Yunnan Shangri-La Deqin Hiking Guide

Deqin County in northwestern Yunnan, home to the Meili Snow Mountain, is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Whether you want to experience the Tibetan customs on a short hike or challenge a high-altitude hiking route, Deqin can satisfy you. Recommended hiking routes 1️⃣ Feilai Temple → Yubeng Village (Classic Route) 🔹 Difficulty: ★★★☆☆🔹 Hiking time: 6-8 hours (one way)🔹 Highlights: Meili Snow Mountain in the sun, primeval forest, sacred waterfall, icy lake🔹 Route: Take a bus from Feilai Temple to Xidang Village (about 40 minutes), and then start hiking over Nanzong Pass (3700m). The scenery along the way is spectacular and finally arrives at Yubeng Village. Yubeng Village is divided into Upper Yubeng and Lower Yubeng, where you can continue hiking to the sacred waterfall or icy lake. 2️⃣ Mingyong Glacier Hiking (suitable for beginners) 🔹 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆🔹 Hiking time: 2-3 hours (one way)🔹 Highlights: alpine glaciers, virgin forests, Tibetan culture🔹 Route: Starting from Feilai Temple, take a car for about 1 hour to reach Mingyong Village, hike into the Mingyong Glacier Scenic Area, go up the mountain along the wooden plank road, and enjoy the glacier landscape of Meili Snow Mountain up close. 3️⃣ Hakuba Snow Mountain Hiking (High Difficulty Route) 🔹 Difficulty: ★★★★★🔹 Hiking time: 3-5 days🔹 Highlights: Hiking in uninhabited areas, alpine meadows, snow-capped mountains, virgin forests🔹 Route: Starting from Deqin County, enter the Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, pass through virgin forests and alpine pastures along the way, and finally arrive at the high-altitude snow-capped mountain area. Suitable for travelers with extensive hiking experience. How to get to Deqin County? 🛫 Airplane: The nearest airport is Shangri-La Deqing Airport. After arrival, you can take a bus or chartered car to Deqin (about 5 hours). 🚌 Bus: There are buses from Lijiang and Shangri-La directly to Deqin. There are fixed flights every day and the journey takes about 10-12 hours. 🚗 Self-driving: You can reach Deqin from Lijiang via National Highway 214. The scenery along the way is magnificent, but some sections of the road are dangerous, so you need to pay attention to driving safety. How to get to the starting point of the hike? Feilai Temple: You can take a minibus or chartered car from Deqin County (about 30 minutes). Xidang Village (starting point of Yubeng hiking): Take a chartered car from Feilai Temple, the journey takes about 40 minutes. Mingyong Village (starting point of Mingyong Glacier hike): Take a car from Feilai Temple, the drive takes about 1 hour. ⚠️ Things to note ✅ Altitude sickness: Deqin is at a high altitude, so you need to adapt to the plateau environment in advance. Pay attention to rest before hiking and avoid strenuous exercise.
 ✅ Keep warm: The temperature difference between day and night is large in the hiking area, so it is recommended to wear windproof and cold-proof clothing. ✅ Environmental awareness: Please do not discard garbage at will to protect the plateau ecological environment. ✅ Respect Tibetan culture: When entering Tibetan areas, please respect local customs and do not take photos of Tibetan residents or the interior of temples at will.