The town where Sue and I were staying was only named Shangri-La in 2001 - it is part of the former Tibet and was called Gyalthang (which means 'royal plains') by the Tibetans and Zhongdian (or Jiantang) by the Chinese. The new name was given to promote tourism and is based on a claim by the Chinese Government that this was the place that inspired the 1933 novel 'Lost Horizon' in which 'Shangri-La' was first described. Whether it was or not, Sue and I found it enchanting.
Due to a fire in 2014, half of the old city was burned down, so it is a place in significant transformation both inside the old area and outside. There was a great deal of road work going on too. Our host Tashi, from Bodhi Inn, told us the city is preparing for a large ceremony (anniversary of some kind) which is planned for August and will be attended by Gyaltsen Norbu - the Panchen Lama who is being groomed by the Chinese Government. The Panchen Lama plays a significant role in the selection of the next Dalai Lama, and it is presumed that the Chinese Government hope to influence the selection of the 15th Dalai Lama when the time comes.
Part of me didn't want to have any part of being in a place which has been invaded like this, but I have to confess I took great pleasure from being around Himalayan Buddhism again. There are similarities in architecture, but here there was definitely a Chinese overlay. However, I took solace from only entering the fringes of this area - I did not want to go anywhere near Lhasa, knowing of the suffering that has occurred there since invasion in 1950.
Sue and I decided to start our journey with a visit to a monastery here - The Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery. It is quite old - dating back to 1679. It was a large complex on a hill - the largest Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan. In its heyday, it housed 2,000 monks, but now accommodates 700. It had that magical feel and smell of Himalayan Buddhism in spite of having been severely damaged in the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt starting 1983.
To really prove that we had similar travelling styles, Sue and I chose to take the local bus. Happily, in spite of the chickens and odd glances, the locals made certain that we got off at the correct stop! There was no doubt in their minds as to our destination.
Location, breadth, color, detail, were all superb.
The fabric window coverings were not something I had seen before.
As in Bhutan, I loved the small details of wood carving and faded colors.......
........architectural enhancements evoking former building techniques......
.........along with prayer flags and incense.
But perhaps one of our favorite takeaways was this sign....
.......we agreed totally, but thought perhaps they were trying to tell people not to run about the property!
But perhaps one of our favorite takeaways was this sign....
.......we agreed totally, but thought perhaps they were trying to tell people not to run about the property!
The monastery overlooked a pretty lake - Lamuyangcuo - which had a path around it to allow one to 'circumambulate'! (Isn't that a great word!) So circumambulate we did (without being strenuous!) - clockwise, of course, as this is the traditional Buddhist direction to approach things. We did not chant and say sutras as the monks would do, but we did so in a spirit of appreciation for the beauty of our surroundings.
The houses were pounded earth - looked solid and comfortable.
We passed the sacred Dongqusheng Hill with it's celestial burial platform........
.......and ran into, not only lots of pigs roaming around, but also yaks!
These villagers were also out walking, but they appeared a lot more focused and energetic than us!
As we left the monastery, we indulged in some street food - I got fried yak cheese and Sue got some type of wrapped hot dog. Both tasted pretty good and we really enjoyed the ethnic dress of the Naxi vendors.
Before we left the area, we also visited a 'cultural center' which was really one of those tourist traps where they set up a 'museum' and then have an enormous store in which they hope you will drop lots of money. I could only get excited about the goji berries, even though they were about as expensive as 'Whole Foods'! However, the orientation provided 'free' by our guide was a helpful summary of Tibetan Buddhism.
The rest of the afternoon saw us wandering the old city - visiting another temple with a huge prayer wheel...........
........... finding trinkets in stores .........
...........and visiting a Museum which explained how the Red Army had taken refuge and been welcomed by Tibetans in the 1930's during the Great March. The propaganda was so good that I felt chills for the hardships they endured.
It purported to convey the notion that the Tibetan people had expressed their desire for 'liberation' as a result of this pre-invasion contact. It definitely wanted visitors to believe that there is unity between Tibetans and Chinese in this area.
Monday, we were due to leave Shangri-La for Tiger Leaping Gorge, about three hours away, but we wanted to visit a more pedestrian working monastery on a hill near our hotel. It was called the White Chicken Monastery and indeed it was a delight - apart from the climb up to it! The path was lined with solar-powered lights.
It had a very robust collection of prayer flags and brush.
Many people were bringing offerings to burn - green cedar branches. It was the eve of a big holiday in China where people honor their ancestors by visiting their graves .......
........and making burnt offerings.
The place was very busy and indeed there were white chickens. (My photos don't show the amount of activity there, as I don't like to be invasive by photographing people without their permission - usually photos of people are using my telephoto lens.)
The highlight for me was not only the marvelous view of the valley, but also the tuvan throat singing which the monk was using during his chanting. This is a singing technique used by the Mongolians in which they sing two tones at the same time. I've heard it on Youtube, but hearing it in person was a great treat for me.
Perhaps it is not as magical as the Shangri-La of literature, but for me it was a very special part of China I'm glad I came to.
THANKS! Really captures that wonderful few days andclove the photos too.
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