Songzanlin Temple in Shangri-la

Have you ever read the nove named Lost Horizon in which the novelist describe a place Shangri-la unknown by outside peple. Now, people found a place which is very similar with the description in the novel. It is called Shangri-la in reality. When you have Shangri-la travel, Songzanlin Temple is one of must-see attractions.

Songzanlin Temple is a 300-year old Tibetan monastery complex. The Monastery is set on a hill a short distance out of Shangri-la proper. It was built by the fifth Dalai Lama and is part of the Yellow Hat sect.
What to see
Construction of the temple began in 1679 and was completed two years later. The temple seems like a group of ancient castles and is composed of two lamaseries, Zhacang and Jikang. The gilded copper roof endows the temple with strong Tibetan features and the 108 (an auspicious number in Buddhism) columns downstairs also feature the temple with characteristics of Han nationality.

The main halls in the temple are magnificent, and on both the left and the right sides are wonderful frescos, depicting Buddhist tales and legends. The inside-halls are exquisite with cloisters running through. The cloisters are all decorated with beautiful sculptures and consummate frescos.

The temple is full of treasures. There are a lot of golden figures of Buddha josses, golden lamps, Tibetan lections, silver censers and so on. All of these are wonderful collections accumulated from each dynasty. They are precious productions made by people of both Tibet nationality and Han nationality. Another name "Minor Potala Palace"
Songzanlin Temple has another alias - "Minor Potala Palace," so named because the whole temple is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere. In 1679, Dalailama chose this place by divination, and it went on to become the uppermost public place in Yunan which features the particular local characteristics. Annually, the Gedong Festival is celebrated here by the Tibetans. Pious believers, with their knees and foreheads knocking the ground at every step, come here to pray.

Best season to come
The temple is situated in the high altitude region over 3,300 meters (about 10,827 feet) high. It snows even in August, and has a rainy season that runs from June through September. Therefore, spring and summer are the best seasons for people to visit it.
Shangri-la is always contained in the itineraries of top 10 China tours. If you plan to visit China, remember to visit Songzanlin Temple.