Scenic Area (Butterfly Watching) Museum, Bird Park, Python Park, walking through the tropical rain forest, watching elephant performances) D2: Mengli Grand Buddha Temple - Wanda Water Park or Land Park - free activities in the evening D3: Dai characteristic dwellings - passing by the Red River Bridge - - End the happy trip and return to your warm home. 1. Yunnan is not something you can explore in one go. You have to make choices for the first time. 2. When going to Yunnan for the first time, it is recommended to visit northwest Yunnan, that is, around Lijiang. 3. For your first trip to Yunnan, choose 1. - A 2-day tour rather than a complete independent trip. Shangri-La is just a small town, with a few streets, two temples, and then the usual vegetable sellers, clothes and home appliances shops, and hotels. There is nothing, but the name feels very special. The town is about 3,300 meters above sea level. I don’t feel much when walking. I will be out of breath when I run after a traffic light. This is the situation now. If I want to go to Yunnan, I feel that going to the ancient city of Lijiang is better than Shangri-La. To go to Shangri-La, I need to take more than two days from Lijiang Airport. It takes an hour to get there by taking a bus through the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It’s not worth going to Shangri-La. It’s just Tibetan style. It’s high altitude, there’s not much to eat, and the scenery is just shooting snow-capped mountains and various snow-capped mountains. Snow is there every year, everywhere. But Xishuangbanna is different. Even if you can buy tropical fruits to eat, eating them locally is a completely different experience. For foodies, definitely go to Xishuangbanna. There are also various ethnic minority delicacies, especially Dai flavors. Everything has been agreed upon. What these two places have in common is that they are both in Yunnan, both have beliefs, and both are Buddhists. When you come here, you can have fun without having to worry about other bad things. It is difficult to choose between these two places because the scenery and customs of the two places are completely different. If you have been to Tibet, choose Xishuangbanna. If you have been to Hainan, choose Shangri-La. Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan are two travel destinations with completely different styles. Let’s talk about Shangri-La first. Shangri-La is located in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Yunnan. The Hengduan Mountains here are the core area of the World Natural Heritage - "Three Parallel Rivers". When you come to Shangri-La, you can see the rich Tibetan customs of Kham. The rivers are rushing here and the scenery is beautiful. Let’s talk about Xishuangbanna. Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southernmost part of Yunnan. It is a rare tropical area in China, where China’s rare tropical rain forests grow. The Dai-Tai style here is similar to that of Southeast Asian countries. It is rich in tropical fruits and the temples of Theravada Buddhism are pleasing to the eye. How to choose? The scenery in Xishuangbanna and Shangri-La are completely different, and the cost-effectiveness depends on your perception of the topic. Why? Let’s first take a look at the relevant information about Shangri-La. Shangri-La City is located in northwest Yunnan, at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. It has an average altitude of 3,280 meters and the famous Meili Snow Mountain is located here. Shangri-La has beautiful scenery, long history and culture, including Pudacuo National Park, Dukezong Ancient City, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Napa Sea and other scenic spots, pure plateau scenery. It was late winter when we went to Shangri-La, and the grass was withered, giving people a desolate feeling. The county is surrounded by boundless wilderness, with crows flying around. The locals say that cordyceps grow in those wilderness areas, and they are very busy in the winter digging up the cordyceps in exchange for money. In winter, Napa is covered with yellow grass and herds of cattle and sheep. It lacks the blooming flowers of summer, but there is another kind of beauty, loneliness and vastness. The scenery in Pudacuoli is unique. Although the trees are green, the water is clear, and the grass is a little yellow, it is also mixed with green. It is so beautiful that it is intoxicating. We went to an unknown snow-capped mountain with an altitude of more than 4,400 meters. There was snow, the wind was strong, and the sun was very dazzling. Needless to say, Tiger Leaping Gorge is majestic and has flowing water. Xishuangbanna is located at the southern end of Yunnan Province. It has beautiful natural tropical rainforest landscapes and ethnic minority customs. It is a veritable kingdom of animals and plants. Like Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna is also an area inhabited by ethnic minorities. Well-known attractions include Wild Elephant Valley, Olive Dam, Primitive Forest Park, Manting Park, etc. Xishuangbanna has only two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. If you like tropical scenery and ethnic customs, going to Banna is a good choice.
Do you have an answer? These two places in Yunnan have completely opposite characteristics and are far apart. It is not suitable to compare them directly. Each has its own merits. If it is summer and autumn, go to Shanlila to escape the summer heat and enjoy the autumn. The weather is comfortable and natural. The scenery is charming. Tibetan-style houses and temples make people feel the power of faith, and the snow-capped mountains are magnificent. In spring and winter, Xishuangbanna is more suitable. It has a subtropical climate, a bit like Thailand. It is a good place to escape the cold and is very close to Laos and Myanmar. If you accidentally go abroad, you can adapt to the food. You can still feel the exotic customs without going abroad. Besides, tropical rainforests, wild elephants, etc. make people very curious. Yunnan Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna are located in two completely different directions. superior. Shangri-La is in the northwest and Xishuangbanna is in the southwest. Shangri-La is a grassland scenery with a paradise-like scenery and Tibetan style. Xishuangbanna is close to the border and has a strong Southeast Asian style. The Dai people believe in Theravada Buddhism. The famous attractions in Shangri-La are: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo National Forest Park, Napa Sea, Shika Snow Mountain, Songzanlin Temple, and Xishuangbanna is known as the kingdom of animals and plants. The well-known attractions are: Primitive Forest Park, Wild Elephant Valley, Menglun Botanical Garden, Dai Nationality Garden, Gaozhuang. If it is a honeymoon trip, we recommend Shangri-La; for family travel, Xishuangbanna is recommended; for retirement accommodation, Xishuangbanna is recommended. Shangri-La is recommended for summer and autumn travel, and Xishuangbanna is recommended for winter and spring travel. The natural scenery of Shangri-La is more beautiful. In short, it is recommended to go to Xishuangbanna for more ethnic customs.
It’s really hard to say, each has its own advantages, it mainly depends on your own ideas