Potatso National Park is a 1,300-square-kilometre (500-square-mile) national park located in Shangri-la County, Yunnan Province in China. The park was announced on June 25, 2007, and is notable as the first national park in China to meet international union for Conservation of Nature standards. It incorporates the Bita Lake Nature Reserve and the Duhu Scenic Area in the Hongshan region. They are part of the Three Paralled Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas and UNWSCO world heritage site.
　　The region of this park contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 indangered species. Though it comprises only 0.7 percent of China's land area. It is notably home to vulnerable black-necked cranes, many rare and beautiful orchids, and Himalayan Yew. The park is about a 50-minute drive from Zhongdian. It has two lakes, a visitor center, several interesting minority villages, lush forests and pasture views.
　　The Potatso National Park is 3,500 meters to 4,000 meters above the sea level. As the highest lake in Yunnan, Bitahai Lake is 3,500m above the 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 which is 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 grow 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 - ideal habitat for rare animals including red-footed pheasant, silver pheasant, wide bull, leopard and lynx.
　　Clear water, lovely fish, herds of cows and sheep, and surrounded by lots of primitive forests is the truly description of Shuduhu Lake. The lake water is so limpid that people could 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. It has 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 is as strong as stone, so he prayed 'wish the cheese here is as strong as stone forever'. From then on the name of Shudukang came into being.