http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , China , Yunnan , Zhongdian en-us Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:55:05 +0000 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:55:05 +0000 In 2001 Zhongdian was officially renamed Xianggelila which is how the Chinese say Shangrila. Shangrila is of course a fictitious place created in James Hilton's 1933 book 'Lost Horizon'. It is a mystical harmonious valley in the foothills of the Himalayas isolated from the outside world and is now synonymous with utopia. Many places in the world claim to be the inspiration behind the fant http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-451351.html From Dali I took a sleeper bus to Shangrila because I didnrsquot feel like spending the whole day travelling again. The stories however about backpacks being cut open in these buses scared me a lot. Even the owner of the guesthouse warned me about them. He said I should just put all my belongings in my large backpacks because the robberies took place in the bus itself and not in the luggage http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-425753.html Zhongdian is a small town high in the mountains just outside of Tibet. The population architecture food etc. are Tibetan. In 2001 the Chinese authorities officially changed the name to ShangriLa or as the Chinese say ShangriLiLa to capitalize on their claim that Zhongdian is the basis for the fictional city in James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon. This is purely a marketing strategy to m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-409437.html Day 1 Arrive in Kunming. Travel Tips Kunming plays as the transferred spot for international travelers. In generally it is just a modern City. If time permits a day trip to Stone Forest can be an option here. Places to visit for today Green Lake Park http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-355550.html Day 1 Rain Rain Rain. After leaving Lijiang we arrived at Zhongdian and all it did was rain rain rain. We ended up spending most of the time in the hostel just by the fireplace relaxing to local music. We did get to see a bit of the old town but it was limited due to the rain. We did recieve news though that anotehr Gapper would becoming to join us.Day 2 Rain rain rain. Again all it did was rain b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-325958.html Well I have all kinds of news. The internet has been unpredictable at best where I have been and thus the long period without updates. First off Clara and I decided to part ways a little early because as we traveled more we found different things that we wanted to do don't worry it was very amicable really just some logistical problems no big fights lol. So now I have been on my own for http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-286778.html Shangrila aka Zhongdian is ParadiseTo back up a little Zhongdian is the farthest north into Yunnan province that we go and also alas the closest to Tibet. Turns out that Tibetan culture actually extends far more than the region on maps suggests this is one of those nontibetan regions that is full of Tibetan people and cultureLeaving from Lijiang the 5 hour bus ride took us through the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-281349.html We walked across the bridge into China and I marvelled that people could still walk into a protected country in 2008. I do not count crossing Europes non borders where customs officers have become a rarity and the fences have been taken down. This was the Peoples Republic of China. The largest Communist country in the world with a controlled economy and a state that likes to make sure that http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-279166.html Hi folks Just finished updating...check the posts for photos and remember to see them all you need to open each entry...there's lots in the one from Hanoi to Viet Tri....enjoyC G http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-251347.html 25 km 7.0kmhr 33400I had a rough night as I woke up around midnight wanting to get sick andor have diahrrea I got dressed to go outside but ended up fighting it most of the rest of the night as it was so cold outsidelol I finally got a couple of hours sleep and then woke up early. It was a brisk 8 degres C still at 7a.m I noticed that I was having strong eggtasting burps and from ex http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-251246.html Hi folks Yes we are alive and well Sorry about the lack of updates. We're in ShangrilaZhongdianChina in Yunnan province right now. We are resting here and healing up from a bout of travel sicknessgiardia. We'll give you a brief update with some pics etcmaybe to followkeep checking of how we got here along with some info. for cyclists on distancesroad conditions etc. We had typed http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-250622.html In Tibet's ShadowBefore six the following morning in a cold darkness after the moon sets and the sun rises four Brits a Czech and I stand at the depot awaiting a bus that does not come. Shortly past nine we pile into a minivan for the joureny south into Yunnan. We've been warned of a four hour section along an unmettled road and keep an anxious eye out. We climb into the mountains headed west fr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-241658.html Zo even weer wennen op 3300 meter hoogte. De kalkterrassen op weg naar Zhongdian hebben we linkis laten liggen vanwege de mist lichte regen en vermoeidheid van de trekking.Het Tibetaanse hotelletje Songtsam naast het klloster was erg leuk en kuns. Het Tibetaanse eten oa Yak beef s'avonds smaakte heerlijk. Op onze huisslippers door naar de kamer voor een welverdiende nachtrust. De volgende da http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-235653.html After the TLG trek we headed off on an early bus we never get any lie ins on this tour to Zhongdian a Tibetan village. We hadn't had a shower and were pretty tired from the trek so we were looking forward to a nice hot shower when we got there.A lovely bumpy bus ride with a mental driver and we got to Zhongdian. We had arranged to go and visit a local school and a yak farm that afternoon and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-218185.html Shangrila was traditionally know as Zhongdian but sometime in the last 20 years or so changed its name purely to encourage tourism by linking its name to the fictional valley and lamasery depicted in the 1947 novel The Lost Horizon by James Hilton. The ruse is ironic because like the Hotel California the ShangriLa of the book was a place you could never leave hardly a place to entice touri http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-215160.html Zhongdian is otherwise know as Shangrila marks the western most point of my journey on this backpacking trip. The city itself is prosperous thanks to a booming tourist trade. Here it is possible to get a small peek into Tibetan culture without going to Tibet and dealing with all the hassles of getting a permit associated with it. For anyone going to Tibet this would probably be a nice stop to g http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-207370.html Na poczatek krotkie uzupelnienie poprzedniego wpisu. Zapomnialem napisac ze jechalismy wsrod chmur widocznosc gdzieniegdzie ograniczona byla do 20 metrow potrzebne byly dodatkowe przystanki w drodze na chlodzenie woda opon i hamulcow spalismy w hotelu wylacznie dla Chinczykow teoretycznie nie moze przyjmowac obcokrajowcow za 10Y od osoby bylo brudno nie bylo cieplej wody zimne http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-183863.html Lelde You know Chinese people from one hand are rather relaxed and chilled even at their work places playing cars having meals drinking tea chatting with friend but it may just seem very unconcerned approch as they work from early morning till late night and they don't take weekends off. By the way I saw a lady with the longest hair ever in Litang it was made in plat but it was streach http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-179624.html The ride to Zhongdian was beautiful and we got our first taste of Tibet as we neared the city. Apparently the Chinese have decided that Shangrila is a much better for tourism name than Zhongdian so that's how it's usually referred to now. We were dropped off adjacent to the old town and made our way to the gh recommended by Mama Naxi's. It turned out to be a bit of a dump unfortunately so w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-178818.html After beautiful Baishuitai we continued by bus climbing along windy mountain roads towards our next destination and the start of the Tibetan world Zhongdian. Zhongdian aka Shangri La or Gyeltang in Tibetan sits at 3300m above sea level and while not technically 'Tibet' as we were still in Yunnan province still felt a hell of a lot like it. Think scorcing hot days cold clear nites monks http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Zhongdian/blog-162233.html