Originally known as Zhongdian (Zhōngdiàn Xiàn, 中甸县), the Chinese government renamed the city to Shangri-La (Xiānggélǐlā, 香格里拉) in 2001 in a effort to boost tourism. A gateway for travelers into Tibet, the cobblestone-lined old town offers a charming look into Tibetan life without having to jump through all of the hoops required to enter the Tibetan Autononomous Region (TAR) itself. It's a beautiful ride from Zhongdian through the mountains to Deqin to the northeast, and beyond that, the massive range of snow-and-ice-capped mountains on the border with Tibet proper known as Meili Xue Shan. It is also possible to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo National Park, Napa Lake (Nàpà Hǎi, 纳帕海), Xiagei Hot Springs (Xià Gěi,下给) and Haba Snow Mountain (Hǎba Xuě Shān, 哈巴雪山) from Zhongdian/Shangri-La by bus, motorcycle or hired car.
It might look like a mere four-hour drive from Lijiang and six from Dali on the map, but the road to Shangri-La is long and hard. When you get there though, it will be worth it. One of the major sites in the area is the 300 year-old Songzanlin Monastery, located on the other side of a sloping hill on the outskirts of town. Random trails through the wide open grasslands around Shangri-La are a chance to meet monks and horsemen and also to climb hills and look out across the plateau. You can (and should) marvel at the bright blue, cloud-rich Tibetan sky from any vantage point in the area.
Despite the rustic, mountain-town atmosphere, Shangri-La has a small (but growing)number of cafes and bars that cater to foreign visitors.
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History
Archaeological evidence dates human existence in this area back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1050 - 771 BC). For hundreds of years the area was home to several nomadic Tibetan tribes living a pastoral life, wandering the plateau with vast yak herds.
During the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD) Shangri-La made tentative contact with the Chinese heartland. The relationship grew to a height in the late Tang and Song dynasties when caravans of silver, tea and horses for wars traveled through Zhongdian on the Horse and Tea Trade Route, also known as the Southern Silk Road.
In the years following the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Zhongdian was left to its own devices until the Red Army marched through Tibet, liberating as it went.
Today, the town is more Tibetan than Han Chinese with most houses outside of the small city center displaying bright, smiling Tibetan architecture and customs. Most of the 130,000 population celebrate New Year according to the Tibetan calendar.
Big changes in the city center brought an influx of carpetbagging Han who built massive hotels in a small boom—but the boom quickly turned bust when the expected numbers of tourists never truly materialized. Sure, Zhongdian is much more crowded than it was 10 years ago, but most of the travelers are backpackers in groups of two to five and the plateau is so wide and expansive that you could enjoy your own quasi-nomadic experience with little interference from the modern world.
Climate
Shangri-La is about 3,300 meters above the sea level. The weather is dry and crisp, with temperatures varying both at night and during the four seasons. Winters are cold with lots of snow and summers are bright and quite warm—the sun seems a lot closer in Tibet...
The best seasons to go are spring and autumn, specifically May to July and September to October. Visits during Spring Festival are not really recommended as temperatures are generally quite low and indoor heating is still somewhat hard to find in Shangri-La.
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Shangri-La has a fair selection of cozy places to relax and grab a bite to eat, like the Potala Café, Stupa Book Café and the Tibet Café, which serves an excellent breakfast. Most food in town is staple Chinese cusine with the exception of yak meat, which is definitely worth a try... it doesn't taste like chicken.
Be sure to try a Tibetan meal if you can. Some people outside of the main center strip in town will invite you in for a meal of traditional Tibetan sampas (barley flour, yak butter and tea, rolled into a delicious ball) or even better, fresh yogurt. Tibetan dishes revolve around the yak: yak tea butter (salty and hearty), yak meat (yummy!) and yogurt with sampas. Good plateau food.
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Getting Around
Shangri-La is not incredibly large, but biking is a nice option. Some of the hotels in Shangri-La rent bikes. Take bus number 2 or 3 from the bus station onthe north side of town to the hotels on Tuanjie Lu (Tuánjié Lù, 团结路).
Air
Take a taxi (RMB 20) 7 km from town to reach Shangri-La Airport (also called Diqing or Deqen airport). The airport has flights to Kunming (RMB 700, 5 flights daily), Lhasa (RMB 1,400), Shenzhen (RMB 1,900), Guiyang (RMB 1,080), Chengdu (RMB 980) and Guangzhou (RMB 1,759). Keep in mind if you plan on taking a flight to Tibet, you will need to have the necessary Tibet travel permits in order to travel. You must be part of an organized tour to Tibet to access the region.
Bus
Unless you are truly made of tough stuff and enjoy spending endless hours on a bus, taking a flight to Shangri-La is recommended. If you do opt for the bus then pack warm clothes and your sense of humor as it can get cold at these high altitudes. Between March and November the roads can be blocked by snow. To get any real distance, you will have to bus hop from Shangri-La to Xiangcheng to Litang to Kangding then finally to Chengdu (this will take 5-6 days).
From Shangri-La buses run to Kunming (RMB 146, 15 hours, 3 buses daily; 2 sleepers), to Lijiang (RMB 45, 5 hours, hourly from 7am- 5pm), Xiaguan (Xiàguān Zhèn, 下关镇; RMB 45-65, 8-10 hours, hourly; 2 sleepers), Deqin (Déqīn, 德欽; RMB 40, 6 hours, hourly), Xiangcheng (Xiāngchéng,乡城) (RMB 70, 8-9 hours, once daily at 7:30am), Dongwang (Dōngwàng Xiāng, 东旺乡) (RMB 45, 7-8 hours, once daily at 7:30am), Baishuitai (Báishuǐtái, 白水台; RMB 22, 4 hours, once daily at 7:50am and Benzilan (Bēnzilán Xiāng, 奔子栏乡; RMB 20, 3 hours, daily at 2pm).
To and from Shangri-La
Kunming
It'll take around 12 hours on a highway bus from Kunming Bus Transportation Station (60 Beijing Lu, next to Jinghua Restaurant). There are two buses setting off at 6am and 6pm each day (RMB 145). You can also start from South Kunming Bus Transportation Station at 8:20am or West Kunming Bus Transportation Station at 9am.
Lijiang
There are three to five bus heading daily to Shangri-La departing between 7am and 3pm.
Shangri-La Long-distance Bus Station: +86 088 7822 3501
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Shangri-La has a pretty low-key entertainment scene. The area is famous for its natural beauty and outdoor attractions rather than a hopping nightlife. However, there are some worthwhile festivals in spring, a few nice pubs and a dance hall where you can check out some Tibetan cultural dance.
Bars & Clubs
Be sure to try some Shangri-La wine. The bottle has an image of a church on the label and costs RMB 30. Jovial French missionaries taught the Tibetans many things, one of which was wine making. It seems the religious education didn't stick over the years, but the secular one has paid off with bottles of wine that are actually vry palatable. Unfortunately, the French failed in teaching cheese and baguette making, but no one can fault them for choosing their battles. If you fancy a drink, the foreign-owned Cow Pub set in an old Tibetan house in the old town is the most atmospheric option. The Raven is cheaper and also foreign-owned but has less atmosphere. The cafes and pubs are good places to pick up information about what is happening in the area. Most have notice boards and function as informal travel bureaus. As of yet, there are no clubs in town.
Performing Arts
Beside the folk song and dance performed by Diqingzhou Song and Dance Ensemble, the Black-necked Crane Dance Hall is an interesting place to check out. Exhibiting the culture and customs of the Tibetan nationality, the dance hall holds many sing-a-long events and events for different ethnic groups. It also offers laser films, karaoke and a skating rink with entrance fees ranging from RMB 30-50.
Festivals & Events
The Tibetan Horse Racing Festival (held according to the Chinese lunar calendar on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month) is held in the nearby pastureland at an altitude of 3,288 meters above sea level. During the festival, people go out with other family members, set up tents at the foot of mountain and have picnics. At the beginning of the festival, people will come to the broad grassland to see a parade and performance by riders from each region. There are various competitions for speed, agility, jumping, capturing the flags, etc.
Xianzi Festival (7th-9th day of the fifth lunar month) takes place when the surrounding towns and villages send folk art and literature teams to participate in an art and literature performance and costume show in Deqin Town. The programs include such activities as Xianzi, Reba and Deqin folk dances, songs of the pledge and general folk customs and national culture.
Dunbar Festival (15th day of the 7th lunar month) is defined by everyone dressing in their best clothes to worship the mountain god and chant Yumani scripture to get rid of bad luck.
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