While Shangrila is split between Tibetan and Han Chinese residents, and fair smattering of other minority's, the surrounding countryside is entirely Tibetan. The name change in 2001 was a sign of the desire for increasing mass tourism, yet the town still has nowhere near Lijiang's crowds, and it's still possible to experience the area's Tibetan heritage and see gorgeous countryside in near isolation.
"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet!" Shangri-la, formerly Zhongdian, is known as Xianggelila in Chinese and Gyalthang to the local Tibetan population. Recently the region was "identified" by the provincial government as Shangri-la, the fabled setting for James Hilton's classic tale Lost Horizon. An interesting claim considering Lost Horizon is fiction. The phrase "Shangri-La" most probably comes from the three Tibetan characters, meaning "Shang Mountain Pass". However, it may be that Hilton had heard of Shambhala - the Tibetan equivalent of Shangri-La, but could not remember its name!
The old town is slowly changing, with traditional building turning into cafes, hotels and shops selling tourist trinkets from fake tiger skins to counterfeit North Face jackets. However, there is still an abundance of small charming streets away from the Old Town Square to explore. The nightly dancing in the square beginning at 8pm is popular for locals of all ages, and anyone is welcome to join in. The whole thing lasts for an hour and each song has its own set of choreographed moves.
A few kilometers outside town the impressive Songzanlin Monastery, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery in Tibetan, sits on a hill. According to local guides, it currently accommodates 700 monks and is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace. Built in 1679, at its peak the monastery contained accommodation for 2000 monks. |
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