Shangri-La County Travel Guide

Shangri-La County (simplified Chinese: 香格里拉县) is a primarily Tibetan county in northwestern Yunnan Province in southwest China and the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

The county was formerly called Zhongdian County (Chinese: 中甸县) but was renamed in 2001 after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon, in an effort to promote tourism in the area. The local Tibetan population refers to it by the name Gyalthang. "Shangri-La" or "Zhongdian" may also refer to Jiantang Town (建塘镇), the capital of the county.

Adminstration Division:
Jiantang Town
Zhongdian Town
Hutiaoxia Town
Jinjiang Town

Shangri-La County is part of Yunnan Province, home of many minority ethnic groups, particularly Tibetans.  The original name of the county was Zhongdian, but the name was changed to Shangri-La County in 2001.  It has been speculated that this was done to attract more tourists, especially Western tourists, who know the term as a name for an earthly paradise.  The term was coined by a British novelist, James Hilton, whose novel Lost Horizon is largely set in Shangri-La, a fictional utopian community located high in the Himalayas.  The novel was published in 1933, so the county adopted the name long after the fact. The county is a good destination for ethnic tourism, tourism for the purpose of experiencing the cultures of other ethnic groups.

Zhongdian or Shangri-la, known as Gyalthang in Tibetan, recently changed its name to Shangri-La. Perched on a plateau at an elevation of 3300 meters, dotted with beautiful hills, flowers and alpine lakes, the region of Zhongdian offers great possibilities for trek, botanical exploration, as well as discovery of Tibetan culture. The picturesque Tibetan villages on the outskirts of Zhongdian still keep unique customs and traditions, attracting many independent travelers. Most travelers stay in Zhongdian for one or two days, but some would stay there for a week.

In order to protect the local natural resources, several nature reserves have been designated in the region, such as Bita and Napa Lake Nature Reserve, Haba Snow Mountain Reserve. Zhongdian County was also included in Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, which was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2003. A report made by WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Center) on this wonderful park concluded that “This is an area of unparalleled biological diversity, unusually explicit geological and landscape variety and great scenic beauty.”

Best time to visit: In May and June the region is alive with enchanting wild flowers. From Mid-October to Mid-November the region is covered with marvelous autumn colors. July and August is a high season for tourism as well as rainfalls. Winter is dry and cold, with average temperatures below zero(C).

It was the British writer James Hilton's novel, The Lost Horizon, some 50 years ago, that brought fame to an unknown and uncontaminated place-Shangri-La-a household name. The novel described in great detail the stunning scenery in the area: the azure sky, the breathtaking beauty and the hospitality of unsophisticated people who welcome weary travelers to their homeland.

In Tibetan, Shangri-La means a place of good fortune and luck. Located in the midst of three rivers; the torrential Jinsha, Langcang and Nujiang, Shangri-La is a sacred scenic region with distinguishing features. Scores of years have witnessed the failure of numerous efforts to seek out and pinpoint the exact location of this dreamland. A few years ago, after years of persistent searching and researching, the government of Yunnan Province finally declared the discovery of Shangri-La and the long lost horizon was recovered in Diqing, this stunning prefecture in Yunnan Province.