香格里拉一日 · 松赞林寺与普达措

独克宗古城是香格里拉的老城，藏语里「独克宗」是「月光城」的意思，有一千三百多年历史，过去是茶马古道上的一个重要驿站，商队从云南运茶进藏都打这儿过。石板路、木头的藏式房子，坡坡坎坎地铺开。城中央的龟山公园上有一个巨大的转经筒，要几个人一起使劲才转得动，转一圈要念经，是当地人和游客都喜欢去的地方。早上人少，光线好，站在山上看古城一层层的屋顶。

Dukezong is Shangri-La's old town; in Tibetan the name means 'moonlight city', and it has thirteen hundred years behind it as an important staging post on the Tea Horse Road, where caravans carrying Yunnan tea to Tibet passed through. Stone lanes and wooden Tibetan houses step up and down the slope. On Guishan hill at the centre stands a great prayer wheel that needs several people pulling together to move; those who turn it recite scripture as they walk, and locals and visitors both come. Mornings are quiet with good light, and from the hill you look down on the town's roofs, tier above tier.

松赞林寺在香格里拉城北，正式名字叫「噶丹·松赞林」，是云南规模最大的藏传佛教寺院，也是格鲁派的重要寺院，因为建在山坡上、金顶一层层排上去，被叫做「小布达拉宫」。寺院前有一个湖，天晴时整座寺倒映在水里，是最好看的角度。进去要爬一段长台阶，两边是僧舍，红墙白墙、黄边窗户。殿里有壁画、唐卡和酥油灯的味道，僧人念经的声音一阵一阵。参观顺时针走，殿内不拍照、不喧哗、不戴帽子。

Songzanlin stands north of Shangri-La, formally Ganden Sumtseling — the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan and an important Gelug foundation, known as the 'little Potala' because it climbs a hillside with gilded roofs rising tier on tier. There is a lake in front, and on a clear day the whole monastery is mirrored in it, which is the finest view. Getting in means a long flight of steps with monks' quarters either side — red and white walls, windows edged in yellow. Inside the halls are murals, thangkas and the smell of butter lamps, with the sound of chanting coming and going. Walk clockwise, do not photograph inside the halls, keep quiet, and take off your hat.

香格里拉的饭是藏餐：酥油茶是砖茶加酥油和盐打出来的，热的，咸香，一口下去暖到胃里；糌粑是青稞炒面，倒点酥油茶捏成团，是最传统的吃法；牦牛肉可以炖、可以炒、可以做成火锅，肉紧、味重；还有藏式包子、青稞饼、奶渣、藏面。高原上饭菜偏油偏咸是有道理的——这儿冷、消耗大。刚到高原胃口可能一般，先喝汤、少吃点，别撑着。

Food in Shangri-La is Tibetan: butter tea, brick tea churned with butter and salt, served hot, savoury, warming straight through; tsampa, roasted barley flour pressed into balls with a little butter tea, the most traditional way to eat; and yak braised, stir-fried or made into hotpot, firm and full-flavoured; with Tibetan dumplings, barley bread, dried cheese and Tibetan noodles. The richness and salt are there for a reason — it is cold and people work hard. Your appetite may be off on the first day at altitude, so start with soup and eat lightly rather than stuffing yourself.

普达措国家公园在香格里拉城东，是中国大陆第一个国家公园，海拔三千五百米上下。属都湖是园里主要的一个湖，水很深，蓝得发暗，湖边是大片草甸，牦牛和马在里面吃草，背后是密密的云杉和冷杉林。园里坐观光车进去，湖边有木栈道，可以走一段也可以坐车。走栈道大概三四公里，平缓好走，慢慢走、多歇几次。

Pudacuo lies east of Shangri-La and was the first national park in mainland China, at around 3,500 metres. Shudu is the principal lake, deep and dark blue, with broad meadow at its shore where yaks and horses graze, and dense spruce and fir forest behind. You enter by shuttle, and a boardwalk runs along the lake — you can walk a stretch or ride. The boardwalk is three or four kilometres, level and easy, so go slowly and rest often.

碧塔海在普达措的深处，藏语里意思是「栎树成毡的地方」，四面是密密的原始森林，湖心有一座小岛，上面长着老树。湖面很静，天晴时把四周的山和树都照下来。这里海拔比属都湖还高一点，木栈道穿林而过，走起来安静，能听见鸟叫和踩在落叶上的声音。这一段通常是当天最安静的地方。

Bita Lake lies deep inside Pudacuo; in Tibetan the name means 'place where oaks grow like felt', with dense old-growth forest on every side and a small wooded island at its centre. The surface is still and on a clear day holds the surrounding hills and trees. It sits a little higher than Shudu, and the boardwalk threads through the forest, quiet enough to hear birds and your own steps on the leaf litter. This is usually the quietest stretch of the day.

纳帕海在香格里拉城西北，是个很特别的湖——雨季水涨上来是一片湖，旱季水退下去就变成一片草原，当地人叫它「依拉草原」。草原上能骑马，远处是山，天好的时候云很低、影子在山坡上一块块地走。冬天水面上有黑颈鹤、斑头雁这些候鸟来过冬，是观鸟的好地方。黄昏来最好：光斜、牛马回家、云的影子在草上移动。

Napa lies north-west of Shangri-La and is an unusual lake: in the rains it fills into a sheet of water, in the dry season it drains back into grassland — the locals call that part Yila. You can ride horses on the grass, hills stand beyond, and on a fine day the cloud is low and its shadows walk across the slopes in patches. In winter black-necked cranes and bar-headed geese come to over-winter, making it good bird country. Dusk is the best time: raking light, cattle going home, cloud shadows moving over the grass.

晚上回独克宗古城吃饭最舒服。藏式火锅是铜锅，底下烧着炭，锅里是牦牛肉、牛骨汤、萝卜、土豆、菌子和青菜，配蘸水吃；也有牦牛肉火锅、松茸炖鸡、藏香猪。古城的巷子里餐馆、酒吧、手工艺店很多，吃完饭随便走走，看看木房子和挂着的经幡。高原晚上凉得快，加件外套。

Coming back to Dukezong for dinner is the most comfortable end to the day. Tibetan hotpot is a copper pot over charcoal, with yak, beef bone broth, radish, potato, mushrooms and greens, eaten with a dipping sauce; there is also yak hotpot, chicken stewed with matsutake, and Tibetan black pork. The old town's lanes are full of restaurants, bars and craft shops, so wander after eating among the wooden houses and hanging prayer flags. Highland evenings cool fast — add a jacket.

晚上独克宗的月光广场上，天黑了人就聚起来，音乐一放，大家手拉手围成一圈跳「锅庄」——这是藏族的一种圆圈舞，步子不难，跟着节奏踩就行，本地的大爷大妈跳得最好，游客随时能加进去。不跳也可以站边上看，看一会儿就明白了。跳完出一身汗，回客栈睡个好觉，第二天一早高原的阳光会很亮。

In the evening on Dukezong's Moonlight Square people gather as it gets dark, the music starts, and everyone joins hands in a ring for guozhuang — a Tibetan circle dance with simple steps, so you just keep time; the local grandparents do it best and visitors can join at any moment. You can also stand and watch and will have it in a few minutes. Dance a while, work up a sweat, sleep well at your guesthouse — and the highland sun will be bright early next morning.