Ganden Sumtseling Monastery

post image

Down from the mountain, we head back to Shangrila Old Town and then to the north to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (松赞林寺) in the late afternoon. Built in 1679 by the 5th Dalai Lama, and the size of a small village, this is the largest monastery in Yunnan and one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in China.Read more

Grasslands below Shika Snow Mountain

post image

Shangrila breakfastat the hotel: pork noodles, pickles, milk, rice porridge, stuffed buns and an egg.   The valley west of the city is sparsely populated and pretty flat. Primarily grassland, it is used primarily for agriculture. In spring crops of flowering plant light up the valley with color. At this time it was pretty barren.Read more