If you have been fascinated by the breathtaking beauty of the white cotton castle in Turkey that has been honored as the 8th natural wonder of the world, now just book a ticket to China and you will be able to admire it. Perfect replica of Pamukkale castle named Baishuitai Baishuitai.
About Chinese Baishuitai Baishuitai
Baishuitai Baishuitai is located in Baidi village, in the town of Sanba, in the Southeast of Shangri-La, 101 km from Shangri-La. This place is located at an altitude of 2380m above sea level and is the birthplace of the Dongba religion of the Naxi ethnic people. When viewed from afar or from above, Baishuitai sits neatly among green hills that look a lot like breathtaking terraced fields. Under the sunlight, it looked like a frozen waterfall. When setting foot on these "icebergs", many visitors have a feeling of coolness that is hard to describe.
Baishuitai Baishuitai (Photo: breath_tyc)
Baishuitai Baishuitai is considered one of the largest limestone terraces in China. The terrain here is made up of sediments containing high content of Calcium carbonate found in the spring water flowing down from the mountain, through the stone steps creating a beautiful scene. This landmark is one of the best sights of the mysterious Shangri-La and is an ancient geomorphology with a history of 200,000 - 300,000 years.
This is China's largest limestone terraces
The high-altitude spring water gurgling along the mountainside leaves the impression of a large stone block carved among the deep green mountain landscape. The plateaus in turn follow each other layer-by-layer like terraced fields, so the surrounding people also call this "the field left by the fairy". When in autumn, the surrounding mountains of Baishuitai are adorned with grass leaves, a variety of flowers with eye-catching colors, and in the midst of the deep green of the mountains, Baishuitai becomes an extremely impressive and spectacular image.
The scenery here has captivated many visitors
Not only an ideal scenic spot, the Baishuitai Baishuitai is also the origin of the Dongba culture of the Naxi ethnic community. Legend has it that the first saint in the Dongba religion was attracted by the beautiful scenery here on his return journey from Tibet. After that, he decided to stop at Baishuitai for a mission. Therefore, this place is also considered as the Holy Land of Dongba religion.
How to get to Baishuitai Baishuitai
By plane
Compared to other famous attractions, you will not find direct flights to Baishuitai Baishuitai. First, visitors need to book tickets to Diqing Shangri-La Airport and then move to Baishuitai. Most of the major cities will have direct flights to Shangri-La, so travel is quite convenient. Normally, there are 2 bus lines per day traveling between Baishuitai and Shangri-la. One will leave at 9am and the second one will leave at 2pm.
By train
After the Lijiang - Shangrila railway line was built and put into operation, it only takes visitors about 1 hour to travel between these two locations.
By long distance bus
In Shangri-La, the long-distance bus is the most popular means of transport. You can ride this vehicle between Shangri-la and Dali, Kunming, Lijiang and a few other destinations.
Climate in Baishuitai Baishuitai
Baishuitai Baishuitai is located at an altitude of 2380m above sea level, possessing a terrain like terraced fields. The main reason is that the active ingredient calcium bicarbonate in the water is irradiated by sunlight, evaporates and creates white calcium carbonate deposits, which then cover the entire surface and create spectacular "ice terraces". . Baishuitai owns a total area of about 3km2 and is located in a temperate climate, with a lot of rainfall. The climate here is characterized with hot summers and cold winters, with four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is about 11.4 degrees Celsius.
This area has a temperate climate (Image: brownlow_voyage)
The best time to visit Baishuitai
The most ideal time to go to Baishuitai Baishuitai is from February to April or September to November. In summer, the climate here is hot and rainy, road conditions are not favorable, prone to accidents. landslides, rocks. So you shouldn't go to Baishuitai in summer. In winter, every early morning the "terraces" are frozen. Then under the influence of the sun, the ice surface will gradually melt.
The beauty of Baishuitai Baishuitai
Seen from a distance, under the warm spring sunshine, Baishuitai Baishuitai looks like a tall waterfall flowing slowly down the sculpted rocks step by step drawing a wonderful scenery among the majestic mountains. This is definitely an unforgettable and most beautiful sight that you should visit once in your life.
Seen from afar or from above, this place is truly a masterpiece
There are 3 areas for visitors to explore. The first area looks quite like an artificial dam, each layer is filled with water, gently flowing down mixed with white alluvium to create gentle slopes. The second area is a series of lakes. In the final area are crescent-shaped sediments of various sizes.
The water poured on the stone steps has an impressive green color
To the left of the white castle Baishuitai is a pond and water fountain, once it was said that this was the place where fairies bathed. The floor to the left of the lake protrudes into a space that looks like a pregnant girl. So here people worshiped the fertility god.
If in spring, Baishuitai Baishuitai makes visitors immersed in the deep green scenery, then every autumn, the surrounding mountains are surrounded by many leaves, flowers and plants turning red and yellow as beautiful as a picture.
Surrounding Baishuitai is a majestic mountain landscape
Another special thing is that when you come here, you also have access to the interesting Dongba culture with traditional ink and paper production. It is a precious cultural museum of the Naxi ethnic people.
Here you also have the opportunity to learn about the culture of the Naxi ethnic people
