As a bid to increase tourism, Shangri-La in northwestern Yunnan, formerly called Diqing, was renamed in 2001 after the fictional place in the novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. A gateway for travelers into Tibet, the town is as close as you can get to experiencing Tibet without actually being there. Six hours drive from Lijiang, Shangri-La is an ideal location to do trips to the nearby Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo National Park, Napa Lake, Xiagei Hot Springs and Haba Village.
If you are driving in from Lijiang, the road scales a bare plateau surrounded by mountains before arriving at this is the last major town before the Himalayas. With the name Shangri-La, the town has much to live up to, perhaps a bit too much. The novel's description of this mythical valley, surrounded by mountains, is one of an earthly Himalayan utopia isolated from the outside world. Some travelers have criticized the town for not being "authentic", saying the newly constructed Tibetan style houses that line the cobbled streets are not as rustic or austere as they are intended to appear. The southern end of town is the place to go for a more dìdào experience among the mazes of cobbled streets in the remnants of the old town. Cafes, bars and hotels prevail at this end of town while the northern area tends to border a jungle of concrete.
Shangri-La offers a good selection of places to stay—although the Shangri-La hotel chain is still sadly absent—and while the food is mainly typical Chinese fare, you can sit back sipping snow tea while chewing on a chunk of yak meat for a bit of a change of texture.
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 tribes. During the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD) Shangri-La finally made contact with Central China. Today, the town is more Tibetan than Han Chinese with Tibetan architecture, customs and most of the 130,000 population who celebrate New Year according to the Tibetan calendar. As tourism continues to increase, Shangri-La will continue to develop at a rapid rate.
Climate
Shangri-La is about 3,300 meters above the sea level. The weather has a tendency to be humid with temperatures varying both at night and during the four seasons. Winters are cold with lots of snow and summers are the rainy season. The best seasons to go are spring and autumn, specifically May to July and September to October. Although visits during Spring Festival are not recommend as temperatures are generally quite low and indoor heating is still somewhat hard to find in Shangri-La.
Hotels and guest houses are shooting up all over town like crocuses in springtime, so by the time you read this, there will be half a dozen new ones competing with the old favorites. Shangri-La offers everything from budget youth hostels to family owned guesthouses to upmarket hotels. Most accommodation is cluttered in one area in the south of town. For budget accommodations, you will pay around 25 RMB for a dorm bed at: Rockside Hostel, YHA, Dukezong, Dragon Cloud Inn, Khampa Caravan Eco Lodge, Shangri-La Traveller Club. For a touch of luxury, some spa treatments and a massage, stay at the Gyalthang Dzong Hotel.
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 Tibet Café, which has excellent breakfasts. The food in town is staple Chinese food with the exception of yak meat, which is definitely worth a try…it doesn't taste like chicken.
Shangri-La is not incredibly large, but biking is a nice option. Some of the hotels rent bikes. The bus station is in the north of town. Take bus number 2 or 3 which will pass the hotels on Tuanjie Lu.
Air
Take a taxi (RMB 20) 7 km from town to Shangri-La Airport (also called Diqing or Deqen airport). The airport has flights to Kunming (RMB 700, 5 flights daily), Lhasa (RMB 1400), Shenzhen (RMB 1900), Guiyang (RMB 1080), Chengdu (RMB 980) and Guangzhou (RMB 1759). Keep in mind if you plan on flying into Tibet, you will need to have the necessary permits in order to travel. Generally you must be part of an organized group to get into Tibet.
Book Shangri-La flights with Ctrip.com on: 800-820-6666, 400-820-6666 (mobiles)
Bus
Flying to Shangri-La is recommended, unless you are truly made of tough stuff and enjoy spending endless hours on a bus. Pack warm clothes and your sense of humor as it can get cold at these high altitudes. Between March and November the roads can become 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: to Kunming (RMB 146/ 15hrs/ 3 buses daily, 2 sleepers), to Lijiang (RMB 45/ 5 hrs/ hourly from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.), Xiaguan (45-65 RMB/ 8-10 hrs/ hourly/ 2 sleepers), Deqin (40 RMB/ 6 hrs/ hourly), Xiangcheng (RMB 70/ 8-9 hrs/ once daily at 7:30am), Dongwang (RMB 45/ 7-8 hrs once daily at 7:30 a.m.), Baishuitai (RMB 22/ 4 hrs/ once daily at 7:50 a.m. and Benzilan (RMB 20/ 3 hrs/ daily at 2 p.m.).
From Kunming:
It’ll take around 12 hours on a highway bus from Kunming Bus Transportation Station at 60# Beijing Lu (next to Jinghua Restaurant). There are two buses setting off at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day (RMB 145 for tickets). You can also start from South Kunming Bus Transportation Station at 8:20 a.m. or West Kunming Bus Transportation Station at 9:00 a.m.
From Lijiang:
There are three to five bus heading daily to Shangri-La departing between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Shangri-La Long-distance Bus Station: 088 7822 3501
A trip to the Shangri-La market, several kilometers north of town, is a good opportunity for people watching. Here locals from the surrounding countryside gather to buy, sell and socialize. The market sells a selection of meat, fruits, vegetables and local crafts.
Shangri-La has a pretty low-key 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
Try Shangri-La wine. The bottle has an image of a church on the label and costs 30 RMB. 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 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 in the old town is the most atmospheric option set in an old Tibetan house. The Raven is cheaper and also foreign-owned but has less atmosphere. The cafes and pubs are a place 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 to 50.
Festivals & Events
The Tibetan Horse Racing Festival (May 5th by the Chinese lunar calendar) is held in the nearby pastureland at an altitude is 3288 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 the riders from each region. There are various competitions, ie. for speed, agility, jumping, capturing the flags, etc.
Xianzi Festival (May 7th to 9th by the Chinese lunar calendar) take place when the surrounding towns and villages send folk art and literature teams to participate in an art and literature performance and a 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 (July 15th by the Chinese lunar year) is defined by everyone dressing in their best clothes to worship the mountain god and chant Yumani Scripture to get rid of bad luck.