Pudacuo National Park

Pudacuo National Park, the real Shangri-La in Shangri-La, is notable as the first national park in China. It consists of three main parts: Shudu Lake, Bita Lake and Militang Grassland with minority villages, lush forests, emerald lakes and gorgeous pasture views.

Type: National Parks, Nature & Parks

Altitude: about 3500m~4159m

Best Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn

Recommended Visiting Hours: about 4 hours

Opening Hours: April to October: 08:00~17:00 / Nov to March: 08:00~16:00

Maintenance Fee: 258 Yuan per person (including entrance ticket, sightseeing bus)

About 13.5 miles (22km) southwest and 40 minutes’ drive from Shangri-la downtown area, Potatso National Park covers an area of 115 square miles and ranges from 3,827 yards to 4,548 yards high. It is renowned for well-preserved primitive landscape, which is endowed with lakes, wetlands, forests, meadows, streams, brooks, rare plants and animals. Meanwhile, Tibetan culture and custom are also component parts of the park.

As the first national park on the Chinese mainland, Potatso was open to visitors in 2007. In the park, there are three main scenic areas open to visitors: Bita Lake in the south, Shudu Lake which is a part of Three Parallel Rivers Scenic Area in the north and Militang Alpine Pasture in the middle. The sightseeing buses run among these scenic spots and stop at fixed stations. Passengers can get on and off freely with one ticket. As Bita Lake is a sacred place and Tibetan Buddhists walk around it clockwise for good luck, visitors are advised to sightsee clockwise too, in an order of Shudu Lake, Militang, and Bita Lake. Travel route in the park is about 42 miles (69 kilometers) and it takes about 4 – 6 hours to cover all the spots.