The road is long and arduous, but the best person is destined to be by your side (Self-driving trip in Lijiang and Diqing)
I thought if I worked hard I could achieve my dreams,
I thought self-driving travel could make me a hero,
I wish someone would break through my doubts and lead me forward.
The rain will fall and the rain will stop, this is the unchanging truth,
The North Star in the night sky, those who are lost are not afraid,
I sing and you listen, everything is calm,
The root note of the G chord soothes the fragile heart.
1. Self-driving distances (based on Amap, theoretical shortest distance and time without traffic):
Lijiang Airport to Banyan Tree Lijiang: 38 km, 54 minutes
Lijiang Railway Station to Banyan Tree Lijiang: 17 km, 34 minutes
Diqing (Shangri-La) Airport to Banyan Tree Ringha: 23 km, 38 minutes
Shangri-La Bus Station to Banyan Tree Ringha: 18 km, 30 minutes
Banyan Tree Lijiang to Banyan Tree Ringha: 195 km, 3 hours 32 minutes
Banyan Tree Lijiang to Lijiang Old Town (Dayan Ancient Town): 10 km, 25 minutes
Banyan Tree Lijiang to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: 29 km, 36 minutes
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to Baisha Ancient Town: 26 km, 34 minutes
Baisha Ancient Town to Banyan Tree Lijiang: 4.3 km, 11 minutes
Banyan Tree Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge (Upper Tiger Leaping): 79 km, 1 hour 26 minutes
Tiger Leaping Gorge to Banyan Tree Ringha: 130 km, 2 hours 36 minutes
Banyan Tree Ringha to Potatso National Park: 19 km, 28 minutes
Banyan Tree Ringha to Songzanlin Temple: 19 km, 34 minutes
Banyan Tree Ringha to Dukezong Old Town: 18 km, 29 minutes
Dukezong to Lijiang Railway Station: 183 km, 3 hours 20 minutes
Banyan Tree Ringha to Lijiang Railway Station: 201 km, 3 hours 50 minutes
Songzanlin Temple to Lijiang Railway Station: 187 km, 3 hours 19 minutes
2. Car rental cost:
2020-05-28 16:00 to 06-01 16:00, pick up and return at Lijiang Station. Chevrolet Cavalier, automatic, 1.5L, 3-box, 5 seats.
Rental fee: 303 (65 x 4 days + 43) + basic service fee 180 + car agency fee 35 + collision damage waiver 50 x 4 days = 718 yuan. Total mileage: 422 km. Gas: 174 yuan, 30.8 liters of No. 92 (unit price 5.65 yuan)
Total: 718 + 174 = 892 yuan
3. Detailed itinerary:
May 28: 12:26-16:03 Kunming to Lijiang, bullet train, 220 x 2 = 440 yuan
16:10-16:30 Picked up car at Lijiang Station
16:30-17:20 Lijiang Station to hotel (rain, traffic jam)
17:30-17:50 Hotel check-in
20:30-21:30 Room dinner
Banyan Tree Lijiang (One-bedroom Jacuzzi Pool Villa, 1800-2000 yuan), Address: No.1 Shuhe Banyan Tree Road, Gucheng District, Lijiang
May 29: 09:00-09:35 Hotel breakfast
11:20-12:00 Hotel to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (open 08:00-17:00), ticket 100 yuan (currently low season 50 yuan), Glacier Park cable car 180 yuan (limited to 3,000 visitors per day, can buy next day's ticket), suggested visit time 8-9 hours
12:00-12:30 Scenic area parking to visitor center, Snow Lake (Xueli Lake)
12:30-13:00 Waiting for bus
13:00-13:30 Visitor center to Yak Meadow (Maoniuping) parking lot, round-trip scenic bus + cable car 65 x 2 = 130 yuan (departure frequency normally every 30 min, currently longer)
13:40-14:00 Take cable car up
14:00-16:25 Yak Meadow, Snowflake Lake (Xuehua Lake) viewpoint, Snowflake Temple (Xuehua Si), suggested visit time 2-2.5 hours
16:25-16:45 Cable car down
17:00-17:30 Yak Meadow to Blue Moon Valley (Lan Yue Gu) parking lot (scenic bus waits for last visitors, can visit Blue Moon Valley along the way; note last bus time after 17:30)
17:30-18:00 Blue Moon Valley, suggested visit time 2 hours
18:00-18:15 Blue Moon Valley to scenic area parking
18:30-19:10 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain passing Baisha Ancient Town to hotel
Baisha Ancient Town, suggested visit time 1 hour
Dayan Ancient Town, Mu Mansion (open 08:30-17:30), ticket 40 yuan, suggested visit time 1 hour
21:00-22:00 Room dinner
May 30: 08:50-09:50 Hotel breakfast
14:35-19:00 Banyan Tree Lijiang via Tiger Leaping Gorge to Banyan Tree Ringha, G214 (rain, traffic jam)
15:00-15:25 G5611 Dali-Lijiang Expressway, Lijiang West to Baihancang, toll 21 yuan
Tiger Leaping Gorge (Upper Tiger Leaping, open 07:30-16:30 Apr-Oct), ticket 65 yuan, suggested visit time 4 hours
19:00-19:20 Hotel check-in
20:30-21:40 Hotel restaurant dinner, Tibetan yak hot pot set, need to reserve 1 hour in advance
Banyan Tree Ringha (Tibetan-style farmhouse, 1700-2000 yuan), Address: Hongpo Village, Jiantang Town, Shangri-La City, Diqing Prefecture
May 31: 09:40-10:30 Hotel breakfast
11:20-12:20 Hotel to Potatso, stop for photos on the way
Potatso National Park (open 09:00-16:00 Apr-Oct), ticket 20 yuan (half price), round-trip scenic bus 60 yuan (regular price), parking fee 6 yuan
12:20-12:40 Waiting for bus
12:40-13:00 Visitor center to Shudu Lake
13:00-14:30 Walk 3.3 km boardwalk, suggested visit time 2 hours
14:30-14:40 Waiting for bus
14:40-15:10 Return same way, exit scenic area
15:20-16:30 Potatso to Dabao Temple, stop for photos on the way
17:00-17:10 Dabao Temple to Banyan Tree Ringha
June 1: 08:20-09:20 Hotel breakfast
10:30-11:00 Hotel to Songzanlin Temple
Songzanlin Temple, discounted ticket 62.5 yuan, including: admission 27.5 yuan (half price), round-trip scenic bus 20 yuan (regular price), guide fee 15 yuan (regular price), parking free
11:05-11:15 Visitor center to Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery
11:15-12:15 Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, suggested visit time 2 hours
12:15-12:20 Waiting for bus
12:20-12:30 Return same way, exit scenic area
12:30-16:40 Songzanlin to Lijiang Railway Station
15:30-16:00 G5611 Dali-Lijiang Expressway, Baihancang to Lijiang West, toll 21 yuan (rain, traffic jam)
16:40-17:00 Return car, refuel
17:00-17:20 Lijiang Station to Dayan Ancient Town, hotel pick-up
17:20-18:50 Hotel check-in, afternoon tea
18:50-19:10 Hotel to Mu Mansion
19:15-20:20 Dinner at Yunyao Stone Pot Restaurant: wild mushroom chicken soup (stone pot), Shiping tofu (BBQ), purple potato (BBQ), water cabbage flower (stone pot), spirulina Buddha cake (ready-to-eat)
20:20-22:30 Stroll around Dayan Ancient Town and return to hotel
June 2: 09:40-10:30 Hotel breakfast
12:00-12:30 Hotel to Lijiang Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park
12:30-16:10 Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park
Basic ticket: admission + outdoor situational performance + round-trip sightseeing car (one-way 5-8 min) total 220 yuan, Sky Walk glass bridge 60 yuan (free trail available), Snow Mountain Mirror 20 yuan (costume rental at visitor center)
Suggested visit time 2.5-3 hours
16:10-16:40 Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park to Lijiang Station, drop-off
17:29-20:47 Lijiang to Kunming, bullet train, 220 x 2 = 440 yuan
1. Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: View the thirteen peaks of Jade Dragon from Yak Meadow
Yak Meadow (Maoniuping) is located at the northern end of Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic area. It starts from Lijiang-Mingyin highway in the east, borders Heishui River in the south, leans against the eastern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the west, and reaches the upper part of Snowflake Village in the north. Area: 16.6 square kilometers, altitude 3600-3800 meters. The area is inhabited by Yi and Tibetan villagers who live by herding, with simple folk customs.
Yak Meadow is a typical alpine meadow pasture, with alpine snow plains, Heishui River streams, primeval forests... the landscape is layered and colorful. In spring, it is covered with flowers; in summer, green grass; in autumn, abundant grass; in winter, silver-clad.
Yak Meadow has many attractions: Yak Snow Plain, Yak Snow Valley, Heishui Secluded Valley, Heishui Waterfall Ice Bridge, Snowflake Lake, Jade Pool, Yak Stream, Splendid Meadow, Beautiful Mountain Flowers, Lijiang Hemlock Forest, Big-fruited Larch Forest, Yellow-backed Oak Forest, Snowflake Village, Tibetan folk customs. It is also the best place to closely view the thirteen peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. From Yak Meadow, you can see all thirteen peaks, which are covered with snow all year round, like jade dragons dancing in the sky, hence the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Previously, Yak Meadow had souvenir shops, restaurants, and yak riding experiences, but these have been closed and canceled. Now, it takes about 30 minutes to take the scenic bus from the visitor center to the Yak Meadow parking lot, then a 20-minute cable car ride up. From the top cable car station, walk 1.2 or 1.8 km to the Snowflake Lake viewpoint (circular route) for a close view of the thirteen peaks. 300 meters from the cable car station is a lama temple, Snowflake Temple (free entry, donations welcome). The return scenic bus passes through Blue Moon Valley.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ticket: low season 50 yuan, high season 100 yuan. Yak Meadow round-trip scenic bus + cable car: 65 yuan.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the "sacred mountain" of the local Naxi people. The Glacier Park at 4506 m altitude with cable car is limited to 3,000 visitors per day (tickets can be reserved for the next day). Other main attractions include Blue Moon Valley and Spruce Meadow (Yunshanping). Opening hours: 08:00-17:00, suggested visit time 8-9 hours, free parking.
2. Lijiang Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park: Amidst snow mountains and canyons, the glory of the Mu Mansion for five hundred years, illuminating future generations
Strategy and love, timeless themes in film and television, have you ever been addicted?
Kindness and tolerance, enduring virtues in the world, have you ever possessed them?
The surging Jinsha River nourishes the people of Lijiang Basin. The Mu Mansion, unwilling to be confined by the Dayan city walls, continues to change. Five hundred years pass in an instant.
Today's Lijiang, with three World Heritage sites: the Old Town of Lijiang (World Cultural Heritage), the Three Parallel Rivers (World Natural Heritage), and the Naxi Dongba Ancient Manuscripts (World Memory Heritage), has become a world-renowned tourist city.
In the Dongba Valley scenic area at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park is collaborating with famous director and actor Yu Rongguang to create a new model of film-inspired scenic spots. The 3,000-mu (200-hectare) "Mu Mansion" mountain-water scenery area is deeply integrated with the TV drama "The Mu Mansion" and its situational performances. In the distance, the snowy peaks of Jade Dragon; up close, the ancient architectural complex and classic scenes from the drama are highly recreated. The main performers, dressed in costumes, move through the scenery. This innovative live performance and interactive mode offers a new experience that cannot be fully captured by an article, a few photos, a video, or a live broadcast. You really need to experience it in person. Amidst the blend of snow mountains and canyons, nature and culture, you begin to understand the history of the Mu Mansion and the customs of the Naxi people, and then come to know the real Lijiang.
Ethnic Welcoming Show: Take you into the grand celebrations of Lijiang folk; Naxi Blessing Show: Witness the thousand-year-old sacred blessing ceremony; Mu Mansion Grand Scene Show: Incorporates classic scenes such as Muzeng carving scriptures, gold mine robbery, Ancient Tea Horse Road, Lovers' Flower Valley, Mu Mansion Academy, etc.
Besides historical recreation, there are also modern trends. The canyon glass bridge and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Mirror are unparalleled in engineering difficulty and geographical advantage. Capture touching moments at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, record the beauty of Lijiang in time-travel adventures. Why bother going to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or Dayan Ancient Town?
Along the tour route, pass the horse caravan huts on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, and before you lies a boundless sea of flowers. The legendary "morning mist and flowing clouds as mosquito nets, green grass and flowers as carpets" of the Jade Dragon Third Kingdom is forever poignant. Lovers' Flower Valley buried the lovers but eternally praised the concept of unwavering love. Look, Muzeng and Aleqiu from "The Mu Mansion," who agreed to die together, are descending from the sky.
What kind of time-travel journey this will be may depend on your inner desires and self-awareness. However, seeking unity and integration amidst ethnic conflicts, leaning toward sympathy and tolerance within family struggles, and pursuing true love under the constraints of ethical norms are universal values for nations, families, and individuals.
If life is a play, I too want to find the moral principles and behavioral norms I should follow in this grand play of "The Mu Mansion."
What about you?
If you have been to Lijiang many times, maybe you need to experience new scenic spots. The Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain not only has an indoor situational performance called "Snow Mountain Myth" (a Dongba fantasy epic), but also an outdoor landscape show "The Mu Mansion" with full interaction with visitors. Both are directed by renowned actor, director, and producer Yu Rongguang. Visitors can revisit the classic ethnic costume drama about the Mu family's internal conflicts during the Ming Dynasty in Yunnan.
Throughout the two-hour tour, there is a welcome show at the entrance, a blessing show after entering the flower sea, and a lovers' suicide show across the canyon. Each show lasts about 10 minutes, but performers descend from the sky using open-air flying gear, perform somersaults in armor weighing over ten jin (about 5 kg), without any shortcuts. The backdrop is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. After each show, visitors can take photos with actors. The entire route also includes popular photo spots: Internet-famous flower sea, Snow Mountain Mirror, "The Mu Mansion" filming base, Yu Rongguang's work exhibition center, Sky Walk, Via Ferrata rock climbing, Bodhi Wisdom Valley, Horse Caravan Inn, etc.
Address: Inside Dongba Valley Scenic Area, from Lijiang towards Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Outdoor performance times: Daily at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 (each once)
Director: Yu Rongguang
Basic ticket: admission + outdoor performance + round-trip sightseeing car (one-way 5-8 min) total 220 yuan, Sky Walk glass bridge 60 yuan (free trail available), Snow Mountain Mirror 20 yuan (costume rental at visitor center)
Suggested visit time: 2.5-3 hours
The food center not only gathers Yunnan cuisine but also has a restaurant founded by Yu Rongguang: Yu Ba's Kitchen.
3. Banyan Tree Lijiang: As always, what a happy thing this is
(1) Member Benefits
I feel that the main viewing spot of Banyan Tree Lijiang is addictive. I present photos from morning, noon, and evening. I also love this deep courtyard feeling. To be honest: the pool is heated to 28°C, the jacuzzi to 38°C, but they are not natural hot springs. However, this room design is already very considerate. A tip: Banyan Tree Group brands (Banyan Tree, Angsana, Cassia) have joined the Accor Le Club loyalty program. Le Club members can earn SNP by booking through official channels and receive corresponding benefits upon check-in.
(2) Architectural Style and Room Features
Banyan Tree hotels and resorts integrate Asian traditions and local characteristics, using local natural materials and special styles in architectural design and interior decoration to reflect local customs.
Banyan Tree Lijiang, located at an altitude of 2,400 meters in Shuhe, is immersed in the majestic beauty of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, intoxicating and inspiring creativity, while its heart remains calm. The comfortable climate and pristine natural environment attract every guest. Its design is inspired by the local traditional courtyard architectural concept, vividly reflecting the intricate layout and alley structure of Lijiang Old Town.
The architectural style combines traditional Chinese architecture and Naxi Dongba culture. Like local courtyard designs, each villa uses rich ochre and gold as interior color tones, with traditional wide roofs. The attentive service and rustic local decor will take you away from the city's hustle. "Owning a piece of heaven and earth is the ultimate luxury." You can feel this at Banyan Tree Lijiang.
Room types: Garden Suite, Mountain View Suite, Jacuzzi Pool Villa, Duplex Villa, Pool Suite, Presidential Suite, etc. Official website starting from 1,900 yuan.
This experience was the One-bedroom Jacuzzi Pool Villa, rationally partitioned into rest area, living area, and bathroom. The bedroom faces the heated jacuzzi pool, with Banyan Tree Spa full-line products to relieve travel fatigue. The garden is quite private; the hotel even prohibits drone flights over the villa area.
Room highlights include daily changed essential oils and incense sticks, truly relaxing the mind. Because the vegetation is too lush, the room is also equipped with mosquito repellent lamps and electric mosquito coils for different guests.
Watch the changing light on the thirteen peaks of Jade Dragon at dawn, and gaze at the vast starry sky at dusk. Isn't this life, lying down and winning?
When drunk and waking at noon, pine windows and bamboo doors, all graceful.
(3) Buffet Breakfast
What urges me to get up early is not just the rich or exquisite breakfast, but also the clear view of the snow mountain that won't last long. Banyan Tree Lijiang has an excellent angle to view Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but the best viewing time is in the morning, as early as possible. After the sun rises, the light becomes less soft, and as temperature rises, the clouds around the snow mountain evaporate and condense, becoming thick and moving slowly. Then the snow mountain appears and disappears. So every day, many guests who have finished breakfast and are about to check out linger in the courtyard, unwilling to leave, wanting one last clear view of the snow mountain.
Breakfast at the Mingyue Restaurant (Moonlight Restaurant) is exquisite. After being seated, coffee and tea are standard: American, mocha, latte, decaf, English breakfast tea, green tea, pu'er, oolong, chamomile, passion fruit tea, etc., even Ovaltine and Horlicks for children.
Fried eggs: besides sunny side up and over easy, there are Benedict eggs and Florentine eggs.
Dishes follow the standard of international five-star hotel chains. Additionally, they gather various Yunnan cuisines. The most local: Lijiang baba (cake), chickpea jelly, and blow-dried liver are the most popular buffet breakfast items at Mingyue.
It is recommended to dine outdoors. A cool morning breeze wakes your yet-unawakened heart. Koi fish with striking patterns patrol the lake, waiting for guests to feed. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the blue sky are reflected in this pool of water, you don't even need to look up.
The bright moon, now lacking, now full, my wine in the courtyard.
Should we spend a day enthusiastically not to waste time? Then my time at Banyan Tree Lijiang was truly fulfilling.
Wandering through the deep courtyards, fruit trees of all seasons, occasionally encountering the peacock that is not particularly beautiful but strolls around the hotel daily as if it owns the place. When the setting sun tints the snow mountain red, you know tomorrow will be sunny.
Dinner still at Mingyue Restaurant. Currently, free room service is available, with about one hour preparation time.
Both Chinese and Western set dinners are good value: cold beef with chili, Xuanwei stir-fried pork, Yongping braised chicken, pineapple chicken rice, Thai grilled pork neck, ham pizza, cream pumpkin soup, vegetable salad, desserts, seasonal fruits... each dish has just the right taste.
For guests ordering à la carte, Chinese cuisine recommends the above Yunnan dishes, plus matsutake mushroom soup and Jingpo cold chicken. Western cuisine first choice is Southeast Asian dishes.
Jade liquid drips into the plate, cold fragrance accompanies dinner.
4. Diqing Potatso National Park: Overgrown grass, wildflowers in sadness
Potatso National Park in Diqing Prefecture is the central area of the Greater Shangri-La scenic region and an important part of the World Natural Heritage "Three Parallel Rivers." The park consists of Bita Lake, Shudu Lake, and Milintang Subalpine Pasture. Since September 3, 2017, the core area of Bita Lake and Milintang Subalpine Pasture have been closed to visitors.
The park's two main lakes, Shudu Lake and Bita Lake, are located in the north and south, about 10 km apart. Between them are Luorong Village and Milintang Grassland. Because of the distance, visitors usually take the scenic bus. From the entrance, the bus takes about 20 minutes to reach Shudu Lake. The lake water is clear and blue, surrounded by an alpine pasture. In spring and summer, wildflowers bloom beautifully. In winter mornings, water vapor condenses on the lake, creating a white mist. Only the first bus of the morning can witness this wonder. A 3.3 km boardwalk is built along the lakeside. Walking the full loop takes about 1-1.5 hours. At the end of the boardwalk is the bus stop. The originally planned route from there is completely closed. So you only have 1-1.5 hours of hiking to enjoy the vast lake, wetlands with fallen trees, overgrown grass, and wildflowers.
Never again will you see Bita Lake, which in Tibetan means "a sea of oak trees felt." Legend has it that oak trees on the lakeshore are as dense as a green felt. Among the trees grow many rhododendrons. In May and June, when flowers bloom, petals fall into the water. Fish eat the mildly toxic petals and float to the surface, known as "azalea drunken fish."
Today, Potatso Park has little to offer. Since the park's altitude ranges from 3,500 to 4,150 meters, and the plateau weather is unpredictable, if visitors worry about altitude sickness, it might be better to skip it.
Ticket price: low season 20 yuan, high season 40 yuan. Round-trip scenic bus 60 yuan. Opening hours 08:30/09:00-16:00. Suggested visit time 2 hours. Parking fee charged.
5. Diqing Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery: "Little Potala Palace" of Tibet
Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province and the center of the Gelug sect in the Sichuan-Yunnan region. It holds a significant position in the entire Tibetan area and is known as the "Little Potala Palace." Built on a hillside, its appearance resembles a castle, incorporating the best of Tibetan plastic arts, and is also called the "Tibetan Art Museum." Every year on the 29th day of the 11th month of the Tibetan calendar, locals celebrate the Gerdong Festival with a "deity dance" (mask dance), with a mysterious and enthusiastic atmosphere.
Also known as Guihua Temple, it is located at the foot of Foping Mountain, 5 km north of Shangri-La city in Diqing Prefecture. Construction began in 1679 (Tibetan year of the Earth Sheep) and was completed in 1681 (Iron Chicken year). The 5th Dalai Lama gave it the name "Ganden Sumtsenling." It is one of the "Thirteen Monasteries" built by the 5th Dalai Lama and Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.
Also part of the scenic area is Lhamu Yumtso Lake, meaning "Holy Mother Soul Lake" in Tibetan, located opposite the monastery. It is said to be the soul lake of the goddess Palden Lhamo.
Special reminder: Songzanlin Temple is a Gelug monastery. When visiting the main hall, remember to enter on the left and exit on the right; the prayer wheels should be turned clockwise.
Transportation: Bus No. 3 to Gulong Songzanlin Temple stop, then walk 741 meters.
Ticket price: low season 27.5 yuan, high season 55 yuan. Round-trip scenic bus 20 yuan, guide fee 15 yuan. Opening hours 08:00-18:00. Suggested visit time 2 hours. Free parking.
6. Banyan Tree Ringha: Since childhood, I have been alone caring for the stars of past dynasties
The Shudugang River flows murmuring, the Nare Snow Peak is covered in white, in the Ren'an Valley lies your pastoral dream...
(1) Special Reminder
In addition to the Tibetan-style farmhouses converted into villa rooms, the remaining buildings of Banyan Tree Ringha are used as lobby bookstore and souvenir shop, restaurant, SPA health center, and guest service center. Additionally, there is a surprise in the yurt that awaits your discovery; I won't spoil it. Another tip: Banyan Tree Ringha is not open all year round. The winter weather conditions in Diqing's Tibetan plateau are harsh, so the hotel has a winter break of a few months each year.
(2) Architectural Style and Room Features
The spring of 2020 came later than usual. In May and June, Diqing's Shangri-La did not seem to have fully awakened from the bleak long winter. The sea of flowers had not bloomed, the grass was only slightly green, and most tourists had not yet arrived...
Fifteen years have passed, but in the Ren'an Valley, there are still the happiest cattle and sheep wandering on country paths, the most devout Tibetan pilgrims worshipping at temples devoid of tourists, and the most leisurely daily life unfolding in this hidden small village...
Banyan Tree Ringha remains a Tibetan pastoral dream. The quiet Tibetan village gathers all fantasies of urbanites about reclusion. It is still one of Banyan Tree's most classic secluded resort hotels.
Located at an altitude of 3,300 meters, Banyan Tree Ringha is hidden in a remote Tibetan village, mysterious and secluded. It took 11 years to build, transformed from 18 Tibetan-style farmhouses, of which 14 were made into 32 villa rooms. The exquisite and solid architectural style follows traditional Tibetan customs.
Room types: Tibetan Farmhouse, Tibetan Spa Farmhouse, Two-bedroom Tibetan Cottage, Two-bedroom Ringha Cottage. Official website starting from 1,600 yuan.
Stay in a traditional Tibetan farmhouse with a narrow top and wide bottom structure. Independent courtyard, duplex loft: upstairs bedroom and living room, downstairs bathroom and dressing room. A handcrafted wooden bathtub placed in the center. The color palette is striking red and black, showing aesthetic and lifestyle differences from central China. Behind the big bed, a thangka hangs. A small bar made from a former Buddha shrine. Exquisitely crafted woven carpets on the floor, and various Tibetan-style decorations. Even the room key tag is engraved with the original owner's name.
15 Tibetan Farmhouses: second floor has spacious living room and bedroom; first floor has luxurious wooden bathtub and private garden terrace. 6 Tibetan Spa Farmhouses: have SPA treatment rooms. 8 Two-bedroom Tibetan Cottages: two bedrooms, facing valley and river. 3 Two-bedroom Ringha Cottages: have heated kang beds. Room sizes: 175 or 325 square meters.
I just want to stay here peacefully, living in seclusion, experiencing a real Tibetan life, free from schedules, only comfort.
