Mingyong Glacier is situated in northwest Yunnan toward the Tibetan Plateau. It has the distinction of being the lowest glacier in China and has a nice walking trail up its flank.
Mingyong Glacier is fed with snow by the massive Mount Meili, which is aptly named Snow Mountain and rises to 6,740m. There are various trails up the glacier which start from the central square in Mingyong village. One path goes off to the toe of the glacier and then up to the Tibetan Taizi Temple. Great views of Mingyong Glacier can then be had farther along this trail at Lianhua Temple.
There are also several other high profile hikes within reach of Mingyong Glacier, and within the Meili Xue Shan Nature Reserve where the glacier resides. The village of Deqin is a decent enough stopping off point, with markets, restaurants and guest houses. Migratory Bird Café on Feilai Si has the best information on hikes for tourists.
Getting There & Away
Mingyong Glacier is best accessed from Deqin, a small town lying on the G214 highway from Zhongdian (Shangri-La). Although not far away, the bus journey is an excruciating 5 hours. Diqing Airport in Zhongdian receives flights from Kunming’s international airport and is 17 hours by road from Deqin.