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.
Pudacuo National Park is China’s first National Park to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. The park has an internal bus that shuttles visitors between their two huge lakes – Shudu Lake and Bita Lake. There are yaks, cows, horses and sheep grazing across the entire park.
