China Top Travel

Shangri-La County is located in the confluence of Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan province. It forms one of three counties that make up the Diqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern most Yunnan. Tibetans call their home Gyelthang. The prefecture touches Tibet in the northwest, Ganzi and Muli in Sichuan to the north, Lijiang to the south and Nu Jiang (Salween River) Lisu Autonomous prefecture to the west.

Shangri-La County is a primarily Tibetan county in northwestern Yunnan Province in southwest China and the capital of Diqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It was formerly called Zhongdian County but was renamed after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the James Hilton novel in 2001. The local Tibetan population refers to it by the name Gyalthang. "Shangri-La" or "Zhongdian" may also refer to Jiantang Town, the capital of the county.

Many travelers use the county town as a gateway into Tibet, either travelling many days overland by Jeep to Lhasa, or by flying from the city's airport. However, the town itself is a tourist destination, primarily due to the nearby Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, and Tiger Leaping Gorge.

It covers an area of 11,613 square kilometers.

Area code: 0887
Postal code: 674400

It has a population of 130 thousand.

Highlights include:

Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, reportedly the biggest Tibetan monastery complex in the province
Bai Shui Tai, a picturesque limestone formation
Tiger Leaping Gorge, a sheer gorge which has a well marked trail and good tourist infrastructure
Bita Hai, a lake featuring a small island in its middle, a popular destination
Da Bao Si, a small but famous monastery approximately 15 km out of town