A Different Lijiang - Surroundings of Lijiang: Lugu Lake - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Shangri-La

This is my third visit to Lijiang, mostly for Lugu Lake and Shangri-La. Due to the high altitude and low oxygen content in winter and desolate vegetation in Shangri-La, I landed in Lijiang not far away, which is convenient for visiting Lugu Lake and Shangri-La. I used to think that Lugu Lake was a relatively primitive and backward place with inconvenient transportation. This time completely changed my old cognition. It is about 200 kilometers from Lijiang to Lugu Lake. Although the journey is far and there are many mountain roads, the road conditions are good and there is no bumping, all within acceptable range. In addition, the highway is under construction, and I believe it will be faster and more convenient in the near future. Lugu Lake is located at the junction of Yunnan and Sichuan in the north of Yunnan Province. The east of the lake is Yanyuan County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, and the west of the lake is Ninglang County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province. Because the lake is long from south to north and narrow from east to west, it looks like a curved-neck gourd, hence the name Lugu Lake, which is the third deepest freshwater lake in China. Standing on the viewing platform of Lugu Lake on the Yunnan side, you can see the lake and mountains. Going down the mountain road, you will come to the lakeside road and start a 360-degree lake tour. The Grass Sea, Walking Marriage Bridge, and Yongzhonglin Temple each have their own characteristics. You can get close to Lugu Lake by boat. I look forward to the scene of the boat walking on the lake and people swimming in the flowers when the water poplar flowers bloom on the lake surface in May and June. Lige Island and Lover's Beach have open water surfaces, and the sun shines on the lake, sparkling. The fish soup hot pot at noon is also delicious. I don't know if it is the fish from Lugu Lake. If you have time, you can stay in Lugu Lake for one night, watch the sunset and sunrise, that would be more perfect. Compared with Lugu Lake, the one-day tour of Shangri-La is a bit rushed, but fortunately, this plan is just to check in, and I look forward to going to Shangri-La and Meili Snow Mountain for a deep tour when the spring flowers bloom. Departing from Lijiang, the first stop is the Tiger Leaping Gorge Scenic Area, also known as the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, which belongs to the Shangri-La area. The south bank of the Tiger Leaping Gorge is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with a peak altitude of 5596 meters, and the north bank is the Haba Snow Mountain with an altitude of 5396 meters. Restricted by the high mountains on both sides, the river is only more than 50 meters wide after entering the gorge, and the narrowest place can be crossed by a tiger or leopard in one leap, hence the name Tiger Leaping Gorge. The gorge is on the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, with a total length of 17 kilometers and a vertical height difference of more than 3900 meters. It is one of the deepest gorges in the world. Although it is not the rainy season now, the water flow is not small, and the sound of water is continuous. The tiger sculpture on the shore is lifelike, adding a lot of color to the gorge. Continuing northward, the Haba Snow Mountain along the way is spectacular. Different from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Haba Snow Mountain stretches in the distance, with the top of the mountain covered with white snow, continuous. Check in at Shangri-La city area, Harmony Tower, Dukezong Ancient City Moonlight Square, Turtle Mountain Park, Big Buddha Temple, a prayer wheel weighing 60 tons, Napahai, due to time constraints, Songzanlin Temple and Pudacuo National Forest Park will have to wait until next time.