Pudacuo National Park

Pudacuo National Park

As the first national park on the Chinese mainland, Pudacuo was open
 to visitors in 2007. It is about 22 kilometers east from Shangri-la
 county seat. Pudacuo is the transliteration of “Mandala” or “Putuo”
 which refers to a sacred mountain of Avalokiteshvara (Goddess of Mercy).
 “Putuo” or “Puda” means a boat to ferry people from sufferings.
 “Cuo” or “Tso” in Tibetan refers to a lake; so Pudacuo together
 means “Boat Lake”. Pudacuo used to be the original Tibetan name
 for Bita Lake where we can see an isle called Mandala or Mantuluo.
 Pudacuo is an unearthly world without pollution, far away from the
 bustle and hustle world.

Pudacuo Park is mainly comprised of Shudu Lake, Militang Pasture and
 Bita Lake; the elevation there ranges from 3,500 meters to 4,000
 meters above the sea level. As an inseparable part of the Three 
Parallel Rivers-a world natural heritage by UNESCO, Pudacuo Park 
also functions as a natural reserve. The eco environment is well
 preserved with marsh, lakes, virgin forests, brooks, springs, 
and rare fauna and flora resources. Summer scenes inside Pudacuo
 Park are so intoxicating that one will call it the home for 
meconopsis, primrose, rhododendron, spruce, fir, birch and other
 treasured plants. Lots of wild lives live in the park such as
 wild boar, musk deer, leopard, pheasant, and different species 
of birds.

Shudugang Lake

Covering 15 square kilometers, Shudu Lake is 3,700 meters above the
 sea level. Shudu in Tibetan means cheese and stones. It’s said 
that when a Buddhist master visited this area, local Tibetans offered 
him cheese; he (the Buddhist master) saw stones in the ranch and 
wished the cattle of the farmers would be as strong as the stones.

One can trek along the planked path by Shudu Lake to enjoy the 
picturesque sceneries. Living in the limpid water of Shudu　Lake 
are fish locally called “Liefuyu” (fish with cracks on their bellies).
 Furthermore, the lake is shallow enough to be called interestingly
 “a place where one can fish with a wooden stick”.

Militang pasture

Militang Pasture is between Shudu Lake and Bita Lake. Militang is the
 vastest pastureland in Pudacuo Park. It’s dotted with yaks and
 cabbage-like grass (locally called Yak-butter Grass because the
 local Tibetans use the leaves to wrap yak butter). Militang in
 Tibetan means “the Buddha’s eye” because it presents an eye
 outline when overlooked.

Bita Lake

Bita Lake is a fault lake lying in the heart of Pudacuo Park. Being 3 
kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, it exhibits an altitude of 3,530
 meters and a biggest depth of 40 meters. Along the sightseeing planked
 passage ashore, growing are multitudes of centuries-old oak trees, 
spruces, firs with usneas on.

Bita Lake is the highlight of Pudacuo Park. Among the local Tibetans, 
Bita Lake is said to be incarnated from a piece of mirror of a fairy
 lady who broke her mirror when combing in the heaven. “Bita” in
 Tibetan also refers to a place where lots of oak trees are growing.
 In the centre of the lake, a small wooded island is made the shelter 
for many rare species of birds. If you are lucky enough to be in the 
non-windy day, the rosy clouds, the snow-capped mountains and the 
nearby forests are all mirrored in the lake.

Fish Drunk By Rhododendrons
Bita Lake abounds in fish resources. In each May, petals of the rhododendron
 flowers fall onto the lake and are mistakenly swallowed by the fish which
 then will be seen “floating” because the petals are toxic; the scene is
 the so-called “Dujuanzuiyu”-“fish drunk by rhododendron”.