迪庆藏族自治州

Why this place

Diqing is the Tibetan prefecture of Yunnan, and its capital was renamed Shangri-La on the strength of the novel's description — the name stuck and the town is now a Tibetan-style pilgrimage and trekking centre. It holds the Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, and the trail into the Meili Snow Mountains.

What to see

• Songzanlin Monastery — a large Tibetan monastery on a hill above the old town, built like a small Potala
• The Dukezong old town, with its prayer-wheel street and the world's largest prayer wheel
• Meili Snow Mountain and the Kawa Karpo peak — sacred, and rarely visible; Feilaisi is the viewpoint
• Potatso National Park and the Bita Hai lake
• The Tiger Leaping Gorge nearby, and the upper Yangtze country

What to eat

• Tibetan food: yak meat, butter tea, tsampa and yak yogurt
• Yunnan–Tibetan hybrid cooking: mushroom hotpot, highland barley and the local cheese
• The local 'sangpi' and the sun-dried yak meat

How to plan

Three days: old town and monastery, Potatso, then Feilaisi for the mountain if you have a fourth.

Best time

May–June and September–October; winter is cold and the roads can close

Practical tips

• At 3,300m, altitude is a real issue — take your first day slowly and drink water; do not rush up to the mountains