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Brief Introduction to Shangri-la
"Shangri-la" is a name that has worked its way into the English language. Synonymous with "utopia," the word was first used in 1933, coined by the English author James Hilton in his novel "Lost Horizon." Shangri-la was a fictitious paradise, characterized by towering snow-capped mountains, lush forests, vast gorges and idyllic lakes. The beautiful scenery described by Hilton made the name stick in popular memory and arouses a certain curiosity and mystery whenever it is heard. However, there is a real Shangri-la, located in the Diqing prefecture in Yunnan Province and it actually manages to live up to it's mythologized name.
Shangri-la's peaceful atmosphere could be described as spiritual, and with the amount of religious heritage, that seems quite a fitting description. Only about three kilometers from the downtown area, Songzanlin Monastery, or "Little Potala" as it is affectionately known, is a spiritual hub for people to discover the mystery and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhism complex in Yunnan. Bitahai Lake, also close to Shangri-la, is regarded as a "holy lake." In Tibetan, "bita" means "piece of land as soft as cattle hair" and the locals often call the lake "hai," or "sea" in Chinese. There are other amazing palaces which are worthy of touring, such as Meili Snow Mountain, Baishui Tableland, Baimang Snow Mountain, Birang Canyon and Yila Plain.
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