Potatso National Park

Chinese name: 普达措国家公园 (Pu Da Cuo Guo Jia Gong Yuan)
Location: Jiantang, Shangri-La, Diqing Tibetan Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
Ticket: Entrance ticket CNY100.00 include sightseeing bus.
Estimated tour time: 3-4hours
Recommended time to visit: May-Oct
Nearby attractions: Napa Lake, Dukezong Ancient Town, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Balagezong Scenic Area,  etc.

The Pudacuo National Park is an amazing highland nature reserve located just outside of Shangri-La. It is notable as the first national park in China to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards.  In Tibetan language, the area is called Potatso and means 'reaching the opposite side of the lake by boat under the help of deity'. Bitahai Lake and Shuduhu Lake form the two major parts of the park. Besides these two lakes, forest, marsh, valley and alpine meadows can be seen in the park. All major spots are connected by walkable planks which offers a close distance for travelers to experience the natural environment.

● Shudu Lake

Clear water, lovely fish, herds of cows and sheep at the shores, and surrounded by lots of primitive forests is the best description for Shudu Lake. 'Shu' means cheese in Tibetan and 'Du' has the meaning of stone. 

Shudu means the cheese as sturdy as a stone.  The ecological system of Shudu Lake is composed of plateau lakes, swamped meadows and primitive dark coniferous forests with copious rare animals and plant resources. In its lake, it has different species of fish with double-lips and golden color. The view around Shudu Lake is a complete perfection. Travelers can see herds of cattle and flocks of sheep grazing leisurely around the lake. The lush forest around the lake makes it mysterious and holy.

It has a legend that in ancient times, an eminent monk roamed from place to place, one day, he arrived here at this lake. The herdsmen supported and treated him with cheese. The eminent monk was glad to see that the cheese of the pastureland of Shudu is as strong as stone, so he prayed 'wish the cheese here is as strong as stone forever'. From then on the name of Shudu came into being.

● Bitahai Lake

Bita Lake, a pearl on the high plateau, is an emerald and glamorous lake surrounded by luxuriant trees and green mountains. As the highest lake in Yunnan, Bitahai Lake is 3,500m above the sea level. Covering an area of about 159 hectares with an average depth of 20m, Bitaihai Lake is famous for its limpid water and its beautiful scenery which is set against the mountains and with forests surrounding it. In ancient Tibetan language, Bita means the area highly covered by trees. Century-old pines can be found and cypresses grow around the lake, in which the water is crystal clear. The lake has a small islet covered by cedars and azaleas. In spring, when the withered azalea flowers fall into the lake and are eaten by fish, the fish seem to be unconscious and almost drunk. They float on the surface with their belly facing the sky. Around the lake are virgin forests - ideal habitat for rare animals including the red-footed pheasant, the silver pheasant, bulls, leopards and lynxes.

PS: Militang Pasture and Bita Lake  in Pudacuo National Park are closed for tourists due to maintainance from 3th September, 2017. Shudu Lake Scenic Area is still open for tourists.