After hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge and visiting the Jade Dragon Mountain, I am just exhausted. Where to go next? After discussing with my travel companions, we decide to visit Shangri-La in Zhongdian County in Yunnan, the renowned paradise on earth.
Before coming to visit Shangri-La, I was told that Shangri-La is brimming with a commercial atmosphere, and that souvenir shops are ubiquitous.
Yes, it is true, I learned, but Dukezong Ancient Town did give me a big surprise. Unlike Lijiang Old Town and Dali Old Town where soothing music can be heard all day, Dukezong Ancient Town still preserves Tibetan folk customs.
At dusk, People wearing Tibetan costumes form a circle in the square and begin dancing and singing. Actually, this kind of dance is just transformed from Tibetan dance, so it is easy to learn and many travelers joined them. So did we. Along my Yunnan travels, I have seen many kinds of ethnic groups’ dance, yet the most sincere one that could move me is Tibetan dance.
I stayed in Shangri-La for 2 days and visited the famous attractions like Songzailin Temple, Napahai Sea, and Blue Moon Valley and was mesmerized by its beauty. After that, I strolled around the boundless grassland and enjoyed the breeze.
I paid a visit to a Tibetan family and experienced the authentic lifestyle of Tibetan people. The house and farm of the Tibetan family is very large. On the Tibetan farm I could only see women working there and was wondering where the men went. I asked and was told that they are mainly working as the guard in scenic area, or as drivers for the travelers, or working in the local government.
There are some large Tibetan hospitals in Shangri-La and the doctors and nurses there are as friendly and enthusiastic as they are in mainland China.
After that, I just drunk a cup of coffee in the coffee bar in Shangri-La and met three young guys there. There were of Tibetan, Lisu, and Bai ethnicity respectively. They all work in the airport and the coffee bar is the place that they usually gather together for leisure. Also I saw a beautiful girl belonging to the Lisu ethnic group in the coffee bar and she is the most beautiful one that I met in Yunnan and was incredibly charming!
Now, my trip to Shangri-La has ended but my memories of this paradise remain.
