Baishuitai Terraces
白水台
Calcified travertine terraces at the foot of Haba Snow Mountain, with milky-white pools stacked in layers. It is also the sacred birthplace of Naxi Dongba culture.
Baishuitai lies in Sanba Naxi Ethnic Township, Shangri-La city. It is a travertine terrace formed by calcium-carbonate-rich spring water. It covers about 3 square kilometres, and its white surfaces stack up like rice terraces. The spring water takes on a blue-green tint in the pools. The landscape is similar to the travertine pools of Huanglong in Sichuan. The site is regarded as a sacred place of the Naxi Dongba religion, and a sacrificial festival takes place here every year on the eighth day of the second lunar month. The entrance fee is about 30 yuan, and the walking path takes about an hour. It is about 100 km from the city centre, reached via the Xiao Zhongdian and Haba direction, and can also be linked with Haba Village and Tiger Leaping Gorge. Do not step on the travertine surfaces.
Opening hours
About 08:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Haba Snow Mountain
- Xiaozhongdian Meadows
- Dabao Temple
- Pudacuo (Potatso) National Park
- Dukezong Ancient Town
- Niru Village
- Baiji Temple
- Shambhala Kalachakra Mandala