A Taste Of Tibet

Tibetan Prayer Flags

With our great Gorge trek over with, we hopped in a mini-van for the 3 hour ride to the Northern tip of the Yunnan Province & the city of Shangri-La. We didn’t know this but, the town is actually called Zhongdian. It wasn't until 2002 that the name changed to Shangri-La. No doubt, for tourist reasons as the name alone has a “wow-factor” to foreign travelers. For those that don’t know, Shangri-La is a fictional mountaintop paradise created by British novelist James Hilton in his Lost Horizon book in 1933. Since that book, the name has been associated with a “Heaven on Earth”. Somewhere so beautifully perfect & peaceful, that it couldn’t possibly exist on this planet. I wouldn’t say Shangri-La is “Paradise” or even “Himalayan Utopia”, but I can definitely see why people make these connections.

Flags Everywhere

Located at an elevation close to 10,000 feet, it’s by far the highest place I’ve ever stayed. The region is ruggedly beautiful & rich in natural resource. Endless grasslands, imposing snow capped mountains, crystal clear lakes & remote Tibetan temples litter the landscape. Needless to say, it was starkly different than any other place in China we had been. It really ‘felt’ like Tibet. The temperature dropped significantly, the bitter glacial winds constantly hindered us & the altitude proved a formidable foe. It’s amazing how difficult it was to breathe. A simple few stairs took way too much effort.

Women Bringing "Offerings" To Be Burned

 








                      I mentioned that the name changed in 2002 as a “gimmick” to draw more tourists. I’d say this tactic has undoubtedly been successful. There are signs of Western development and I think some of the Tibetan charm has already been lost. Despite this recent expansion, the place remains very isolated & can only be reached via car so it’s still off the beaten-path. Because of its location, the town is virtually shut down in winter due to the weather conditions. We were fortunate to arrive in Early May during a stretch of decent weather.

So Comfy

We found our awesome little Guesthouse and settled into our colorful room. We knew we were in for an experience when the mattress was electrically heated. Turns out we really needed that because it was extremely frigid at night. At the recommendation of the owner, we wandered up to the 100 Chickens Temple for a view of the city. The 150 steps up the hill was a rough welcome for us. We had after just been hiking for 2 days & had to stop multiple times just to catch our breath. Yes there were plenty of chickens wandering around and the occasional Yak. I loved the thousands of vividly colored prayer flags tied throughout the grounds in disorganized chaos. On one side, we got a great view out over the city and on the other side, majestic mountains & continual grasslands. There were many locals scavenging for shrubbery & then burning it as an “offering” in big stone ovens. It was interesting to see & compare the differences between this Monastery and the Buddhist Wats of Thailand.

They Don't Call It The Chicken Temple For Nothing

Dancing In The Square

We spent most our time getting lost in the cobble-stone alleys of the old town. It was fun to eat different preparations of yak well as other Tibetan specialties. We even dined at a unique Chilean restaurant & washed down our food with homemade Tibetan rice wine. At night after a drizzle, the town turned magical. Despite the extreme drop in temperature, locals danced around the main square. It was a festive atmosphere with the scarce light reflecting off the slippery cobblestones. We ducked in and out of a few coffee shops to get toasty & replenish with warm beverages. It was great to relax & soak in this unique Tibetan culture.

Stunning Sumtseling Monastery

Our last day, we wanted to check out the largest & most important monastery in Southwest China; the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. It was extremely impressive. Once housing 2000 monks, this Tibetan Buddhist monastery still houses close to 700! Built in 1679 when it was founded by the Fifth Dali Lama, the place seems more like a cluster of ancient castles than a solitary temple. It sits proudly atop a hill surrounded by a walled village. There are 3 main halls, each adorned with impressive Tibetan and Han statues, frescoes & relics from previous dynasties. The main hall can apparently house 1500 monks in itself, so you can imagine the size of the interior. A brilliant copper roof overlooks the complex as well as a swamp, grasslands & the aforementioned local village.

Entrance To One Of The Main Halls

Spinning For Good Luck

We particularly enjoyed spinning the massive iron prayer wheels (always 3 rotations clock-wise), listening to chanting monks & staring in awe at the sheer detail of the decor. It was an absolute color fest inside. Every wall was covered from head to toe in vibrant shades of all colors & patterns. The impressive Buddhist murals & jewel encrusted, gilded images were just as spectacular. After a few hours at the monastery, we headed back to Shangri-La with our Tibetan culture fix satisfied.

Beautiful

Overall we really enjoyed Shangri-La. It’s a unique place with a fascinating cultural influence that we were happy to experience. I hope it doesn’t turn into the tourist maze that is Lijiang. Remoteness will ensure that it won’t happen overnight. That being said, like the rest of China it will unquestionably continue to develop & westernize.