Baishuitai: “cotton castle” in Shangri-La

Baishuitai, or white water terraces, is one of the most famous geological tourist attractions in Baidi village of Shangri-La city, northwest Yunnan’s Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture.

101 kilometers southeast of Shangri-La city, the castle-like natural landscape lies on a slope with an altitude of 2,380 meters and it is known as cradle of the Dongba culture of the Naxi people.

Baishuitai is formed by the sediments of calcium bicarbonate in streams, which flows downwards from the Haba Snow Mountain into semicircular-shaped limestone stairs.

Reporting by Hailai Azhi (Yunnan Daily app); Photos by Diqing Tourism Bureau; Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi