Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, adjacent to Xizang Autonomous Region in the northwest, with an area of 23,870 square kilometers. It governs the Weixi Yi Autonomous County in Zhongdian and Deqin counties, and has 29 townships (towns) and 184 administrative villages (offices). There are 26 ethnic groups in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, with a total population of 33 1272.
Due to the obvious vertical climate, Diqing Prefecture is rich in biological resources such as plants, animals and microorganisms. According to statistics, there are 5000 kinds of seed plants, many of which are precious medicinal materials and rare ornamental plants. There are 89 species of wild mammals, including Yunnan golden monkey, wild donkey, snow leopard, leopard, impala, etc., which are listed as national first-class protected animals: wild birds 170 species, including black-necked cranes and other protected animals.
Because of the low average temperature, long sunshine and large difference between day and night, it is especially suitable for the growth and breeding of alpine flowers and other plants. There are many kinds of flowers in Diqing Prefecture, including more than 200 kinds of azaleas alone. Precious flowers and plants such as orchids, primroses, saussurea involucrata, gentian, lily and meconopsis are distributed everywhere. Wild edible fungi 136 species, among which high-grade edible fungi such as Tricholoma matsutake, Morchella esculenta and chanterelle are the main products of Diqing's export to earn foreign exchange.
The special geographical structure has created the wonderful natural landscape of Diqing. From the banks of Jinsha River with Jiangnan characteristics to the snowy mountains and canyons, people can "walk" all kinds of climatic scenic zones in the world in one day-"Diqing phenomenon" of "snow drifts in June, fruits are ripe, and apricot flowers are frozen in March", which makes visitors amazed. "The first line divides the sky into a moat, and the two mountains are sandwiched by fighting stones"-Tiger Leaping Gorge: "The first wonder in the world"-the first bay of the Yangtze River; "Fairy Field"-Baishuitai; "Pearl of Plateau"-Bitahai; Napahai, a paradise for black-necked cranes; Samarge, the hometown of Yunnan golden monkey, is the "God of Snow Mountain"-Kagebo Peak, Shangri-La Grand Canyon Group-a mysterious library of all kinds of climatic and ecological phenomena.
Zhongdian, the capital of Diqing Prefecture, is the largest pastoral area in Yunnan Province. The grassland is thousands of miles long and boundless, the grass is green, the cattle and sheep are leisurely playing in the depths of the grassland, the pink-white houses and scattered villages are hidden in the meadow or dense forest that fluctuates with the wind. The fragrant buttered tea, like the national costume of colorful clouds, makes it more difficult to distinguish between heaven and earth. Occasionally, the folk songs of the shepherdess will make you intoxicated ...
Religious culture is one of the most charming cultures in this land. Tibetan Buddhism is very infectious in Tibetan culture. Among ordinary people, everything from clothing to accommodation, from singing and dancing to festivals is influenced by religious culture. Gadansong Zanlin Temple is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan and one of the thirteen famous forests of Tibetan Buddhism. It is magnificent, and the buildings are concentrated and scattered, which is a rare tourist attraction.
Diqing is located in the national corridor, with frequent cultural exchanges among all ethnic groups, forming colorful national costumes and buildings. As far as national costumes are concerned, there are as many as seven kinds of Tibetan costumes in China, which can be described as "different clothes across mountains and rivers". There are also three kinds of Naxi costumes, which can be regarded as a collection of Naxi costumes. The temple gardens here perfectly combine the essence of Tibetan Buddhism with western modernity.