Meili Snow Mountain Travel Guide

“A wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture. ”

A UNESCO Site. Meili Snow Mountains (Meili) rise between the Salween River (called Nu Jiang in China) and the Mekong River (called Lancang Jiang in China) in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan Province. The region, still largely wilderness, is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2003. A report by WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Center) on this wonderful nature park concluded that “This is an area of unparalleled biological diversity, unusually explicit geological and landscape variety and great scenic beauty.”

Pilgrimage routes. The holy Kawa Karpo (6740M), the highest peak of Meili, is one of the most sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. It is recommended to fulfill the circuit of Kawa Karpo during the Year of Sheep. Local pilgrims circumambulate Kawa Karpo every year. In 2003, the Year of Sheep (once every 12 years), pilgrims came from all over Tibet as well as Tibetan regions in Yunnan and Sichuan to worship this holy mountain. There are two pilgrimage routes: the inner route including Yubeng Shenpu (sacred waterfalls) and Mingyong Glacier, and the outside full pilgrimage circuit of Kawa Karpo. The second route takes 8 to 12 days to fulfill in a pristine area without access to any vehicular road. Nowadays, these pilgrimage routes attract more and more hikers.

Rating: When you catch the first breathtaking view of Meili's thirteen 6000-meter-high peaks as well as the spectacular glaciers on the bus to Deqin, you start to believe the legend of Shangri-La. Their foothills are adorned harmoniously by beautiful terrace fields, meadows as well as traditional Tibetan houses. Not yet disturbed by too many tourists, the region is a paradise for explorers and hikers to admire soaring peaks, alpine lakes, waterfalls and glaciers, and is no doubt worth the best rating.

Yunnan government is working with Nature Conservancy, an organasition based in the United States, for the eco-tourism development in order to improve local Tibetan's living conditions and preserve the environment. One day the circuit of Kawa Karpo might become as popular as the circuit of Annapurnas in Nepal.

Best time to visit: In May and June the region is alive with enchanting wild flowers. From Mid-October to Mid-November the region is covered with marvelous autumn colors. July and August is a high season for tourism as well as rainfalls. Winter is cold and dry. Sometimes heavy snowfalls may block roads and isolate this region for weeks and months.
Pilgrimage Map of Meili Snow Mountain

Getting there and away
Getting there: Meili is located in the west of Deqin. For b uses from Zhongdian to Deqin, see Zhongdian.
There are several interesting sites between Zhongdian and Deqin: Napa Lake, The bend of Lancang Jiang, Dhondrupling Gompa (Songzhanlin Si, see left photo 5), Baimang Snow Mountains (see left photo 4).

Getting away by bus: Bus station: 0887-8413322 Departure  Destinations Departure time Remarks
Deqin-Zhongdian, Shangri-La  7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 12:00 180 km, 6 hours. Y35. Lunch at Benzilan. 
Deqin-Lijiang, Kunming  11:00 (sleeper) Take a bus to Zhongdian early in the morning, you will find easily a bus to Lijiang or Kunming upon arriving at Zhongdian in the late afternoon. 
Deqin-Yanjing 盐井  8:30 Y35
Deqin-Mangkang in Tibet. 芒康  8:00 Y73. If the passengers are not enough, the service can be cancelled even at the moment when the bus is due to depart. 
Deqin-Cizhong 茨中  7:30 14:00 Y21.00, 81km 
Deqin-Weixi 维西 7:00  Y50, 227km
Deqin-Xidang 西当  8:00, 15:00  Y14.00. To go to Yubeng. 
Deqin-Mingyong 明永  8:00, 15:00  Y14. To visit Mingyong Glacier. 
Xidang-Deqin 8:00, 16:00  The second bus might leave early if there are enough passengers.
Mingyong-Deqin 8:00, 16:00   
Meilishui-Deqin 15:00 Y13. Meilishui 梅里水 : The finish point of big Kora. 

In this remote Tibetan town, only the bus service between Deqin and Zhongdian can be guaranteed. Other links are dependent on the weather and road conditions and the number of passengers. To know the number of passengers, the bus station sells the tickets first. If the passengers are not enough, the service can be cancelled even at the moment when the bus is due to depart.

News: According to a traveler's report in Oct 2005, the bus to Xidang and Mingyong is dispatched from Qiaotou (near the bridge) rather than the bus station. Tell the driver in advance so that he can drop you off at Qiaotou before entering into the town.