Atlas of China
Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng 梅里雪山与雨崩Méilǐ Xuěshān yǔ Yǔbēng
Yunnan's highest peak, sacred and unclimbed, with a trek to a village beneath its glaciers
- Best time
- Oct–Nov, May–Jun
- Time needed
- 2 days; 3–4 with Yubeng
- Days to budget
- 3.5 days
- Stay in
- Deqin
- Region
- Yunnan
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area, UNESCO World Heritage
Why go to Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng
The Meili Snow Mountains form a wall of ice-hung peaks above the Mekong gorge near Deqin, crowned by Kawagarbo (6,740 m), the highest summit in Yunnan. Feilaisi, across the valley, faces the whole range at dawn, and a trail from Mingyong village climbs to viewpoints over a glacier tumbling towards the river. The classic trek leads to Yubeng, a Tibetan village in a high valley beneath the peaks, with day hikes on to a sacred waterfall and a glacier lake.
The story
To Tibetans, Kawagarbo is the home of a warrior deity, and pilgrims spend 8–10 days walking a circuit around the range, in greatest numbers in the Year of the Sheep, said to be the mountain's birth year. No one has stood on its summit: after all 17 members of a Sino-Japanese expedition died in an avalanche in 1991, local authorities banned climbing in 2001 on cultural and religious grounds.
What to see at Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng
- Kawagarbo 卡瓦格博: The highest summit in the range at 6,740 m and a sacred mountain to Tibetan pilgrims. Mountaineering on it was banned by local law in 2001 and it has never been summited.
- Feilaisi viewpoint 飞来寺: A temple and viewing terrace beside the Yunnan–Tibet road about 10 km from Deqin, facing the peaks. It is the classic place to catch the first light on the snow, and it also has a memorial to the climbers lost in 1991.
- Mingyong Glacier 明永冰川: A glacier that flows from the east face of Kawagarbo down to forest at around 2,660 m, one of the lowest in China. It has been retreating, and viewpoints on the trail show it from above.
- Yubeng village 雨崩村: A Tibetan farming village in a high valley under the peaks, split into an upper and a lower settlement. The upper village has the better views for sunrise on the summits.
- Sacred Waterfall 神瀑: A tall waterfall reached on a day hike from Yubeng, holy to pilgrims who walk to it.
How to visit Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng
Most visitors do the road-side viewpoints first: Feilaisi for the sunrise and Mingyong for the glacier, then decide whether to commit to Yubeng. Yubeng needs at least two nights in the village for the waterfall hike, and guesthouse beds are limited, so book ahead in the busy season.
How to get to Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng
Trains from Lijiang reach Shangri-La in under two hours; from there, buses and hired cars take about 4 hours over the mountains to Deqin and Feilaisi, about 10 km beyond the town. Direct buses from Shangri-La to Ninong, the trailhead for the walk in to Yubeng, take about 4.5 hours.
Where to stay
Stay at Feilaisi, or in Deqin town, for the dawn view and the glacier trail, then move into Upper or Lower Yubeng if you are walking in; supplies are carried in, so expect simple rooms.
What to eat
- Butter tea 酥油茶: A salty tea churned with yak butter, a warming staple of Tibetan villages and guesthouses.
- Highland barley flatbread 青稞饼: A dense, hearty bread made from highland barley.
- Yak hotpot 牦牛火锅: Yak meat simmered in a communal pot, a common meal in Shangri-La and Deqin.
Tips for visiting Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng
- Yubeng lies above 3,000 m and its side hikes climb towards 4,000 m, so acclimatise in Shangri-La first; in winter and early spring, snow and avalanche risk can close the trails at short notice.
- A new road from Xidang to Yubeng, served by shuttle minibuses (no private cars), opened on a trial basis in 2026, but the classic walk in along the Ninong gorge is still open.
- Feilaisi, Mingyong and Yubeng are all on the Yunnan side; the full pilgrim circuit crosses into the Tibet Autonomous Region, which needs extra permits for foreign visitors.
Nearby
- Nujiang Grand Canyon & Bingzhongluo 怒江大峡谷与丙中洛 50 km
A deep, remote river canyon of Lisu and Nu villages, mission churches and a horseshoe bend - Shangri-La & Songzanlin Monastery 香格里拉松赞林寺 100 km
A golden-roofed Tibetan monastery stacked up a hillside, nicknamed 'Little Potala'
On the map
Open Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng 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.
Open Meili Snow Mountain & Yubeng on the map