Deqin
Deqin is in Kham, a former Tibetan province much of which is now administered by Yunnan; the local dialect is Khampa Tibetan, somewhat different from the central-Tibet dialect of our Tibetan phrasebook but still mostly mutually intelligible. The town serves as a base for treks into a number of mountainous areas; in particular Three Parallel Rivers National Park.
Understand
Deqin prefecture is where the big mountains are to be found with impossibly steep valleys, mind-blowing vistas, remote monasteries and class A trekking, for all levels, available all year round. In fact the best time to trek is during the winter months as summer is the rainy season. March is the worst month as the rains start but it's still cold enough so it comes down as snow. This is the month to get snowed in.
So, if Deqin is so great, why is it not better known? The main reason for this is that there is not a lot of information available on the area, so the average traveller is left guessing whether it is worth visiting or not. The fact that most travellers will have to return the way they came also puts them off visiting (Deqin is the last town before Tibet proper in Yunnan province).
Here are ten good reasons to visit Deqin:
# Mt Kawakarpo & Mt. Miantsomo
# Trek up to the Mingyong Glacier
# Trekking to Yubeng
# Trekking along the Mekong River
# Tashi's Mountain Lodge, Reringkha village (closed)
# To organize a road trip to Lhasa (the land route to Tibet is closed for foreigners)
# The spectacular drive up from Shangri-la
# Deqin's Tibetan Disco (most are closed)
# Sleeping in remote Tibetan villages
# Special ginger, lemon tea
Get in
In June 2012, the buses between Zhongdian and Deqin took around 8 hours because the road was under major reconstruction.
Buses to/from Lhasa use the main bus terminal in Deqin. There should be no problems buying tickets which are ¥500. The ride takes 3-4 days and the bus may or may not stop at hotels during the night. There is one military check point where a soldier may come on board, but they seem not to care if there are foreigners on the bus. However, the drivers will not let you roam far during restaurant stops in towns. This trip is risky if you are not in good health because the bus drives over 5,000m at least three times.
The land route from Shangri-la to Lhasa is closed for foreigners. They will not sell you a ticket even if you have the Tibet travel permit.
See Yunnan tourist trail for the route from Kunming to Deqin, and Overland to Tibet for land routes to Lhasa.
Get around
See
Feilai TempleAmazing view of Meilixue Mountain worth seeing at sunrise. Feilai Temple also has a large number of hostels and hotels. Consider staying there instead of Deqin. The owner of "Once Upon a Time in FeiLaiSi" speaks English and can give advice on hiking in the area.
Yubeng VillageTibetan village not accessible by any vehicles. You can ask at your hostel to book a seat for you in one of the minibuses departing every morning from FeiLaiSi to Xidang Hot Springs（西当温泉）where the hike starts. There are usually 6-7 seats in a bus and an overall price is ¥150 (June 2011). Talk to the other people planning to go there so you can share the price. There are a decent number of domestic Chinese tourists that make this trek, so finding a lift shouldn't be difficult.
It takes 1½ hours to get there and you will be asked to pay ¥260 (May 2014) as a scenic area entrance fee. Make sure you bring your passport as you have to be registered. With a student card you can get a half-price ticket. The 9-km (one way) hike takes about 6-7 hours in total (6.5 km uphill and 2.5 km downhill) with 1284 meters vertical gain. For those who find the hike difficult there is an option of hiring a horse or mule for ¥255 to the top or ¥305 for the whole way (May 2014). There are 2 tea-houses on the way up where you can buy some water, red bull and simple snacks and a tea-house at the top of Yakou pass. The accommodation in Yubeng are basic and costs about ¥20-30 for a bunk bed (May 2014). Food though is relatively expensive in Yubeng due to the transportation cost and
Once there, Yubeng is one of the most picturesque villages you could hope to see. Nestled in an alpine valley, surrounded by snow peaks, multicoloured forests, and waterfalls. There are also numerous treks one can make from the village, so plan to spend at least a couple of days there.Meilixue Mountain Nature ReserveHike to the Taizi Temple and Minyong Glacier. Taizi Temple has a guest house but unfortunately most of the rooms are severely damaged by a storm, there is still a few acceptable rooms, available at very low prices ¥20. Only recommended if you absolutely have to stay on the mountain, otherwise go back down to Mingyong Town (July 2009).
Do
-
phone: +86 887-823-0447Specializes in treks of the Meili Snow Mountain/Kawa Karpo Range, including Inner and Outer Kora treks.
-
phone: +86 15184990012Finnish woman who lives in Xidang village doing research. Treks to Yubeng, Mingyong, Sinong, Adong, Outer kora and Weixi area. Equipment available.
Buy
Eat
Drink
-
Migratory Bird Cafe
phone: +86 887 6895030They have great maps for ¥10 and other information.
Sleep
- shuiyuan gongyu （水源公寓): The hotel offers a good dorm for ¥30 per bed and a suite room at ¥80. The owner is very humble and helpful and reportedly speaks very good English.
Deqin Feilai Temple youth hostel (飞来寺觉色滇乡青年旅舍)Probably the cheapest option at the Feilaisi. Look for the Green sign near the bottom of the slope, and turn right and go up the hill. They have dorms and private rooms with electric blankets. The rooms are quite dirty and smelly, and the bathrooms are disgusting. There is a common room with an XBox 360 and stove. The inside of the hostel is not insulated, so outside of the lounge and your bed can get quite chilly! The WiFi is available in both the lounge and the rooms; the connection is hard to come by and easy to drop. The reception staff speak English (May 2014). Double room with bathroom is very expensive for what it is worth: ¥120. For private rooms, booking elsewhere offers better value.YHA China site(in Chinese)
-
Dexin Tibetan Hotel
address: 86 Nanping StreetNice family-run hotel able to have foreign tourists. Mingzhu hotel
-
Once Upon a Time In Meili
address: On the main drag opposite of the viewing platform with the white pagodasA 3-star hotel.
Go next
There is also a road from Deqin down to Weixi but it's under construction. But once it's finished, there are some extremely nice, untouristy places along the way, so you could head down through Weixi to Lijiang instead of going back to Shangri-la.