Baishuitai 白水台Báishuǐtái

Why go to Baishuitai

Baishuitai, the 'White Water Terrace', is a hillside of creamy travertine terraces in Sanba township, south-east of Shangri-La, where mineral-rich spring water spills from one shallow pool to the next. Covering about 3 sq km at around 2,380 m on the northern foot of Haba Snow Mountain, it is one of the best-known formations of its kind in China. Boardwalks climb beside the terraces, and it makes a scenic detour on a slow route between Shangri-La and Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The story

The Naxi revere Baishuitai as the cradle of their Dongba faith: legend says its founder, Dingba Shiluo, was so taken with the terraces on his way back from Tibet that he stayed to preach here. Around the eighth day of the second lunar month (usually in March), Naxi and neighbouring peoples gather at the terraces with offerings, picnics, songs and dances, and Baidi village below still makes traditional Dongba paper.

What to see at Baishuitai

• The travertine terraces 白水台: Shallow pools of pale limestone step down a hillside, filled with mineral water that glows blue-green in the sun. A boardwalk climbs alongside.
• Baidi village 白地村: The village at the terraces, the administrative centre of Sanba and a holy place of the Dongba faith. Naxi handmade paper from here is on China's national intangible heritage list.
• Haba Snow Mountain 哈巴雪山: The snow peak that rises just south of the terraces; the terraces lie at its northern foot. On clear days it fills the view.

How to visit Baishuitai

Follow the boardwalk up the terraces, pausing at the pools. Allow a couple of hours for the terraces and walk to Baidi village if you want to see the Naxi settlement. Pair it with the drive to or from Haba and Tiger Leaping Gorge on a long day.

How to get to Baishuitai

Baishuitai is about 100 km south-east of Shangri-La, roughly 2–2.5 hours by hired car; buses to Sanba township are slower. From Lijiang, allow 3–4 hours by car via Tiger Leaping Gorge and Haba village.

Where to stay

Baishuitai itself has few places to stay, so most visitors sleep in Shangri-La or, coming from the south, in Lijiang or the Haba and Tiger Leaping Gorge area. Pick whichever side of the route you are travelling.

What to eat

• Butter tea 酥油茶: A salty, creamy tea churned with butter, a staple of the Tibetan prefecture this township belongs to and easy to find in Shangri-La.
• Cured-rib hotpot 腊排骨火锅: If you come on from Lijiang, try the Naxi hotpot of salt-cured pork ribs with potatoes and vegetables.

Tips for visiting Baishuitai

• Stay on the boardwalks: the terraces are fragile and walking on them is not allowed.
• Come on a sunny morning, when the pools gleam; under grey or rainy skies the colours look flat.
• The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so hire a driver rather than drive yourself, and pair Baishuitai with Haba and Tiger Leaping Gorge between Shangri-La and Lijiang.

Nearby

• Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡 40 km
  A classic two-day trail high above one of the world's deepest gorges
• Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山 50 km
  A glacier-hung massif on Lijiang's doorstep, with a cable car to over 4,500 metres
• Shangri-La & Songzanlin Monastery 香格里拉松赞林寺 50 km
  A golden-roofed Tibetan monastery stacked up a hillside, nicknamed 'Little Potala'
• Lijiang Old Town 丽江古城 70 km
  Cobbled lanes, rushing canals and Naxi courtyards beneath a snow-capped peak
• Lugu Lake 泸沽湖 80 km
  A clear alpine lake on the Yunnan–Sichuan border, home to the matrilineal Mosuo
• Daocheng Yading 稻城亚丁 110 km
  Three sacred snow peaks, glacial lakes and Tibetan meadows high on the plateau

On the map

Open Baishuitai on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)