Báishuǐtái is a limestone deposit plateau 108km southeast of Zhōngdiàn, with some breathtaking scenery and Tibetan villages en route. For good reason it has become probably the most popular backdoor route between Lìjiāng and Zhōngdiàn. The terraces – think of those in Pamukkale in Turkey or Huánglóng in Sìchuān – are lovely, but can be tough to access if rainfall has made trails slippery.
From Zhōngdiàn there are three daily buses to Báishuǐtái (¥24, three hours). One adventurous option is to hike or hitch all the way from Báishuǐtái to Tiger Leaping Gorge. A taxi from Zhōngdiàn is ¥600.
A couple of guesthouses at the nearby towns of Báidì and Sānbà have rooms with beds from ¥50.
