Zhongdian or as it is known as Shangrila once was considered the Lost Paradise settled by Europeans many years ago as their remote Shangrila! A popular tourist destination in north Yunnan Province at the corners of Tibet and Sichuan, it has been the favorite place to relax and enjoy the Tibetan culture at 10,000 feet above sea level. Only in the last 10 years or so has it become a well known destination for adventure seeking tourists. My first visit there many years ago, there were only two hotels, few restaurants and some nightly entertainment which was at a wealthy residence where they served butter tea and sang and danced to recorded music. Having just been there two years ago, the quaint old town with its weathered wooden buildings and narrow streets was the perfect small town to relax and enjoy the culture and the people. Many sights are near by to enjoy. HOWEVER this all changed January 2014 when a fire broke out and destroyed over 1/3rd of 1,084 preserved wooden houses, one of which you see here in the background as my wife and a friend enjoyed a cup of tea when we were last there. Hopefully some parts may be rebuilt but it will never be the same as when it was founded 1,300 years ago as Paradise Lost. For more information feel free to contact me. interlak@eskimo.com
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