Life in Shangri-La.docVIP

PAGE  PAGE 3 Life in Shangri-La 　　More than 90 years ago， American explorer and botanist Joseph F. Rock （1884-1962） first set foot in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province， an area enclosed by craggy mountains. The fascination of this journey for the explorer is plain to see from the large quantities of plant specimens and photos he amassed， and the voluminous reports he wrote on the culture of the local Naxi ethnic group. 　　Now visitors can savor Rock’s photos in the lobby of the Songtsam Benzilan Lodge in Shangri-La City in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. The lodge’s owner Baima Dorji， a Tibetan native of Shangri-La， bought these photos from National Geographic in 2012. Showing people in traditional costumes， buildings and scenes with distinct early 20th century features， the photos recall the Shangri-La of more than 90 years ago. 　　Shangri-La became a household name， thanks to the 1930s bestseller Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Inspired by Rock’s adventures， Hilton created an idyllic place in his novel， which made the name Shangri-La synonymous with a heavenly utopia. 　　In the Tibetan language， Shangri-La means the sun and the moon in one’s heart. Shangri-La City is the seat of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture， bordering Sichuan Province and Tibet Autonomous Region. As the core area of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas， a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site， ShangriLa City lies in the upper reaches of three of the great rivers of Asia， cutting through steep ranges and creating marvelous biogeographic spectacles. 　　Shangri-La， covering 110，000 sq km， is home to more than 20 ethnic groups including Tibetan， Han， Naxi， Lisu， Yi， and Bai. Of these， Tibetans account for a third of the entire population. Tibetan Buddhism， therefore， is predominant among locals. 　　The cluster of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries， known as Ganden Sumtseling Monastery， is amid the Foping Mountain， five km north of the city proper. F