Yading, Daocheng

Overview

About

Yading lies in the south of Daocheng County in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, a high mountain area of the Hengduan ranges where snow peaks, glaciers, lakes and meadows meet. At its heart are three snow peaks of around 6,000 m: Chenrezig (Xiannairi), Jampelyang (Yangmaiyong) and Chanadorje (Xianuoduoji). It is a national nature reserve and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and was rated a national AAAAA tourist attraction in 2020.

The three peaks stand in a triangle and are known together in Tibetan as the three protector deities; in Tibetan Buddhism they correspond to the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Vajrapani, and local people walk pilgrimage circuits around them. By the new heights published by the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2023, Jampelyang is the highest at 6,033 m, Chenrezig 5,998.5 m and Chanadorje 5,951.3 m.

In 1928 the Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock, who lived in Lijiang, came here from Muli; his article and photographs, published in National Geographic in 1931, made the three peaks known to the outside world.

The three peaks

Chenrezig, the northern peak, named for Avalokiteshvara, is the first to come fully into view on the way in; shaped like a seated Buddha, it is best seen from Chonggu Monastery and Pearl Lake. Jampelyang, the southern peak, named for Manjushri, is the highest, a sharp pyramid hidden until you pass Chonggu Monastery and visible from Luorong Pasture and Milk Lake. Chanadorje, the eastern peak, named for Vajrapani, has rock strata pushed almost vertical and carved by glaciers, so its layers stand out clearly; two hanging glaciers can be seen from Luorong Pasture.

Chonggu Monastery and Pearl Lake

Chonggu Monastery, a small Tibetan Buddhist temple at the foot of Chenrezig, is where Rock stayed and where the walks begin, by the Chonggu meadow. A boardwalk of about 1.5 km leads to Pearl Lake (Drölma Lhatso), a glacial lake under the north-east face of Chenrezig, ringed by fir forest and mirroring the peak.

Luorong Pasture, Milk Lake and Five-Colour Lake

Luorong Pasture, at about 4,150 m, is an alpine meadow crossed by streams, with Jampelyang and Chanadorje close above. From here the path climbs to Milk Lake, a glacial lake under Jampelyang, blue in the middle and milky white at the edges, and on to Five-Colour Lake below the south-west face of Chenrezig, at about 4,600 m, whose water shows several colours in sunlight; it is the highest lake visitors can reach.

Travel tips

Getting there: Daocheng Yading Airport is north of the county town, and the visitor centre at Shangri-La Town is about 110 km south of the town. The area can also be reached by road from Chengdu via Kangding and Litang, or from Yunnan via Xiangcheng.

Inside the area: sightseeing buses take about an hour from the visitor centre to Yading Village and Zhaguanbeng, a short walk from Chonggu Monastery; electric carts run from Chonggu Monastery to Luorong Pasture, which can also be walked; beyond the pasture you walk or ride.

Routes: the short route from Chonggu Monastery to Pearl Lake takes an hour or two there and back and gives close views of Chenrezig; the middle route goes to Luorong Pasture for Jampelyang and Chanadorje; the long route climbs from the pasture to Milk Lake and Five-Colour Lake, about 10 km there and back and five to six hours, steep at the end. Most visitors do the short route on day one to acclimatise and the long route on day two.

Season: late September to mid-October has the best autumn colour and clear skies; May and June have alpine flowers; July and August are rainy and the peaks are often in cloud; winter is bitterly cold and some routes may close.

Altitude: the county town is at about 3,750 m, the airport at 4,411 m, and the highest point on the walks around 4,600 m. Going straight up on the day you fly in is the most likely way to get altitude sickness; acclimatise first in the county town or Shangri-La Town, walk slowly, and bring warm clothing and sun protection. People with heart or lung conditions should take care.

Stamps

In 2024 China Post issued 2024-20 “Daocheng Yading”, four stamps: Chanadorje, Luorong Pasture, Five-Colour Lake and Chenrezig. A souvenir sheet showing Jampelyang was issued with them.

Chanadorje
Luorong Pasture
Five-Colour Lake
Chenrezig

Map

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