Dukezong Ancient Town

Chinese name: 独克宗古城 (Du Ke Zong Gu Chengdu)
Location: Tuanjie Road, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
Ticket: Free
Estimated tour time: 3-4 hours
Recommended time to visit: May to Oct 
Nearby attractions: Napa Lake,  Potatso National Park, Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Balagezong Scenic Area, etc.

Dukezong ancient town is located on the border between Yunnan and Tibet. Lost on a plateau 3,000 meters above sea level, Dukezong is quite typical of Tibetan architecture. Travelers who venture far generally fall in love with this ancient town where life is much simpler. Some even fled the modern world to settle here and, thus, return to a source of simplicity.

Dukezong was a key stop on the Ancient Tea-horse Road and a focal point for Han-Tibetan exchanges. It is the largest and best-preserved Tibetan city among China 147 Tibetan counties. It is also site of the largest ancient Tibetan community. There was human life in Shangri-La at the Paleolithic Age, and a tribal society inhabited it during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 BC). It was in the 7th century that the Tubo Regime conquered Deqin, and then built Dukezong. As one of the oldest towns in the region, it is also known as the 'footstep of Shangri-La'. According to Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, there was a lost city called Shambhala in the Snow Mountains, shaped like an eight-petal lotus flower. The 1.6-square-kilometer Dukezong Old Town is similar to that city. All 1,084 of its houses radiate out from Turtle Hill at the center, arranged in conformity with Tibetan Buddhist geomantic theory.

Dukezong boasts the dual accomplishments of a perfectly preserved aboriginal culture in a town open to modernity and progress.

The old Tibetan dwellings vividly shows their way of life; Tibetan chess is played in local households with a history of 1,000 years; horse bells still tinkle along the ancient caravan path.

Standing on the top of the big turtle, we can clearly see the entire ancient city, including the Moonlight Square at the foot of the Big Turtle Mountain.

The old style jewelry, painted scrolls, cottage industry-produced earthenware, incense and religious ornaments can be found at the town. As its fame has reached far beyond China borders, this ancient town is also surprisingly cosmopolitan.

Dukezong, this land of love, peace and sunshine, has always drawn throngs of travelers. Artists find it a source of inspiration, and those jaded from city life come here to get away from its purely material pursuits.