Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area; National 5A Tourist Attraction · Lijiang, Yunnan

A jagged wall of limestone peaks capped with snow and glacier, rising to 5,596 metres at Shanzidou just 15 km north of Lijiang in Yunnan, and sacred to the Naxi people as the home of their protector god. Its glaciers are among the southernmost in the Northern Hemisphere, and the scenic area puts them within reach: a cable car climbs to about 4,500 metres, where boardwalk stairs lead toward a glacier viewpoint near 4,680 metres. Lower down, Spruce Meadow and Yak Meadow open onto alpine pastures, Blue Moon Valley holds a chain of milky turquoise pools, and Zhang Yimou's open-air Impression Lijiang show plays against the peaks. Climbing the summit is banned. The glaciers have visibly retreated in recent decades, and altitude is the main challenge for visitors.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Daily, roughly 8:00-17:00, with the last glacier cable car up around 14:00; cable cars suspend in bad weather. Glacier cable car by real-name reservation only, released up to 7 days ahead.

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