China > Potatso National Park

At eight o’clock Frank takes us out for breakfast. The hotel itself has no breakfast facilities. On the square by the city gate there is a small restaurant, but it’s not open yet. I go into the Chinese version of Starbucks for coffee. Here you can only order with your phone. Fortunately, Frank helps, because the English option is not fully translated. I quickly get lost. With much effort and help, I manage to get coffee. In the bakery next door they mainly have sweets. I get the impression the bread is still to come. Many display cases are still empty. I take some cakes with me. This morning I’m going to Potatso National Park. This park became China’s first official national park in 2007. Shuttle buses run from Shangri-La. At the ticket office there is some confusion. There also seems to be an option to combine the park visit with the Songzanlin Monastery. This is my preference. However, when I want to book this, it appears not available. At least, that’s what I understand. Frank is a bit confused too. The staff are Tibetan and speak limited Chinese. Meanwhile, I have a ticket for the shuttle return and the national park. At least, I think so. Because the booking is slow and the bus leaves at 8:30, the staff member advises me to already go to the buses and arrange the other tickets there. She leads the way through the old town. It turns out to be quite a walk. The other travel companions buy their tickets at the bus. I get on the bus already. The bus is full of Chinese tourists. After a bit more than half an hour, we arrive at Potatso National Park. An employee comes to scan the tickets. Only then are you allowed to leave the bus. I have a valid ticket. The park is huge. There are also shuttle buses available inside the park. I expected electric carts, but a new bus is ready. We had planned to walk from the first stop to Bita Lake. When we get off, it starts drizzling.

China - Walking around the lake in Pudatso National Park

Wearing my raincoat, I set off. But the route we want to take seems not possible. All the staff point us to the eco-trail — a path along the mountains. The other route seems mostly along the road. We decide to take the eco-trail, like all other tourists. We follow a stream upstream. After about an hour’s walk, we return to the road. It’s dry again now. Here is another bus stop. Walking along the road to the lake is not allowed. When I later take the bus toward Bita Lake, it turns out to be quite a distance. At the stop by the lake, you can take a boat trip or walk along the lake. Here too there is really only one route: a walking path along the lakeshore. It’s funny that along the path there are numerous warnings. About every fifty meters there’s one. Watch out for falling, slipping, hitting your head, steps, deep water, dangerous animals, don’t pick flowers, and don’t walk on the grass. Everything is warned against preventively. Along the route is also a small shop. I order a sausage with spices. Around half past twelve, we arrive at the end point of the walk. Several buses are waiting here. I have actually seen enough of the park and prefer to go to the monastery this afternoon. I skip the second Shudu Lake. By bus, I return to the starting point. Here I meet other travel companions again. They come with the news that the first shuttle bus back to Shangri-La only leaves at 2:30. There’s no choice but to wait more than an hour and a half. Maybe all this was told this morning on the bus, but all info was only in Chinese. Independent travel in China is full of surprises and experiences. To avoid missing the bus, we sit on the bus early. Just before departure, the tickets are checked, and when the bus is full, we drive back to town.

China - The main temple of Ganden Sumtseling

Here begins the next challenge. I still want to go to the Songzanlin Monastery. This is the largest Tibetan monastery outside Tibet. Frank told us this morning that we can just take bus line 3 to the monastery. Together with a travel companion, I try to find this bus. We only see lines 2 and 11. When we try to ask, nobody can help or understand us. But from gestures, we roughly understand where the monastery is supposed to be. We decide to hail a taxi. In about fifteen minutes, we are driven to the entrance of the complex. The ticket office is still about one and a half kilometers from the monastery. We book the shuttle within the complex as well. A little later, we get off at the Songzanlin Monastery. Many local Tibetans in traditional clothing are around us. A young couple explains via a translation app that they rented the clothing and are here to take photos. Around me I see numerous couples in their traditional dress. The monastery lies against the mountains. We climb the stairs to reach the temples. The monastery was built in 1679 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama at an altitude of 3,300 meters. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa order (the “Yellow Hat order”) of Tibetan Buddhism. During the Cultural Revolution, the monastery was practically completely destroyed by the Chinese.

China - The Ganden Sumtseling monastery in Shangri-La

Only in 1981 were the temples rebuilt. We visit the various temples. Inside are Buddha statues over ten meters high. The large prayer hall for the monks is also magnificent. Previously, more than 2,000 monks lived in the complex. Nowadays, there are only about 700. We visit the six large temples of the complex. One is more beautiful than the other. Finally, we climb a hill in front of the monastery for a nice overview photo. For this, we have to climb over a fence. Here too many young couples pose for photo shoots. By taxi, we are taken back to the old town. This costs only 12 yuan, about 1.50 euros. The old town is busy and lively. At the Three Brothers café on the first floor, I order a local Shangri-La beer. We are going to eat here in the evening as well. With eleven people, we sit at the large table. I order yak balls. My dish only arrives when everyone else is almost finished eating. That doesn’t make it any less tasty. Meanwhile, people are dancing in the square. About a hundred people move in a large circle over the square. After dinner, I join in for a round. This is not easy at over three thousand meters altitude. At the supermarket, I buy some yogurt for tomorrow’s breakfast. It’s an enormous supermarket. You can even buy a small crocodile here for its meat.