Journey To Paradise I
How do you define paradise? Is it a place so beautiful it cativate the hearts of those who sees it. Another name to this place is called ‘Shangri-La’ , originally named ZongDian. Shangri-La is pronounce as (shăng‘grĭ-lä‘) n which is defines as.
- An imaginary remote paradise on earth; utopia.
- A distant and secluded hideaway, usually of great beauty and peacefulness.
[After Shangri-La, the imaginary land in the novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton.]
"Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the novel, Lost Horizon, written by British writer James Hilton in 1933. In it, "Shangri-La" is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Himalaya. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia - a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. The story of Shangri-La is based on the concept of Shambhala, a mystical city in the Buddhist religion.
Several possible places in the Buddhist Himalaya between north India and Western China have been suggested as the actual basis for Hilton’s legend. In China, Tao Qian of the Jin Dynasty described a Shangri-La in his Story of the Peach Blossom Valley, for example. The legendary Kun Lun Mountains offer other possible Shangri-La valleys.
Today, various places claim the title, such as parts of northwestern Yunnan province, including the tourist destination of Lijiang. Places like Sichuan and Tibet also claim the real Shangri-la was in its territory. In 2001, Tibet Autonomous Region put forward a proposal that the three regions optimise all Shangri-la tourism resources and promote them as one. After failed attempts to establish a China Shangri-la Ecological Tourism Zone in 2002 and 2003, government representatives of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region signed a declaration of cooperation in 2004." (source taken from the net)
I have read a few articles about how beautiful this place is but the pictures taken in a tourist brochure really captured both Edward and my hearts and we immediately knew that we wanted to see the place with our eyes. During the most recent Matta Fair, we booked ourselves for a 8days/7nights tour to Kunming,Lijang,Dali and Shangri-La.
I was not paying attention to what the lady holding a cute child was saying as I was about to board my tour bus outside the Kunming Airport only to realised later that she was asking for money. I was observing the city as the guide explained that Kunming is a condensed city with a high population so everyone is very willing to work hard for a small pay. All along the highways, people fully utilized the fat soils to plant trees or vegetation to eat or to earn money unlike in Malaysia where much land were left empty. I see women carrying babies on their back as they carried out their daily routines. I was amazed that in a big city, horses are still being used to help to do chores.
Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, with a history of more than 2400 years, owes its importance to the fact that it was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India.
Kunming is the focal point of Yunnan minority culture. Some 26 ethnic minorities such as Han, Yi, Bai, Miao, Dai, Hani and more inhabit the region. Each group has its own featured festivals such as the Torch festival of Yi people, the Golden Temple Fair and so on. (source taken from website www.travelchinaguide.com)
Unlike what was claimed "the City of Eternal Spring" that enjoy pleasant climate all year round, I was greeted with cold air. Never to my expectation, that was just the beginning to our cold journey. to be continue……..
November 29th, 2005 at 11:51 pm
envy you, your always on a holiday.
anyhow, think china would be a nicer place to visit if you actually read and write mandarin. (one of my regrets and skills to pick up at the moment..) even in your description above, by understanding the meanings of the characters you’ll be able to imagine / see the whole picture even before actually seeing the place physically.
November 30th, 2005 at 12:02 am
i thought the same as u. i used to thought that I won’t enjoy China when i know nothing about its history but i was wrong.
1) they didn’t speak difficult chinese slangs eventhough i did listen hard in the beginning
2) the places i visited offered more sceneries than histories
3) i have an interpreter- my husband! he comes in handy when i don’t understand what they were saying or the dirty jokes my guide told eg. a woman was told not to write to her husband so she drew a lamb upside down.The husband got it as ‘Yang Shi Le’ ( I’m icthing to death!)
November 30th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
ahh but you still have an advantage an interpreter dedicated to you solely
December 1st, 2005 at 1:34 am
I heard that you’d have to ride to somewhere in Shangri-la on horseback. Is it true?
December 1st, 2005 at 6:04 pm
Edward asked the same thing also but maybe like what my guide said, the road was recently tarred and not as bumpy as before.lucky me! I was sitting right at the back of the bus. not only that, sitting at the window looking the cliff were also so scary so it’s better if can ride horses.
so i guess in earlier years ( Shangri-La was only opened to public in 1992) people do ride horses to get there.