Our visit to Songzanlin Monastery

14 September 2024

A trip to Shangri-La would have been incomplete without a visit to the ancient Songzanlin Monastery or the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery.

Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan Province. The main monastery structure is built in Tibetan style with a gilded copper roof similar to the one at the Potala Palace in Lhasa and is hence called the “Little Potala Palace”. The other buildings in the complex are built-in Han Chinese style. It was originally build between 1679-1681 by the Great 5th Dalai Lama, got destroyed during the revolution of 1966 and was rebuilt in 1982.  It used to house over 2000 monks but the temple is now home to about 700 monks belonging to the Gelug Yellow Hat sect.

As we walked to the entrance of the monastery, we could see the homes of the monks located on the sides of the main monastery building.

The quarters for the monks on the sides of the Songzanlin Monastery.

The entrance is quite grand. A pair of stone lions guards the gate like most Chinese temples. On the top, there are symbols of Buddhism, a pair of male and female deer at either side of an eight-spoke dharma wheel.

Main entrance to the monastery.

Dharma Wheel and a pair of deer on top on the entrance.

View of the monastery from the gate.

To get to the monastery, we had to climb a flight of stairs. The monastery is at an altitude of 3880 meters. At this high altitude, climbing the stairs is not easy due to the thin air. This is similar to what we experienced at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We still had a can of oxygen leftover from our visit to the mountain. It was put to good use although we could have made do without it.

       Walking through the main street lined with traditional Tibetan style buildings with white walls and colourful windows.

146 steps to the top.

Like us, many people were resting and catching  their breath on the way up. Once at the top, we were rewarded with excellent views of the surrounding, including Lamuyangcuo Lake.

View of Lamuyangcuo Lake from the Songzanlin Monastery.

After enjoying the views, we went to see the insides of the main buildings. The monastery houses many religious items and precious Tibetan Buddhist cultural relics, such as gilded statues of Sakyamuni, palm-leaf scripts, thangka (religious tapestries), and golden lamps.

Our guide told us the rules for visiting this religious site.

• No photo-taking inside the building.
• No wearing of sun glasses inside.
• Step over and not on the threshold when entering.
• Always go clockwise direction when visiting.
• No loud voices.

      

Large terrace with the religious buildings.

We went to the Prayer Hall where we saw many glided statues. This included the deities and dharma protectors, and also statues of Past Buddha, Current Buddha and Future Buddha. Thanks to our guide, we learned that the Future Buddha sits with legs down, like in chair while the Current Buddha sits crossed legged.

Unfortunately, no photography is allowed, so I could not take photos to show these statues.

The altar is decorated with many yak butter lamps and floral pieces carved from yak butter.

Front view of the main assembly hall.

In the main assembly hall, we also saw rows of seats where monks can gather to chant and meditate in unison. There is capacity for thousand of monks but currently only 700 monks reside in monastery.     

There are murals on the side that told the story of Buddha. It was good that we went with a guide. He told us story of how a prince in India named Siddhartha Gautama saw death, sickness and old age. He decided to give up his lavish lifestyle and embraced a life of extreme self-discipline to seek enlightenment and founded Buddhism.

We visited the last hall on the right where our guide explained the Buddha’s teachings. The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.       
View of the Shangri-La city in the distance.

One of the many chapels on the side.

One of the must do when visiting the monastery is to spin the prayer wheels. There are several prayer wheels in Songzanlin Monastery, varying in size and arranged in a harmonious layout.

The prayer wheel inside the monastery should be spun clockwise. Each spin is equivalent to reciting a scripture once, making it an excellent way to repent past deeds, ward off disasters, and accumulate merit.

Spinning the prayer wheel at the Songzanlin Monastery. We are to spin this wheel 3 times.

More prayer wheels.

Group photo before leaving the monastery.

After visiting the monastery, we went to take a walk around Lamuyangcuo Lake. This must not be missed as there are several spots for taking excellent photos of the Songzanlin Monastery reflected on the surface of the lake. 

The colourful roofs and structure of the monastery are best viewed from the path to the lake.

Zoomed in photo of the roof structure.

We took the lakeside boardwalk where are two panoramic viewing platforms for admiring the monastery: one is at the center of the lake and the other is near Conggulong Village, which is considered the best viewpoint.  

View of the monastery and its reflection on the surface of the lake at the first viewing platform.  

We could see dark clouds approaching!

By the time we walked to the second viewing platform, the wind had picked up forming ripples on the surface.

Taking photos at the second viewing platform at the center of the lake.

The dark clouds rolling in add drama to this photo. Will there be a storm soon?

Walking back to the monastery along the boardwalk.

After enjoying the views of the monastery and the lake, we had to return to the entrance of the monastery to take the shuttle bus back to the entrance of the Songzanlin Monastery Scenic Area. Fortunately, there was no rain, despite the dark sky.

From there we returned to Dukezong Ancient Town, about 8 km away.

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Guided tour and dinner at Shangri-La’s Dukezong Old Town

14 September 2024

We came back to Shangri-La’s Dukezong Ancient Town after visiting two of Shangri-La most popular tourist destinations, namely the Potatso National Park and Songzanlin Monastery. By the time we arrived, it was already slightly past 5 PM.

We entered via the North Gate.

North Gate of Dukezong Ancient Town.

This 1,300-year-old town features traditional Tibetan homes, ancient temples and pagodas, and narrow, winding alleyways. We had already seen some parts of the town the previous evening. The ancient streets and quaint alleys are lined with various local souvenir shops.

Street leading from the gate to Sifang Square.  

Stone-paved streets of Dukezong Ancient Town.

Our guide brought us to Moonlight Square and from there, we climbed the steps up to Guishan (Turtle Hill) Park (龜山公園) where the Big Buddha Temple (大佛寺) and Giant Prayer Wheel (轉經筒) are located.

Guishan Park is a good place to have a panoramic view of Shangri-La city and the Dukezong Old Town.

   View of the old town from top of Guishan.

Prayer flags attached to one of the houses.

We went inside the Buddhist Temple where our guide explained the significance of the various statues of Buddha, deities and dharma protectors and murals on the wall.

He also explained the meanings of the prayer flags. Prayer flags originated in Tibet, but are used in many countries in the Himalayan region, including Nepal and Bhutan.

My T-shirt with the prayer flags is actually a gift that my son bought after his Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal.

The flags do not carry prayers to gods. Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras printed on the flags will be spread by the wind and bring goodwill and compassion to benefit all beings. The five different colours of the prayer flags represent the air, fire, water, earth, and space. 

Continuing our walk in a clockwise direction on the hill, we arrived at the landmark of the Old Town, the Giant Prayer Wheel.

21 meter tall Giant Prayer Wheel.

Turning the Giant Prayer Wheel at Guishan, Shangi-La to get blessings.

It contains millions of the traditional six-syllable Om Mani Padme Hum mantras inside. Locals and visitors would turn the prayer wheel 3 rounds by hand using straps handles provided at the base to get the blessings.

Compared to the previous evening, there were less people around. It was harder to turn the 16 ton prayer wheel but we still managed to do it.

After seeing the highlights, we descended from Guishan to explore the town further till dinner time.

We wanted to do some souvenir shopping and found that the shops in Shangri-La were quite different from those in Kunming, Dali and Lijiang. The shops in Shangri-La focused mainly on local products such as yak. Yak milk nougats, yak meat jerky, yak this, yak that. Our guide told us some the products, especially the cheaper ones, are made with beef since yak is more expensive.

Shopping for snacks to bring home.

We saw the Big Buddha Temple (大佛寺) on top of Guishan that we visited earlier. It looked so majestic when viewed from afar. Crows were circling over it. I learnt that monks would sometimes feed the offerings in the temple to the crows. Hence these intelligent birds knew where to hang out.

The Big Buddha Temple perched on top of Guishan.

Crows circling over the big Buddha Temple.

 

Many of the stores in the old town have pet dogs that came out to play.

A Retriever with toy.

While exploring the town, we chanced upon the Flying Tiger Cafe. My wife had read about this cafe when we were searching for places to have dinner and this cafe has good reviews.

For me, I knew about the Flying Tigers from WW II history.  They are US airmen that flew with the Republic of China Air Force in late 1941 and 1942 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Flying Tigers were based in Yunnan are operated the Curtiss P-40 fighters planes. 

The Flying Tiger Cafe serves Western style dishes and also yak burgers. Since we had already planned to have yak hotpot for dinner at the Three Brother's Cafe, we bought a takeaway yak burger to eat with our hotpot. 

Various options of yak burgers in the menu.

While waiting for our order to be prepared, I took a look at the memorabilia inside the cafe.

Resting at the Flying Tiger Cafe while waiting for our yak burger to be cooked.

Photo of P-40 Warhawks painted with shark face.

We returned to the Three Brother's Cafe for yak hotpot as planned. Yak Hotpot is a popular dish in Shangri-La. The yak meat is sliced thinly, tender and flavorful served in a rich flavour broth that is clear or spicy. There are also rice noodles and vegetables in the hotpot.

It is rich in nutrients and provides warming and invigorating benefits, making it especially suitable for nourishment during the cold winter of Shangri-La.

Watching the local dancing in the town square while waiting for our dinner to be served.

Yak Hotpot Dinner at the Three Brother’s Cafe.

There are also rice noodles and vegetables in the hotpot.

Relaxing time at the Three Brother's Cafe.

We chilled at the Three Brother's Cafe with a couple of beers until it was time to transfer to the Diqing Shangri-La Airport for our 22.50 PM Eastern Airlines flight to Kunming.

The Diqing airport was quiet and relatively empty. Ours was probably the only flight leaving at that time of night.

It was a short domestic flight to Kunming.  We arrived shortly before midnight. Compared to Diqing, Kunming Airport at near midnight was still bustling with activity. Our local Kunming guide was waiting with a car and driver to transfer us to the Cachet Boutique Hotel.

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Trip Overview – First visit to Lombok, an Indonesian island that could rival Bali

I first heard of Lombok from an Indonesia colleague about 20 years ago. He told me Lombok is a laidback island that could be even better than Bali, an Indonesian island that is rated regularly as one of the best travel destinations in the world.

I did not take him seriously that time. It was last year that I became interested in Lombok again. That was when my son took up the challenge to scale Mount Rinjani. Mount Rinjani is an active volcano that rises to 3,726 meters, making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia and a magnet for hikers and adventure seekers. 

Besides Mount Rinjani, Lombok is famous for its beautiful beaches and has many natural wonders to explore and unique wildlife to see. After some research, I made up my mind that Lombok would be worth a visit and suggested a trip there with my friends who have also not visited Lombok before.

No, we are not doing trekking to Mount Rinjani. We are too physically unfit for that now. Instead, we planned to visit the Gili Islands for some snorkeling, trek to see some waterfalls and spend some time relaxing in a beach resort.

Lombok is less than 3 hours away from Singapore via direct flight using Scoot. Scoot flies to this island only 3 times a week, so we had to work with this constraint to plan a 5D/4N itinerary.

Where we stayed

There are numerous beach resorts in Lombok. We decided to book our stay at the Jeeva Klui Resort, a beach resort located in Senggigi. The resort is set in a spacious tropical garden on Klui Beach, overlooking the sea and the island of Bali in the horizon. Each couple booked a suite room; some with Ocean facing rooms and some with Pool facing views.

Our Ocean-view Suite at the Jeeva Klui Resort.

Senggigi is about an hour by car from the airport. Located on the north-western part of the island, Senggigi is the best place to stay for those wanting to visit the 3 Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno) and waterfalls in the northern part of Lombok (near the village of Senaru).  It also offers good views of the sunset.

Jeeva Klui Resort at Senggigi.

With a draft itinerary in mind, I contacted a local guide named Omar (Mobile: +62 81907623594) to make arrangements for transport and activities for the 8 of us. Omar was very responsive and we agreed on the itinerary and services to be provided at a reasonable price.

The services include the following:

Private van with driver to transport the 8 of us for activities on Day 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Private glass bottom boat and snorkeling gear (life vest, mask, fins) for trip to the Gili Islands on Day 2.

Documentation with GoPro camera underwater during the snorkeling trip.

Entrance fees and parking fees.

Local guides.

Mineral water.

Day 1 – Arrival and travel to Senggigi

We took the morning flight from Singapore, arriving in the late morning. Omar (our guide) and Andie (our driver) picked us up as planned.

On the way to our hotel in Senggigi, we stopped for lunch at Lesehan Taliwang Nada, a restaurant in Mataram that specialises in a local dish called the Ayam Taliwang. Ayam Taliwang is a spicy Indonesian ayam bakar (grilled chicken) dish from Lombok.

Taliwang Nada serves Lombok cuisine that includes the Ayam Taliwang.

The rest of the day was supposed to be “free and easy” at the resort. We requested Omar and Andie to drive us into Senggigi town for a massage at Orchid Spa before dinner.   

Enjoying the seaside vibes at the Jeeva Klui Resort.

Sunset at Tanjong Bias Beach.

Omar then brought us to a beach to see sunset. We had dinner at a beachside restaurant called the Yessy Kitchen.

Trip report: Makan, Massage and Sunset at Senggigi, Lombok.

Day 2 - Day trip to the Gili Islands

After breakfast at the resort, Omar and the driver picked us for a snorkeling trip to the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air). Situated only a few kilometres off the northwest coast of Lombok, the Gili Islands is a hugely popular tourist destination.

Snorkeling in the clear waters of the Gili Islands.

A day out to these islands by private chartered glass bottom boat was the highlight of my first trip to Lombok.

We saw plenty of corals and fishes and we got to swim with the turtles!

Trip report: Boat Trip to the Gili Islands of Lombok.

After returning from the boat trip, we had time to shower back at the resort and enjoy evening cocktails by the sea before dinner.

Jeeva Klui offered 1 for 1 cocktails during the Happy Hour.

Omar brought us to the Yessy Restaurant which is owned by the same owner as Yessy Kitchen.

Delicious food at the Yessy Restaurant.

Day 3 – Explore Lombok’s waterfalls at Senaru Village

Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep Waterfall are two incredible waterfalls in the north of Lombok. The waterfalls are located in the town of Senaru, about 77 km from our hotel in Senggigi.

We took the chartered van with driver and guide for the day trip to the Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls. It took us about 2 hours to get to Senaru. On the way, we saw plenty of villages, countryside, beaches and padi fields.

We had lunch at the Rinjani Lodge before trekking to the waterfalls. The first waterfall, Sendang Gile, is easily accessible from Rinjani Lodge.

Sendang Gile is an impressive two-tiered waterfall with massive force.

The trek to the Tiu Kelep waterfall was more challenging and interesting. We went through lush tropical jungle, rocky trails and had to cross the shallow river that leads to the Tiu Kelep waterfall.

Tip: bring aqua shoes or hiking sandals if you do not want to wet your hiking shoes.

Tiu Kelep waterfall.

Trip report: Day trip to Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls from Senggigi.

Day 4 – Free and easy at the Jeeva Klui Resort

This is the day where we made use of the resort’s facilities and chilled by beach.

We gathered as usual for our morning breakfast at the resort’s restaurant. The restaurant serves cooked to order breakfast and we took our time to savour the various items in the menu.

Chilling at the beach next to the resort.

After breakfast, some went to the gym while the rest of us took a stroll on the beach and went for a swim in the resort’s pool.

In the afternoon, we took taxis to the Orchid Spa for massage before returning to chill at the resort again.

We had dinner at the resort’s restaurant. It happened that there was live music at the restaurant on Saturdays. We enjoyed a night of excellent food and live entertainment. 

Trip report: Free and Easy at Jeeva Klui Resort in Senggigi, Lombok.

  

Day 5 – Travel to airport

Our return flight was scheduled for 11 AM. Our guide Jali and driver Andie picked us up from Jeeva Klui Resort as planned.

Good bye Lombok. Will be back soon.

Overall our first trip to Lombok has been fun and a little too short to fully appreciate what Lombok has to offer.

During our ride to airport, our guide Jali shared other areas in Lombok that are worth visiting for our next trip. This includes the beautiful beaches in the south of the island such as Kuta Beach or Pink Beach, and also the many other small islands (e.g. Gili Asahan, Gili Gede, Gili Nanggu) off the south western coast of Lombok.

I think this travel destination has a lot of potential and worth coming back again. Our guides (Omar and Jali) and driver had been excellent and I would likely engage them again.

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