[2025 Daocheng Stay] Travel Guide for Sangdeng Zhuba Star View Hotel (Updated May)

The beauty of Daocheng Yading is truly captivating. Just reading these words, one can almost envision the sacred purity of Mount Chenrezig, the azure hues of Milk Lake, and the tranquil nights at Daocheng Sangdeng Zhuba Starry Sky Hotel under a canopy of stars. The hotel's name sounds incredibly romantic - staying closer to the Milky Way, lying on the terrace watching galaxies swirl at night, and being awakened by mountain sunrise glow in the morning. It's like version 2.0 of "heaven for the eyes"～🏔️ Friends visiting Daocheng Yading, remember to prepare for high-altitude conditions - oxygen tanks, warm jackets, and sunscreen are absolute musts to keep your body in step with your soul's light-chasing journey👣💪

How can one miss visiting Daocheng Yading? Let me share my experience with food, activities, and important tips. Currently, it's the off-season, so direct flights are only available from Chengdu. For those driving from Chengdu or Shanghai, the journey is long, but it allows gradual acclimatization to the altitude. **Transportation**: I took a direct flight from Chengdu to Yading Airport, which sits at 4,400 meters—the highest-altitude airport in China. From there, it's about a 50-minute drive to my accommodation, the Sangdeng Zhuba Starry Sky View Hotel in Daocheng. **Accommodation**: My friends and I chose not to stay near the Yading scenic area. Instead, we opted for the Sangdeng Zhuba Starry Sky View Hotel, close to Daocheng town. "Sangdeng Zhuba" means "wishes come true" in Chinese. The unique room types piqued our curiosity, and there were many nearby spots we wanted to explore. The Tibetan staff were warm and friendly—on the first day, the hostess even carried our heavy suitcases upstairs, worried we might suffer from altitude sickness. The rooms feature small balconies with lovely views. You can ask the front desk to visit the starry sky tents or log cabins for photos. The hotel also provides traditional Tibetan costumes for endless photo ops. Besides the authentic Sichuan cuisine in the restaurant, you can book a bonfire barbecue by the mountainside, complete with singing and dancing—an unforgettable experience! There’s even a mahjong room for entertainment. **Around Daocheng**: Just a 5-minute drive from the hotel is the White Pagoda, perfect for a stroll and coffee at a nearby café. Within half an hour, we went horseback riding and off-roading, visited the 600-year-old Xiongdeng Temple and Zimai Scripture Hall, and checked out a three-story antique café recommended by the owner. The hotel can arrange a one-hour drive to Yading in advance. **Tips**: I started taking Rhodiola a week in advance. Though I had no major issues, I still felt breathy while walking and struggled to sleep the first night. Oxygen tanks are available at the hotel. Avoid overexcitement and don’t shower immediately. Everyone reacts differently to altitude, so listen to your body. Yading offers short and long hiking routes—don’t push yourself to see everything at once. Stay hydrated, skip alcohol, and try to minimize oxygen use if you can adapt, as it may help you adjust faster.

Here's a travel guide for Daocheng: Pre-trip Preparations • Documents: Bring your ID card and any other relevant documents for free admission. • Clothing: Pack down jackets, windbreakers, fleece jackets, thermal underwear, hiking boots or sneakers, sunglasses, gloves, and hats to cope with the large temperature difference between day and night on the plateau. • Medicine: Start taking Rhodiola or other altitude sickness medication a week in advance. Also, prepare cold medicine, antipyretics, gastrointestinal medicine, motion sickness medicine, painkillers, and oxygen tanks. • Other items: Sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher, moisturizing skincare products, lip balm, backpack or suitcase, a small backpack around 15 liters, and a thermos. Transportation Guide • Airplane: You can fly directly to Daocheng Yading Airport, but you may experience altitude sickness after landing. From the airport, you can take the airport bus or hire a car to the scenic area. • Long-distance bus: There are direct long-distance buses from Chengdu to Daocheng Yading, taking about 20 hours. You can also go to Kangding or Litang first, and then transfer to Daocheng. • Self-driving: Starting from Chengdu, follow National Highway 318, passing through Kangding, Xinduqiao, Litang, and other places to reach Daocheng Yading. The whole journey is about 800 kilometers, the road conditions are good, and the scenery along the way is beautiful. Attractions • Three Sacred Mountains: Chenrezig (Xiannairi, 6032m), Manjushri (Yangmaiyong, 5958m), and Vajrapani (Xiahuaduoji, 5958m). These three snow-capped mountains form a triangular shape and are a place for pilgrimage. • Three Holy Lakes: Milk Lake (4800m, also known as Luorongcuo, an ancient glacial lake shaped like a water droplet, surrounded by snow mountains), Five-Color Lake (4600m, produces five colors under the refraction of light, a famous holy lake in Tibetan areas), and Pearl Lake (also known as Zhuoma La Lake, formed by the melting snow of Xiannairi, inlaid in the forest like an emerald). • Luorong Cattle Farm: Backed by the three sacred mountains, it is an excellent location for viewing the snow mountains. Herdsmen graze their cattle on the vast green grassland. The movie "I Belonged to You" was filmed here. • Haizi Mountain National Nature Reserve: A famous ancient glacial relic on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, covered with stones and alpine lakes of various sizes, offering unique scenery. • Red Grassland: Located in Sangdui Town, the grassland turns red from late September to early October every year, contrasting with the surrounding poplars and other trees, creating a spectacular view. Tour Routes • Short route: Tourist Center → Bus → Zhaguanbeng → Chonggu Temple → Pearl Lake. The whole journey is about 1.5 kilometers, about a 1-hour walk, where you can enjoy the reflection of Xiannairi. • Long route: Ticket office → 70-minute sightseeing bus ride → Zhaguanbeng → Chonggu Temple → Electric car → Luorong Cattle Farm → Horse riding to Sheshen Cliff (waitlist tickets before 9 am) → Milk Lake → Five-Color Lake. The whole journey is about 5 kilometers, about a 3-hour walk. Accommodation Recommendations • Shangri-La Town: Relatively low altitude, with a wide range of accommodation options, such as Daocheng Times Yading Hotel, offering a comfortable resting environment. • Yading Village: Located inside the scenic area, convenient for entering and exiting. You can choose hotels like Yading Risong Gongbu Crowne Plaza Hotel, where you can enjoy beautiful scenery from your window. • Daocheng County: Offers hotels like Daocheng Sang Deng Zhuba Starry Sky View Hotel, with complete facilities to meet the needs of different tourists. Food Recommendations • Staple food: Qingke cake, made from highland barley flour, crispy and with a rich barley aroma. • Meat: Yak jerky, firm and delicious; Tibetan fragrant pig, tender and nutritious. • Soup: Matsutake stewed chicken, tender chicken, fragrant matsutake, and rich, delicious soup. • Drinks: Butter tea, a traditional Tibetan drink with a rich taste that can help alleviate altitude sickness; Highland barley wine, fermented from highland barley, sweet and sour.