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Shangri-La County
Shangri-La County is the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
of Yunnan
Province. Located in the core area of the national landscape resort,
the "Three Parallel
Rivers", namely the Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nujiang
River, the county is the
political, economic, and cultural center of Diqing Prefecture.
Regional data
* Area
Diqing Prefecture covers some 23,870 square kilometers and has jurisdiction
over
Shangri-La County, Deqin County, and Weixi Lisu Nationality Autonomous
County.
Shangri-La County takes up an area of 11,613 square kilometers.
* Geographical environment
Shangri-La County stands on the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan
Plateau, in the
hinterland of the Hengduan Mountain, and at the joint of three provinces
of Yunnan,
Sichuan, and Tibet. It borders Daocheng and Muli counties of Sichuan
Province to the
east, faces Lijiang County and Weixi County across the Jinsha River
to the west and
south, and neighbors Deqin County to the north.
*Language
Mandarin and several minority dialects such as Tibetan and Naxi
language
*Population
About 13,000
Currency
Chinese currency is RMB. Credit cards are accepted in those major
hotels.
Weather
|
Month
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Jan.
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Feb.
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Mar.
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Apr.
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May
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Jun.
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Jul.
|
Aug.
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Sept.
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Oct.
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Nov.
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Dec.
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Temperature
|
5.9
|
7.5
|
10.4
|
13.3
|
16.6
|
17.8
|
18.1
|
17.3
|
16.0
|
13.3
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9.0
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6.3
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Altitude
Shangri-La County Seat stands some 3,300 meters above sea level.
Dress
In a high altitude area, Shangri-La is subject to great temperature
change, which
gives rise to the saying "experiencing four seasons in a single
day". It is therefore
necessary for tourists to bring with them enough clothing. In summer,
the county
enjoys sufficient sunshine, together with strong radiation. Necessities
for summer
visitors include sunglasses, sunbonnet, and umbrella. After October,
the warm
clothes, hats, and gloves are necessary.
Shopping
Shangri-La County Seat teems with snack shops that sell local specialties
such
as yak charqui, fried highland barley, Tricholoma matsutake, Cordyceps
sinensis,
and Nixi earthenware.
Voltage
220V for mainly two-wire flat-foot plugs (5A)
Mobile phone network
GSM, CDMA
Traffic --- Shangri-La County
Taxi: Taxis are found everywhere in the streets. They
charge five RMB yuan in-town
and a full-day charge is negotiable.
Road: Road traffic is the main form of transport of
the county. Regular buses for
Shangri-La are available in Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang.
Airport data
Air routes: Opened round air routes include Kunming
<---> Shangri-La,
Chengdu <---> Shangri-La <---> Lhasa, Guangzhou <---> Shangri-La
<---> Lhasa,
and Kunming <---> Shangri-La <---> Xishuangbanna.
To-be-opened air routes include Beijing <---> Shangri-La, Shanghai
<---> Shangri-La,
and Shenzhen <---> Shangri-La.
Car ride from airport to hotel: About ten minutes
Airport construction fee: 50 RMB yuan for domestic
flight
Payment made in: cash
Currency accepted: RMB
Ethnical festivals
|
Name of festival
|
Site
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Main contents
|
Time
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Nationality
|
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New Year Day in Tibetan Calendar
|
Shangri-La,
Deqin,
Tacheng
and Badi of Weixi
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Prepare foods, rich dress and formal attire, pay a New Year
call, sing and dance at squares, shoot arrows, perform Tibetan
dances
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1st to 3rd of the 1st lunar
month
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Tibetan
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Molang Qinbo Religious Gathering
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Gedan Songzanlin Temple
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Butter flower display, greeting Buddha,
scripture revolving
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15th of the 1st month in Tibetan calendar
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Tibetan
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Horse Racing
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Wufeng Mountain
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Horse racing, performance,
picnic
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From 5th of the 5th lunar month
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Tibetan
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Dengba Festival
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Niru of Shangri-La
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Walking around mountain,
scripture readings, prays,
singing antiphonal love songs
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July 15
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Tibetan
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Gedong Festival
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Gedan Songzanlin Temple
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Religious gathering (festival of sorcerer¡¯s dance)
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26th to 29th of the 12th
month in Tibetan calendar
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Tibetan
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Ezhuang Festival
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Wujing of Shangri-La
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Harvest celebration, hold
grown-up ceremony, ceremony to honor-the-aged, sing
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Middle of August (unfixed)
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Tibetan
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Start-plowing Festival
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Wujing of Shangri-La
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Celebrate sowing
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15th of the 1st lunar month
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Tibetan
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Jie¡¯anmo
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Dongsheng of Shangri-La
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Worship the holy mountain
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15th of the 1st lunar month
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Tibetan
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Dala Festival, Nala Festival
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Little Zhongdian
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Horse racing, gathering
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June 15, July 15
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Tibetan
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Archers¡¯ Festival
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Yongzong and Xidang of Deqin
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Stag party, arrow-shooting contest
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2nd lunar month
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Tibetan
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Lamp-burning Festival (Angqu Festival)
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Gedan Songzanlin Temple, Gedan Dongzhulin Temple
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Recite scripture, offer sacrifices to
Masters Geluba and Zongkaba for their Parinirvana anniversary
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25th of the 10th
month in Tibetan calendar
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Tibetan
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Gathering in Master¡¯s Cave
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Damo Temple of Weixi
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Buddha and mountain worship and, gathering
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1st of the 4th lunar month
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Tibetan
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Heshi Festival
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Weixi, Shangri-La, Shangjiang, Deqin,
Xiaruo, Lading
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Celebrate new years day
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12th month to 15th
of the 1st month of the next year
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Lisu
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Ani Haiji
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Weixi
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Honor cattle, celebrate plowing
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8th of the 2nd lunar month
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Lisu
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Duanwu Festival
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Weixi
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Gatherings, love songs sung by youths and girls
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5th of the 5th lunar month
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Lisu
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Festival of 8th of the 2nd lunar month
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Sanba of Shangri-La
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Singing meeting, folk-custom activities
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8th of the 2nd lunar month
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Naxi
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Gucici
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Dongba of Shangri-La
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Incense-burning gathering
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10th of the 2nd lunar month
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Naxi
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Festival of 15th of the 3rd lunar month
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Weixi
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Field gathering
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15th of the 3rd lunar month
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Naxi
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Se¡¯en Festival
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Weixi
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Singing and dancing gathering, meeting for announcing hillside-closing
against lumbering
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July 24 to 26
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Naxi
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Torch Festival
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Tiger-leaping Gorge Town, Sanba, and Luoji of Shangri-La
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Dispel insects, gathering, bullfighting, goat fighting,
cockfighting, wrestling, singing and dancing, picnic
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24th of the 6th lunar month
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Yi and Bai
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Festival of Children Begging for Food
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Shangri-La
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To wish the children are healthy and safe
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8th of the 2nd lunar month
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Yi
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Increment Festival
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Dongzhulin Temple
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Traditional religious gathering for
scripture reciting and sorcerer¡¯s dancing
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28th to 29th
of the 8th lunar month
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Tibetan
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Naici Duoni (Festival of Having Medicine)
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Lisu residence
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Collect medicine and honey up in mountains, get together
on hilltop and sing in antiphonal style
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5th of the 5th lunar month
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Lisu
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Tuoxiangpi Festival
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Lisu residence
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Get together to worship mountain
god, carry out bullfighting, goat
fighting, and horse fighting
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15th of the 7th lunar month
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Lisu
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Bathing Day
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Sanba of Shangri-La
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Offer sacrifices to Dongba Master Dingba Shiluo, bathe,
get together by the river for
picnic, laundry, and arrow
shooting
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2nd of the 11th lunar month
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Naxi
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Worship White Water
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Sanba of Shangri-La
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In full dress, villagers offer sacrifices to the gods and
dragon at White Water
Terrace, have picnic, and
dance ¡°Akabala¡±.
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8th of the 2nd lunar month
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Naxi
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Worship White Mountain
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Sanba of Shangri-La
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At the foot of the White Mountain, villagers clean themselves
up, kill
pigs, sheep, and chicken to offer sacrifices to gods of mountains
and rivers, hold horse racing, and dance ¡°Wa¡¯ali¡±.
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10th of the 2nd lunar month
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Naxi
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Dance ¡°A¡¯le¡±
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Yongchun of Weixi
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Naxi people from Laohao Village of Yongchun light torches,
dance, and see A¡¯le off.
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24th to 26th of the 6th
lunar month
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Naxi
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String Instrument Festival
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Deqin County
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Ethnic and folk art performance,
cultural and economic exchange
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6th to 9th of
the 5th lunar month
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Tibetan
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