Diqing Travel Tips
Located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, it has abundant tourism resources, including natural sceneries, Tibetan culture, minority culture and so on. In order to obtain a better travel experience, we will give you some advice for reference.
‣ Best Time to Visit Diqing
Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is a picturesque place, suitable for travel all year round. Visitors can find different beautiful scenery in different seasons. The best time to visit Diqing is from May to July and from September to October. May and June is the time to see sea of azaleas, yaks, and mountain meadow under vast blue sky. July is the best time to visit Tiger-Leaping Gorge. September and October is the time to see Stellera chamaejasme (a poisonous plant species with beautiful flowers) and autumn scenery. Whenever you go to Diqing, you should bring cold-proof coat.
‣ Bank
You can use cash and your passport to exchange for RMB in every branch of Bank of China without fees charged. And 17 kinds of currency are supported, such as English pound, US dollar, Singapore dollar, Euro and so on. In Diqing Prefecture, only one branch office can be found so that tourists had better exchange money in Kunming.
• Diqing Branch Office of Bank of China (Address: Chicika Street, Shangri-La City)
‣ Useful Numbers in Diqing
• Fire: 119 • Police: 110 • Ambulance: 120
• Weather Forecast: 12121
• Tourist Complaints: 0887-96927
• Public Security Bureau: 0887-8222128
• Diqing Shangri-La Airport Inquiry: 0887-8229901
‣ Hospital
Due to the high altitude, some people may have altitude sickness. If the symptom is severe, it's necessary to see a doctor in nearby hospital. The Hospital of Shangri-La located in Changzheng Road (phone number: 0887-8222052) provides medical service.
‣ Diqing Nightlife
Although the night life of Diqing is not as busy as some big cities, tourists can feel strong Tibetan flavor here. Sifanglou Plaza in Dukezong Ancient Town will be a big dance stage in the evening. There will be a large number of people join hands, form a circle and follow the principal dancers to perform the Tibetan folk dance. If you are interested, just join them in the dance.
In addition, if you have an accommodation in Dukezong Ancient Town, you can enjoy your time on taking a stroll in Moon Plaza to appreciate the beautiful night scene. There are many bars on Guishan Park and Moon Plaza where you can relax yourselves. However, tourists should not drink much alcohol in case of altitude sickness. What's more, there are also some bars in Feilaisi Temple in Deqin County.
‣ Other Diqing Travel Tips
• The hotels in Diqing Prefecture may usually serve more Chinese food and less Western food for the breakfast, and less hotel employees speak English. This sometimes causes some misunderstanding between the hotel employees and the clients. However, people in Diqing are generally very nice.
• Due to the highland climate, the temperature changes greatly between day and night. Travelers had better bring coats, down jackets, gloves and other cold weather outfits. Every June to September, it is the rain season of Diqing that is not beneficial to go hiking. After October, the weather turns cold.
