Sunzenlin Monastery in Shangri-la
In the northern part of Shangri-la
Description:
The Songqenglin Monastery, located in the small town of Shangri-la (formerly Zhundian), is its main attraction and the largest monastery in southwestern China. It was built 400 years ago by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, the monastery has been in operation since 1981.
The building is located on a hill, just north of Shangri-la. From the foot of the hill to the building lead 180 steps. This is quite high, so breathing with each step becomes more difficult. To more or less facilitate the lift, you can buy an oxygen mask with a balloon below.
Climbing to the temple, tourists pass several tiers of monastery buildings, including household blocks and cells of monks. They are on different levels, but all below the monastery. The monastery itself looks very luxurious. It is richly decorated both outside and inside. There still live monks and pilgrimages.