Rainy Day at the Temple

Shangri-La (aka Zhongdian)

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July 19th 2012
Shangri-La is the new (2001) name for Zhongdian, used to attract tourists; they're the same city. People there do say that this city was the inspiration for the book, but there's not much to corroborate the claim. Still, it's on the edge of Tibet, and though not in the Tibet Autonomous Region, 80% of the people are Tibetan, and the city exudes the culture. The main reason we decided ... read more

Asia » China » Yunnan » Shangri-La

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For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more