Shangri-La

The Ganden Sumtseling Monastery — often called the "Little Potala" — is Shangri-La's defining landmark: a 1679 fortress-monastery housing over 700 monks, its golden rooftops gleaming above a lake at the edge of town. The ancient Dukezong Old Town sits at one of the highest altitudes of any old town in China, centered on the world's largest spinning prayer wheel. Potatso National Park offers pristine high-altitude alpine forest, meadows, and turquoise lakes. Shangri-La is the last major town before the road ascends into Tibet proper.