You will learn so much more about the monks, the monastery and the history. We went early in the morning and it was most peaceful.

The latest LP says the monastery costs a staggering 85RMB but when we turned up in March 2013 the price was in fact 115RMB (75 for students). This 'includes 35RMB bus fare', but in actually we had just been kicked of a 1RMB bus which continues all the way up to the sire (about 2km further up the road). Once... More

On our first day we decided to visit the SongZanlin Monastery, and we took Bus # 3, 1 stop before the monastery, a man dressed in military uniform (which was fake) came in and picked all of the foreigners to get off the bus. He said we had to buy a ticket, which was 100 RMB. However, everyone who looked... More

From the rear of an old taxis'window ,whist being jostled over the rock strewn bumpy road, I first glimpsed the grandeur of the Songzanlin Monastery,which sits astride a mountainside, outside of Zhongdian(formally Galthyang)in northern Yunnan.. A backdrop of azure sky and crystal peaks gave its majesty the perfect frame. Tibetan traders milled around the entrance,steep stairs invited us upwards ,past... More

What can I say? This is the main attraction of Shangri-la and if you miss this, its like you have not really been to Shangri-la. The monastery is very big and most of the smaller buildings surrounding the main monastery are monks' quarters. The main building at the very top is the one to go to if time is of... More

Bus no 3 takes you there (and back) from outside the old town (bus ticket RMB1). It is however confusing as to the standard entrance fee to the monastry. I was asked to pay RMB115 being a foreigner but read elsewhere the fee should be lower. The fee comes with a tour guide. Our group had a young Tibetan man... More

We entered Songzanlin in the morning and really liked the free guide service, which helped us understand the monastery better. However, there was not a single place that sold food in the monastery. So we had to exit and take a bus out to the city centre to eat, before heading back. However, we were told that we can no... More

Sometimes referred to as "Little Potala Palace" the golden roofs and colourful fluttering banners set against cloudless blue skies are a sight to behold. Dating back more than 300 years to 1679, this is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. The climb from the main entrance, up 146 steps, to the main prayer hall, literally took my breath away. At... More

I've seen my share of beautiful buddhist temples throughout china, but tibetan temples are quite different and are well worth visiting. Songzanlin is one of the most beautiful I've visited. The fact that the monastery sits in the middle of a poor village with its golden roof will make some uncomfortable but, historically, population had sometimes hundred of years to... More