Songzanlin Temple from the Lake
The first place I saw here in Yunnan was the Songzanlin Temple, and this was after a long day of travelling, from Singapore to Guangzhou to Kunming and finally to Shangrila. It was a very long and tiring journey. The lure of the name of Shangrila was too much for me and I head straight for it to find out what the fuss was all about and was it truly worthy to bear such a name. The ancient town of Dukezong was pretty but it was much like the other ancient towns which I have visited in the country. Streets were lined with restaurants and souvenir stalls, all points to a sign that commercialization has already taken root here. However, much of Shangrila’s allure is their culture and the nature which surrounds it.
Close Up of the Songzanlin Temple 松赞林寺
Songzanlin Temple is arguably the town’s number one attraction. Visitors breathlessly walk up the steps of Songzanlin Temple in search of Shangrila can be richly rewarded. The monastery isn’t that high compared to the surrounding area but it is already at 3200m altitude. That is very high. The view from the temple is, nevertheless, wonderful. The lake in front provides a great phototaking opportunity for shutterbugs. If you can catch good lighting here it would be worth your time to come here. There aren’t a lot of people here which is a big plus for me. As I was walking back from the lake, I was thinking to myself that this must be why they called the place Shangrila.
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