Description
Located 22km east of Shangri-la, Patatso is the first national park in mainland China. In Tibetan language, Patatso means “reaching the opposite side of the lake by boat under the help of a deity”.  Bitahai Lake and Shuduhu Lake are two major parts of the park. Besides these two lakes, forest, marsh, valley, alpine meadow and so on can be seen in the park. All major spots are connected by boardwalk, which offers a closer distance for travelers to experience the natural environment.  

Bitahai Lake
 As the highest lake in Yunnan, Bitahai Lake is 3,500m above sea level. Covering an area of about 159 hectares with an average depth of 20m, Bitaihai Lake is famous for its limpid water and its beautiful scenery set against the mountains and with forests surrounding it. In ancient Tibetan language, Bita means “the area heavily covered with trees”. One can find century-old pines and cypresses growing around the lake, in which the water is crystal clear. In the lake there is an islet covered by cedars and azaleas. In spring, when the withered azalea flowers fall into the lake and are eaten by fish, the fish seem to be unconscious and almost drunk. They float on the surface with their abdomen facing the sky. Around the lake are virgin forests – an ideal habitat for rare animals including red-footed pheasant, silver pheasant, wild bull, leopard and lynx.  

Shuduhu Lake
Clear water, lovely fish, herds of cows and sheep, and surrounded by lots of primitive forests is a true description of Shuduhu Lake. The lake water is so limpid that people can see Shudu cracked-stomach fish produced in the lake whose color is golden and there is a crack line along its stomach. “Shu” means “cheese” in Tibetan and "Du" has the meaning of “stone”. There is a legend that in ancient times an eminent monk roamed from place to place. One day he arrived here. The herdsmen supported and treated him with cheese. The eminent monk was glad to see that the cheese of the pastureland of Shudukang was as strong as stone, so he prayed “wishing the cheese here to be as strong as stone forever”. From then on, the name of Shudukang came into being.