Daocheng Yading is a nature reserve in Daocheng county in the far south-west of Sichuan, centred on three sacred snow mountains of Tibetan Buddhism — Chenrezig, Jampelyang and Chana Dorje — which rise to about 6,000 metres above glacial lakes, meadows and forest. A national nature reserve and, since 2003, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, it is one of the great pilgrimage landscapes of the Kham region.
- UNESCO biosphere reserve · 2003
- National nature reserve
Key facts
Overview
Yading is not one mountain but a sacred group of three, known in Tibetan tradition as the Three Protectors (Rigsum Gonpo). Each peak embodies a bodhisattva: Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara, compassion) to the north, Jampelyang (Manjushri, wisdom) to the south, and Chana Dorje (Vajrapani, power) to the east. Pilgrims circle them on foot, and the valleys between hold glacial lakes that are themselves venerated.
The reserve lies in Daocheng county, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in the historical Tibetan region of Kham. It became widely known in the West through the botanist Joseph Rock, who reached the area in 1928 and described it in National Geographic, and it is often linked with the idea of Shangri-La. For the Tibetans who live here it remains, above all, holy ground.
How the landscape formed
The three peaks are granite massifs of the Shaluli Shan, a range of the Hengduan Mountains lifted as the Indian plate pushed the Tibetan Plateau against the Sichuan Basin. Pleistocene glaciers carved the steep-sided valleys, cirques and moraine-dammed lakes; small glaciers still hang on the peaks. Around the county town of Daocheng lies the Haizi Shan, a high granite plateau scattered with more than a thousand small glacial lakes, the remains of a former ice cap.
Highlights
Chenrezig
仙乃日
The northern and highest peak, about 6,032 metres, seat of Avalokiteshvara, likened to a seated Buddha.
Jampelyang
央迈勇
The southern peak, about 5,958 metres, seat of Manjushri, a sharp, symmetrical pyramid of snow.
Chana Dorje
夏诺多吉
The eastern peak, about 5,958 metres, seat of Vajrapani, with a steep rock face.
Pearl Lake (Drolma Lhatso)
珍珠海
A small lake in forest below Chenrezig, reflecting the peak.
Milk Lake
牛奶海
A turquoise glacial lake below Jampelyang at about 4,600 metres, sacred to pilgrims.
Five-Colour Lake
五色海
A lake above Milk Lake at the foot of Chenrezig's southern ridge, whose colours shift with the light.
Luorong pasture
洛绒牛场
A high meadow where herders graze yaks in summer, with views to all three peaks.
Plants and wildlife
The reserve spans forest, alpine meadow, scree and ice across some 2,000 metres of altitude. Its protected status reflects both its biodiversity and the cultural value of the sacred mountains, whose traditional protection by local Tibetans has helped conserve its forests and wildlife.
Plants
Alpine pine
高山松
Pinus densata forest on the dry valley slopes.
Rhododendrons
杜鹃
Thickets on the higher slopes flower in June.
Blue poppies
绿绒蒿
Meconopsis flowers on the high meadows in summer.
Wildlife
White-lipped deer
白唇鹿
A deer of the high meadows of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.
Alpine musk deer
马麝
A small, shy deer of the forests and scrub.
White eared pheasant
藏马鸡
A large pale pheasant seen near monasteries and forest edges.
Culture and legend
In Tibetan tradition the three peaks were consecrated as the mountains of the Three Protectors, and pilgrims walk the kora around Chenrezig or the whole group, praying, leaving prayer flags and building stone cairns. The small Chonggu Monastery stands at the start of the pilgrim trails. Local people regard the mountains and lakes as the dwelling of deities, and climbing the peaks is generally not permitted.
Chonggu Monastery
冲古寺
A small monastery in the forest below Chenrezig at the start of the pilgrim trails.
Kora
转山
The clockwise pilgrim circuit around a sacred mountain, walked by Tibetans in the summer months.
Konkaling Monastery
贡嘎郎吉岭寺
A monastery on the route to Yading, historically the main religious centre of the area.
History
1928
Joseph Rock reaches the three peaks
His articles and photographs in National Geographic in 1931 introduced the mountains to Western readers.
1990s–2000s
Nature reserve established
The area was protected first at county and provincial level and later raised to a national nature reserve.
2003
UNESCO biosphere reserve
Yading joined the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
2013
Daocheng Yading Airport opens
One of the highest civil airports in the world, at about 4,400 metres, it made the reserve far easier to reach.
Through the seasons
Spring
Cold with snow at altitude into May; the valleys are quiet.
Summer
Wildflowers and green pastures, with frequent rain and cloud during the monsoon.
Autumn
The favourite season: from late September to October the larch and birch forests turn gold, and skies are often clear.
Winter
Very cold with snow in the reserve; the peaks are often clearest, but trails can be icy and high sections closed.
Routes and ways in
Chonggu Monastery and Pearl Lake
A short walk from the reserve's upper station through forest to the lake below Chenrezig.
Luorong pasture, Milk Lake and Five-Colour Lake
From Luorong pasture a steep trail climbs to the two lakes at around 4,500 to 4,700 metres; a full day for most walkers, with electric shuttles to the pasture.
Kora around Chenrezig
A pilgrim circuit of one to two days over high passes, for fit and acclimatised walkers with a guide.
Practical notes
- Most of the reserve lies above 3,900 metres and the lakes above 4,500 metres: acclimatise in Daocheng or Shangri-La town (Riwa) before walking to the lakes, and descend if symptoms of altitude sickness appear.
- Weather changes quickly; carry warm and waterproof layers even in summer.
- The peaks and lakes are sacred: walk clockwise around shrines, do not swim in or throw things into the lakes, and ask before photographing people.
- Daocheng Yading Airport and the road from Kangding via Litang serve the area; the village of Riwa, renamed Shangri-La town, is the base for the reserve.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Yading — Man and the Biosphere Programme — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture People's Government — Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Sichuan Provincial People's Government — Sichuan Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More mountains and nature in Sichuan
- National parkGiant Panda National Park大熊猫国家公园One park for the panda's mountains across three provinces
- GlacierHailuogou Glacier海螺沟A glacier on Gongga's eastern flank that ends in forest
- Nature reserve · 5,588 mHuanglong黄龙Terraced travertine pools below the snows of Xuebaoding
- Nature reserve · 4,752 mJiuzhaigou九寨沟Turquoise lakes and travertine falls in the Minshan mountains
- Sacred mountain · 3,099 mMount Emei峨眉山Samantabhadra's mountain above the sea of clouds
- Mountain · 7,556 mMount Gongga (Minya Konka)贡嘎山The highest peak of Sichuan and the eastern Tibetan Plateau's rim
- Sacred mountainMount Qingcheng青城山The secluded green mountain where Daoism took root
- Mountain · 6,250 mMount Siguniang四姑娘山Four snow peaks above the valleys of the Qionglai range
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