The Diqing Tibetan Cultural Museum is a small modern building at the southern edge of town and a useful first stop for visitors who want some context for the region before heading out to the monasteries and the grasslands. Exhibits cover Tibetan religion, daily life, textiles, weaponry, and the natural history of the Three Parallel Rivers region; English captions are partial but adequate.
Entrance is free. Allow an hour and a half. The museum is closed Mondays.