I have seen few landscapes in China as breathtaking as Tiger Leaping Gorge. Formed over millennia by the eroding power of gushing water, the canyon stretches 15 kilometers through China’s southwestern Yunnan Province. The name comes from a legendary tiger that is said to have jumped across the gorge long ago. On the day of […]
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Shangri-la: Dining and Shopping Guide
With Shangri-la so close to the border with Tibet, we had expected to eat a fair amount Tibetan food, which we first sampled in Chengdu and were eager to try again. Fortunately, Shangri-la delivered in a big way. Our third night in town, we enjoyed the best meal of our two-week Yunnan trip at Arro Khampa: […]
Shangri la: A Legendary Town in Yunnan, China
“In these days of wars and rumors of wars – haven’t you ever dreamed of a place where there was peace and security, where living was not a struggle but a lasting delight? Of course you have. So has every man since time began. Always the same dream. Sometimes he calls it Utopia…” In 1933, […]
Snapshot: Animals of Shangri-la
Pet ownership in China once seemed isolated to song birds, but today more and more people have dogs. In fashionable Shanghai and other eastern cities, it’s not uncommon to see a poodle wearing a sequined sweater and booties. But there are many municipal restrictions on canine companions, who aren’t supposed to be on streets during […]
Sumtseling Tibetan Monastery, Shangri-la
Yunnan province, which borders Tibet in southwestern China, is home to a sizable population of ethnic Tibetans. Its city of Shangri-la (known as Zhongdian until authorities decided their fair city was surely the paradise described in the book Lost Horizon) also contains one of the most important Tibetan monasteries. Sumtseling Monastery (also known as Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, Songzanlin Scenic […]