This is the peak of Mount Kawa Karpo, taken from the remote village of Fei Lai Si, north of Deqin on the China-Tibet border. Rising to a majestic 6,720 meters, it has long been considered a holy mountain - its peak has never been climbed. First seen by a foreigner in 1928, Joseph Rock, an eminent American -Austrian botanist, when he first glimpsed the mountain was in complete awe and originally thought it higher than Mount Everest. Certainly getting there is something of a trek. Deqin itself is a largely Tibetan community, a small village of about 30,000 nestling in a Northern Yunnan Himalayan Valley, while the county itself numbers a population of about 80,000, the vast majority of whom are Tibetans. Deqin is a six hour drive north from Zhongdian (now known as Shangri-La) over some of the most pristine country China has to offer - the route is one of the old Tea Horse Road passes and reaches way up into the mountains at over 4,000 meters before gradually descending to Deqin at a mere 3,500 meters. Fei Lai Si is just a few kilometers further on, and possesses a few hostels and bars, all with spectacular views. There are many treks and trails also crossing the nearby ranges.

The route is open to tourists, with only one check post at the border of Deqin County as you cross the Yangtze in it's Himalayan origins being required to present credentials. Zhongdian itself can be reached either by plane (four flights weekly from Kunming) or from Lijiang - a four hour drive essentially also following the Yangtze north. Again, this is a drive well worth doing. Both Zhongdian, Deqin & Fei Lai Si all possess a number of decent hostels with rooms available as you arrive from RMB20 a night. If you want to get away - and put a bit of Tibetan spirituality into your life this summer - a trip to view the peak of Kawa Karpo, China's most beautiful mountain, may be just what you need.

Related Contacts:

Lijiang http://www.chinaexpat.com/city/lijiang-city

Zhongdian http://www.chinaexpat.com/article/2008/06/05/zhongdian/just-case-you-get-sent-zhongdian.html