1. Why Is Shika Snow Mountain So Special?
1.1 Geographical Location
Shika Snow Mountain Scenic Spot is located in the southwest of Jiantang Town, Shangri-La County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, covering an area of approximately 65 square kilometers. The main peak is 4500 meters above sea level, 7.34 kilometers away from the county. Most importantly, the scenic spot is not only the closest comprehensive tourist spot to Shangri-La Airport in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, but also the only three-dimensional ecological and cultural tourist spot with sightseeing conditions.
1.2 Tourism Resources
Geological and geomorphologic diversity is a major feature of landscape resources in the scenic area of Shika Mountain. Because it is located in the Hengduan Longitudinal valley area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, its geological structure is very complex due to the interleaved distribution of a variety of sandstones, limestones, slates and siliceous rocks, also with the structural features such as sections, faults, folds and joints, they are very obvious. In terms of landform, in addition to numerous mysterious canyons, glacial lakes, meadow streams and gravel caves, there are also all sorts of angular peaks, "U" shaped valleys, impact fans, glacial moraines and ancient glacial landforms, which provide tourists with endless breathtaking beauty.
1.3 Natural Resources & Biodiversity
The vertical zone of scenic spot is composed of snow mountain, Linghu lake, forest, meadow ecotourism resources, rare animals and plants as well as ornamental plants.
As the natural landscape of the snow mountain is a dynamic landscape, so people summarize it into such a sentence: "It is a good place to appreciate green grass in spring and flowers in summer, forests in autumn and snow in winter."
Highland spring comes very late. In May, when the top of Shika Snow Mountain is still white, the dam at the foot of the mountain has begun to become a green carpet, travelers can spot assorted views, such as blue sky, white clouds, snow mountains, meadows, hidden houses, cooking smoke, cattle and sheep, shepherd children and the creation of nature etc, they all display in front of visitors vividly, the scenery is indeed stunning and picturesque.
Summer is the blooming season for all kinds of flowers in the scenic area, starting with rhododendrons all over the mountains, followed by colorful herbal flowers, such as yellow Sikkim primrose and rosewood, red primrose and Central Sea fairy and so on. Beautiful ornamental plants grow along the ice lake in July and August, but the alpine meadow on the top of the mountain has become a world of small and strange flowers, thus the scenic spot is full of enchanting atmosphere from June to August and visitors are also fascinated by the colorful meadows.
In the autumn, especially September, when Napa Meadow is dyed red by a series of tartar flowers every year, Shika Snow Mountain begins to be dyed gold by pieces of big fruit sequoia forest and birch willow forest, as if the nature wears a golden hat deliberately in the harvest season each year.
In the winter, Shika Snow Mountain becomes a dream world, as if all the things become white, there are white clouds, white mountains, white meadows and white hidden houses telling a beautiful legend under the blue sky.
On top of this, the rich biodiversity is also another major feature of this scenic spot, there are more than 100 species of wild birds and mammals, including 30 species of rare and endangered animals under national key protection, such as leopard, black-necked crane, spotted tail hazel, vulture, black bear, brown bear, red panda and so on.
1.4 Human Resource
The cultural landscape resources take religious culture and Shangri-La vertical nomadic culture as the themes, they both inject vitality into the natural ecology of this sacred snow mountain. The whole region has set up several functional routes such as cable car plus hiking ecological tourism line for pilgrimage sightseeing, ecological culture tourism line, comprehensive ecological culture tourism line and folk culture tourism line, striving to meet the needs of tourists in an all-round way for pilgrimage sightseeing, outdoor sports, soft exploration, hiking along with participation experience of scientific investigation and folk customs.
1.5 The Origin Of The Name Of Shika Snow Mountain
"Shika" is the Tibetan translation of Shangri-La, meaning "mountain with red deer", two red deer, representing the living beings who are listening to the Buddha's teachings, therefore, deer is one of the auspicious animals in Tibetan Buddhism, indicating "auspicious and longevity".
1.6 Tangible Benefits To Tourists
Visitors to Shika Snow Mountain can enjoy a variety of snow peaks, canyons, caves, rock cliffs and lake meadows, so as to feel the mystery of the mountain and sacred mountain culture, and then put down the physical and mental fatigue, eventually feeling the peace and beauty of nature at close range.
2. How To Get There?
The main modes of transportation to Shika Snow Mountain are as follows:
Self-driving or chartered bus: Self-drive or chartered bus is a more convenient way to Shika Snow Mountain. Start from the downtown of Shangri-La, it takes about 16 minutes by car, and the scenery is very stunning, suitable for self-driving tours.
Public transportion: You can take the shuttle bus from Shangri-La to Deqin, and then transfer at Dechin Bus Station to Shika Snow Mountain. In addition, you can also take bus No. 12 to get to Shika Snow Mountain Pass and walk 20 to 30 minutes to reach the entrance of the scenic spot afterwards.
Cycling: It takes about 25 minutes, suitable for travelers who like a challenge.
Ordinary ticket: Ticket + cable way 160 RMB
Tips: Rope way tickets are included in the ticket.
Opening Hours: 08:30-16:00(all day)
3. What To See At Shika Snow Mountain
3.1 Blue Moon Valley 蓝月山谷
Visitors can take a cable car directly to the Blue Moon Valley, which has spacious meadows and beautiful natural scenery. In the spring and autumn, the purple rhododendrons are in full bloom to make it an unmissable destination. The crystal clear Lingxi Lake in the Blue Moon Valley, with its beautiful surroundings, is a perfect place to take photos for the visitors.
In addition, the rope way in Blue Moon Valley with a total length of 4190 meters is the longest cable way in Yunnan at present. The cable way will send tourists from Napa Meadow at an altitude of 3270 meters to the top of the mountain at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. What's more, tourists can see almost all the snow mountain scenery such as Meili Snow Mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it is indeed very spectacular.
3.2 Shika Caishen Mountain 财神山
It is situated inside of the scenic area of Shika Snow Mountain, is regarded by the local Tibetan people as a sacred mountain, full of mystery. Travelers can pray for blessings and enjoy the magnificent and breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains.
3.3 Yarachinbo Pasture 亚拉青波牧场
There are herds of cattle and sheep in the vast grassland, as if it is a beautiful pastoral picture presenting in front of travelers. Visitors can take a stroll in the grassland, get in close contact with cattle and sheep, eventually experience the wonderful grassland customs.
3.4 Shika Main Peak 石卡主峰
Shika Main Peak, it is the highest point of Shika Snow Mountain, 4500 meters above sea level with a wide vision, people can overlook the famous snow mountain peaks such as Meili Snow Mountain and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. While climbing the main peak is a self-challenging activity, visitors can enjoy the gorgeous scenery in the peak eventually.
4. Recommended Visiting Routes
Tourists can take the cable car to Blue Moon Valley in the morning and then enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. After that, they can have dinner at the rest area in the scenic area at noon and then go to Shika Caishen Mountain to pray for good luck in the afternoon. Finally, visitors can stroll in Yalqingbo Pasture, visit Lingxi Lake, climb the main peak of Shika Snow Mountain and then return to the hotel in the evening.
Travel tips
Rope way: The rope way at Shika Snow Mountain is divided into two sections, the first reaching the ranch and the second reaching the summit.The cable way takes about 40 minutes each way and it is recommended to prepare oxygen tanks in advance to prevent altitude sickness.
Blue Moon Valley: Halfway through the cable way, there is an open land with ranches and cabins for photos and breaks.
The peak of Shika Snow Mountain: It is recommended to hike and climb a section of the mountain to reach the destination, the top of the magnificent scenery is suitable for taking photos and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
5. Best Time To Go
The best season for visitors to Shika Snow Mountain is from May to October and from December to March.
May to October: This period is the best season to visit Shika Snow Mountain, since the temperature is suitable and the scenery is stunning. Shika Snow Mountain, located in the southeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a seasonal snow mountain. With moderate temperature, sunny weather, blooming flowers and lush grasslands, so it is an ideal place for visitors to enjoy nature and outdoor activities during this period.
December to March: If you want to experience the snowball fight and appreciate snow scenery, it is the best choice during this period of time due to the fact that visitors can gaze into the distance of the endless snow mountain group, and even spot Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, the scenery is truly amazing and not to be missed for the deep snow on the mountains to make it even more spectacular.
6. Attractions Nearby
The closest tourist attractions to Shika Snow Mountain include Napa Lake, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery and Dukezong Ancient City, which are not only close to Shika Snow Mountain, but also have their own characteristics, suitable for tourists with different interests to visit.
Ganden Sumtseling Monastery: It is located on the east side of Shika Snow Mountain, known as the "little Potala Palace", is a place where the soul can be exiled, tourists wearing Tibetan clothes and taking photos there will be very beautiful.
Napa Lake: It is sited on the north side of Shika Snow Mountain. As a large grassland without tickets, it is full of pastoral style under the blue sky and white clouds with herds of cattle and horses there.
Dukezong Ancient City: It is situated only 7 kilometres away from Shika Snow Mountain, where there is the world's largest longitude wheel, travelers can dance with locals at night and taste local food to lift their mood and experience the glamour of ancient city.
7. What To Pack?
Things to prepare for Shika Snow Mountain are as follows :
Warm clothes: The temperature difference and wind on the top of Shika Snow Mountain is rather big so that you need to bring enough warm clothes, such as quick-drying thermal underwear, fleece jacket, thin down jacket etc.
Sunscreen: Since the snow mountains have strong UV rays, you need to bring sunscreen, lip balm and UV-blocking sunglasses to prevent sunburn .
Anti-altitude sickness medicine: Due to the high altitude of Shika Snow Mountain, it is recommended to carry anti-altitude sickness medicine such as oxygen bottles or portable oxygen tanks.
Mountaineering equipment: It includes high-top waterproof hiking shoes, waterproof thick gloves, raincoat, etc. so as to cope with the changeable weather there.
Other items: It is recommended to bring headlamp, thermal insulation portable hot kettle, charging bank and charging cable, etc., in order to meet the night climbing and charging requirements.
8. What To Eat?
The local cuisines and snacks in Shika Snow Mountain mainly include the following types.
Butter tea: This is an indispensable drink in Diqing Shangri-La. After the special tea leaves are boiled, the locals will add ghee, salt and some special spices into it, thereby making it with a rich taste and unique Tibetan flavor.
Zanba: This is the staple food of Tibetan people. When the highland barley is ground and dried, the barley is ground into the barley flour without peeling after water grinding or electric grinding. What's more, Zanba has the high nutritional value and is usually eaten with butter tea.
Yak hot pot: Yat, as the main livestock of Tibetan people, its meat can be braised with hot pot and tastes very delicious.
Naxi native chicken: This is a local specialty, often used in making native chicken hot pot, people can relish it in the local restaurants.
Matsutake: This is a precious edible mushroom, often used to make matsutake and chicken hot pot and other delicacies.
Highland barley wine: This is the wine made of highland barley and it is also one of the main wine for guests in Tibetan areas.
Milk fan: It is the snack made by frying yak milk in a pan of oil and tastes like shrimp slices, which is very delicious after sprinkling with sugar.
