The Scenic Route--Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, China

A Day at Ganden Sumtseling Monastery

The day after exploring Tiger Leaping Gorge, we decided to head toward Shangri-la, our final destination in Yunnan.

Shangri-la is approximately 3,160 meters above seas level and is located in the Diqing Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture. It’s a relatively small town built around a Buddhist temple sitting on a hill that rests near the center of the historic old town.

Ganden Sumtseling Monastery was close by, so we took the bus a couple miles outside the city and quickly found ourselves standing in front of a beautiful and massive temple complex. The monastery is referred to as “the little Potala Palace” because it is the largest temple in Yunnan and shares many similarities in its architectural design. It was completed in 1679 and is considered to be the most important buddhist temple in southwest China. The original occupants of Ganden were monks of the Yellow Hat sect of the fifth Dalai Llama.

The monastery is located on a steep hill, which requires one to walk through a small village on their ascent to the structure. The village is littered with shrines and mainly constructed of wood, which is painted with various vibrant colors typical of Tibetan buddhist design. There was so much to see in the town and monastery itself, that we nearly spent 5 hours there.

I found the things that stuck with me most from that day were the color of the monk’s robes, the beautiful designs covering the temple/town, and perhaps most striking, the seemingly endless sky. Fortunately, I have captured some exposures of each of those things, but it really is difficult to explain how the sky looks…well, bigger. It seems so much more vast as you approach the top of the Tibetan Plateau, especially on a cloudless day.

Well fellow steemians, this one is going to be drawn short due to my current hangover. Quick summary: Yunnan is amazing, you should go, Shangri-la is one of the most memorable experiences you can have there, and I like taking pictures. That is all. See you guys next time! (More shots from the day below)

Feel free to comment however you like! Whether it's a lightroom tip, a composition suggestion, or just what picture you like the most. Always love to hear feedback. :) Don't forget to click that upvote or follow button if you enjoy the content. Hope you all have a wonderful day! Go out there and get some good shots.

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