Yunnan Snub-nose Monkey National Park

Shangri-La Weixi Yunnan Snub-nose Monkey National Park is located in Tacheng, the "Hometown of Reba Art" on the western ring of Shangri-La Tourism. It is 70 kilometers away from Weixi County, 120 kilometers from Shangri-La and 120 kilometers from Lijiang City. The construction of the park was proposed at the Yunnan Tourism Industry Conference on June 22, 2007 before the construction of the park began. On September 22, 2009, the first phase of the park was completed and officially put into use. The park is located in the heart of the "Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas", with an enclosed area of 334.16 square kilometers. Its scope is to Qizong in the east, along the Jinsha River southward to the county boundary of Yulong Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang; to the Deqin county boundary in the west along the Tamo Monk Cave to the watershed in the northwest; to the Lajiding Village in the southwest of Haini Village; north to Deqin County boundary to the north of the upper tributary of Xiangguqing. It is one of the “three major” national parks in Diqing Prefecture. It is rich in tourism resources: there are seven subcategories, 30 basic types, and more than 70 resource entities, involving geology and landforms, ice and snow waters, rare animals and plants, ethnic customs, multi-religious culture, etc. The main scenic spots in the park are: Xiangguqing Wildlife Rescue Station (watching wild Yunnan snub-nose monkeys in the designated area), the Buddhist holy place, Tamo Monk Cave, Qizong Magical Spring, Qibie Millennium Ginkgo Tree, Gedeng Neolithic Cultural Site, No. 1 Shimen Pass of Changjiang River, Duonage Lisu Mountain Fastness, etc.

1. Xiangguqing Wildlife Rescue Station: At the altitude of 2800-3100 meters, the planned scope is 810 hectares. The wild Yunnan snub-nose monkey viewing area is about 60 hectares. This area is mainly for viewing wild Yunnan snub-nose monkey, and many rare animals and plants can be watched in our countries. National rare plants: Sorolepidium glaciale Chris, Kingdonia uniflora, Taxus yunnanensis, Torreya, etc.; second-level plants include Psammosilene tunicoides and picea brachytyla var. complanata. At the same time, there are many first-grade state protection animal: clouded leopards, golden eagles, etc. and second-class protected animals: black bears, macaques, golden pheasants, etc.

In this area, you can see the Yunnan Snub-nose Monkey, a national first-class protected rare animal that is as famous as the giant panda. They have a human-like face and are a red-lipped group of primates except humans. It is rare because it is a primate in our country, and its distribution area is narrow, near the snow line of 2800-4300 in the Yunling Mountains between the Jinsha River and the Lancang River. It occupies special classification status phylogenetically between the Old World Monkey and ape. So, the research on the Yunnan snub-nose monkey is of great significance for people to understand the evolutionary process of human beings. It is considered by zoologists to be a specialized species of animals and has high academic research value.

2. The Holy Place of Buddhism - Tamo Monk Cave:

"Looking around, the cliff is as high as ten thousand feet, and the majestic ancient temple directly leads to the sky." The Tamo Monk Cave is inlaid on the lofty cliff of Mount Tamo, looking up at Mount Tamo, it is just like a peaceful sitting Buddha. The Tamo Monk Temple was built in 1151 AD as a meditation nunnery for the Tamo Monk Cave. The stone was used as a ladder to extend to the cave.

According to legend, the Tamo Monk practiced Buddhism facing the inner wall of the cave for ten years, was enlightened and became a Buddha. There are still the footprints of Bodhidharma’s resulted from stamping his feet on the stone forming low-lying area in the cave. On the left side of Mount Dharma is the Laiyuan Temple and the vast virgin forest affluent in many rare medicinal plants and animals. The Tamo Monk Cave is very famous in the Kangba area. Every year on the first day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Bodhidharma’s Enlightenment Day according to the legend, the pilgrims coming to make pilgrimages flooded here, and even attracting pilgrims from overseas. Pilgrims from far and near totaled tens of thousands, who braves the wind and dew, bustling with activities, shaking the prayer wheels with hands, twirling the buddha beads with fingers, turn prayer wheel around the mountain continuously, forming a splendid sight, which is also called as "Zhuanshan Festival".

3. Qibie Millennium Ginkgo Tree:

Qibie Village in Tacheng Town is a village inhabited by the Naxi people. There is a tall and big gingko tree with a height of 39 meters and a diameter of 200 cm at breast height, with luxuriant foliage and spreading branches. According to textual research, the tree is more than a thousand years old and is praised by botanists as the "Millennium Ginkgo Tree". According to legend, the Tibetan monk planted a tree in three different areas in order to find the reincarnated soul boy of the living Buddha in the previous life. Only this tree will survive the next year. Therefore, many living Buddhas reincarnated here, and this tree became a sacred tree and was worshipped by local people.

4. Qizong Magical Spring:

Magical Spring is about 400 meters away from Qizong Village. Looking westward while standing in front of the Qizong Power Station, you will see a green tributary of the Jinsha River and the towering green hills connecting together. The Magical Spring originates from abundant and stable water source, clear enough to see bottom. The ancient trees along the river tower to the sky, with oak trees forming a forest. It is only 150 meters directly from the confluence of the Jinsha River. It is a must-visit place for tourism in Weixi and a place of pilgrimage for local people.

5. The First Pass of the Yangtze River - Shimen Pass:

The Jinsha River was blocked from north to south, turned northeast, then split outa channel southwards, and continued to flow southward. This is the famous Shimen Pass of the Yangtze River in history. According to historical records, the armies of Tang and Nanzhao "broke Tibetan regime, went out of Shimen, and the armies that the passed surrendered to them in succession ", which shows that Shimen Pass had an important strategic position in the military affairs at that time. 1,300 years ago, Tibetan regime built the world's earliest iron bridge here. Eight hundred years ago, the Yuan Dynasty army "crossed the river by a leather bag and leather raft" and wiped out the Dali Kingdom and established the Shenchuan Governor's Office.

6. Duonage Lisu Mountain Fastness:

Duonage is located in Tacheng Township, Lisu Autonomous County, Weixi County. The village is situated at the foot of a hill and beside a stream, surrounded by dense virgin forests. There are nearly 300 people in 70 households in the village, which is a typical settlement of Lisu people. The village still retains the original rich singing, dancing and living customs, as well as the custom of walking marriage. It is a Shangri-La world where human and nature are in harmony.