Guishan Park (Shangri-La)

Introducing Guishan Park (Shangri-La) 
Located in the center of Shangri-la ancient city, Guishan Park is a great attraction famed for the largest prayer wheel in Shangri-La. With an altitude over 3,300 meters, the park stands over the top of a hill near the edge of the Moonlight Square at Dukezong ancient town. It is the highest point of the town, offering a wonderful vantage point for a panoramic view of the whole ancient town and the snowy mountains in the distance.

Guishan Park (Shangri-La) Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Gui Shan Gong Yuan 龟山公园
• Best Time to Visit: Jun, Jul, Sept & Oct
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 hour
• Things to Do: Photography, Tibetan Buddhism, Architecture
• Opening Hours: All day  
• Entrance Fee: Free
• Address: Near Jingtang, Shangri-La, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan

What to expect at Guishan Park (Shangri-La)

Big Buddha Temple
The Big Buddha Temple is located at the top of the Guishan Hill in the center of the ancient city, which is a Tibetan Buddhist Temple architecture with the height of three floors. A large golden bronze Budda is enshrined in the temple. It is said that the statue was modeled imitating the statue of Shakyamuni in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The temple was built during the years of Emperor Kangxi (1622 - 1722) of Qing Dynasty and destroyed in the 8th year of Tongzhi (1869). After several repairs, the scale of the temple was not as large as before. In 2005, the Big Buddha Temple was renovated and opened to the public again. The most attractive Giant Prayer Wheel is located within the temple.

 

Giant Prayer Wheel
The giant prayer wheel in the Big Buddha Temple is made of gold-plated bronze weighs 60 tons with a height of 21 meters. It is the argest of its kind in the world. Built in 2002, it has become a famous tourist attraction in Shangri-La. Starting in June 2005, the prayer wheel is lit up at night like a dazzling jewel. Prayer wheel is also known as “MANI” cylinder. There are 12.4 billion “OM MANI PADME HUM” inside the prayer wheel. Rotating this prayer wheel for three times equals practicing 37.2 billion times of “OM MANI PADME HUM”. Prayer wheel is used as dharma-vessel in Tibetan Buddhism. It is sacred and its power is endless. The prayer wheel can be spun by at least four very strong persons at once. Many locals now climb the hill to spin the wheel to submit their prayers.

 

How to get to Guishan Park (Shangri-La)
• Guishan Park can be reached by bus 1, 3 and Shangri-La 14.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Shangri-La to Guishan Park.

Additional travel advice on Guishan Park (Shangri-La)
• With an average elevation over 3,300 meters, a mild altitude sickness in Shangri-La is quite common. Avoid strenuous activity, and better drink more water. Prepare AMS medication, in accordance with a doctor's advice.
• Sunglasses and sun cream are always needed to protect from the sunburn and strong ultraviolet radiation in the daytime.
• In the principle of Tibetan Buddhist culture, walking around temples, palaces and spinning praying wheels should follow the clockwise direction.
• The stairs to reach the Big Buddha Temple are steep. Please take care of yourselves.