Best time to travel to Shangri-La
Shangri-La, formerly known as Zhongdian, is located in the northwest of Yunnan province. It is the political, economic, cultural, technological, financial and information center of the autonomous prefecture of Dêqên. In 2002, the city was renamed Shangri-La in honor of novelist James Hilton and his novel Lost Horizons. The name change meant a significant increase in the number of tourists who visited the city. It has become one of the starting points for trips to Tibet. Enjoying the reputation of a "lost paradise", Shangri-La is a place rich in natural resources and pristine historical relics. In this article we talk about the time and geography of Shangri-La, therefore tourists can choose a better time to travel to the mysterious city.
Shangri-La City is located in the Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet economic triangle, situated in the Hengduan Mountains, at the southeastern end of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The highest point is Bala Dzong peak at an altitude of 5545 meters above sea level, and the lowest point is at an altitude of 1503 meters, with an average of 3459 meters.
Shangri-La has a humid continental climate influenced by monsoons, due to the high elevation. The winters are cold but sunny, in January the average temperature is -3.2 °C, while the summers are cool, with an average temperature of 13.5 °C in June, more than 70% of the annual precipitation occurs from from June to September. The annual average is 5.85 °C. The climate changes little between the four seasons, but the temperature varies greatly between day and night. The temperature may rise above 30°C; However, during the morning and evening, people may feel a winter chill. So when tourists visit Shangri-la, they must bring coats with them.
From April to July you can see the flowering of more than 160 types of rhododendrons, competing with each other in a sea of bright colors, reds, yellows, whites, purples of all shades. It is the best time to experience the biodiversity of the landscape in Shangri-la. May to September is the best season to enjoy the colorful meadows in Shangri-la; appreciate the mountains and fields covered in flowers and get in touch with this fairy land shared between humans, animals and nature. September to October is high season to see Shangri-la when it is painted by golden autumn; Be intoxicated by the alpine autumn landscape or the alpine red flower in bloom against the blue sky and drifting white clouds, weaving a fabulous autumn scene. The landscapes of Shangri-la from November to April are very wonderful. The Mingyong Glacier shimmers against the dawn light, the primeval forests don simple silver attire, the grasslands turn silvery white, easily leading to a meditation on the world described in the Winter Fairy Tale.
