The locals call their home Zhongdian in Mandarin or Gyalthand in Tibetan, they never use the tourist name Shangri-fuckin-la-la-la. In 1997 the Chinese government bought the rights to renamed the town after the mythical Himalayan utopia from James Hilton's bestseller Lost Horizon in an attempt to attract visitors--some of the natives are less than approving of the changes its brought. Tibetans consider the region of northwestern Yunnan Province where the town lies as part of their traditional homeland, though it is not officially recognized as part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region by the Chinese government--80% of the town's population is Tibetan and culturally it's distinctly different than the rest of China. Tibetan Buddhism is not part of the culture, it's the essence, the faith permeates everything they do giving the place an incredible vibe.
Stupa!
The temple and big prayer wheel hold the place of honor, sitting on the hill overlooking town.
The prayer wheel is pulled by human power as a means of spinning intention.
The yak is as intertwined with Tibetan culture as Buddhism.
Yak meat skewers on a street barbecue.
Yak and Potato Curry
Yak Momos
Yak Milk Beer--taste like cream soda
Yak Butter Tea
A serious distortion of this very unfortunate situation.
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