The 13 majestic peaks of Meili Xue Shan (Méilǐ xuěshān, 梅里雪山; meaning "Meili Snow Mountains") divide Tibet from Yunnan in the far northwestern reaches of the latter province. This is a serious mountain range. Effectively a far-eastern spur of the mighty Himalayas, Yunnan's tallest peak, Kawagebo (Kǎwǎgébó, 卡瓦格博; also known as Kawa Karpo and Taizi Shan), which tops out at 6,740 m (22,113 ft) above sea level, the Meili Xue Shan range is something that most visitors simply gaze upon from a safe distance, usually the beautiful Tibetan Feilai Temple (Fēilái Sì, 飞来寺), though it is possible to head up to the 12 km (8 mi) long Mingyong Glacier (Míngyǒng Bīngchuān, 明永冰川) which flows off Kawagebo.

Anything beyond that, and you'd better be an accomplished mountaineer with all the right equipment—and don't expect to get anywhere close to the glacier from late October through mid-spring when roads and trails are frequently snowed in. However, the best time to view the mountains from afar—from Deqin (Déqīn, 德钦), or as close as you can get—is from January through May, when the skies are the clearest and the obscuring mists typical of the warmer months have yet to descend on the range.

The sheer beauty of the mountains is accompanied by a number of stupas (chörten), strings of colorful prayer flags and two more Tibetan temples, Taizi Temple (Tàizǐ Miào, 太子庙), which is situated partway up Kawagebo off the trail to Mingyong Glacier, and Lotus Temple (Liánhuā Miào, 莲花庙), which lies even further up the mountainside and is a splendid spot from which to view the glacier.

Both temples can be reached by trail—it's roughly a 45-minute hike to Tiazi Miao and another half hour to Lianhua Miao—and Tiazi Miao also offers basic accommodations in a small guesthouse (RMB 120-150/night). You can also spend the night in the small town of Mingyong (Míngyǒng Cūn, 明永村)up the road from the larger town of Deqin, which serves as the administrative center of Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Expect to spend between RMB 20 and RMB 100 for anything from a bed to a room in a government-run guesthouse; don't expect anything more than rudimentary facilities and plan for possible electricity outages.

Yunnan guide | Shangri-La guide | Shangri-La attractions
Shangri-La flights | Shangri-La hotels | Shangri-La tours & activities
Shangri-La on the China Travel Blog