Shangri-La City, County-level city in Yunnan Province, China
Shangri-La is a county-level city in northwestern Yunnan Province, China, sitting at an elevation of 3,160 meters (10,370 feet). Wooden houses with carved balconies line the narrow lanes of the old town, while beyond the city walls green valleys and snow-covered peaks shape the landscape.
The city was formerly called Zhongdian and received its current name in 2001. The renaming was meant to recall the fictional paradise in James Hilton's 1933 novel and promote tourism.
The name comes from James Hilton's novel and was chosen to attract visitors from around the world. In the streets you see Tibetan prayer flags and hear the sound of prayer wheels as locals go about their daily business in traditional dress.
The elevation makes breathing a bit harder during the first days, so walking slowly is advisable. Since 2023 there is a railway connection to Lijiang and Kunming, which makes the journey much easier.
Pudacuo, a national park nearby, was the first in China to meet the standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The park protects forests and lakes that have become rare in other parts of the country.
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