Lijiang and Shangri-la

While in Yangshou we heard about a town in China called Shangri-la.  How could the members of the Shamballa Cruising Yacht Club not seek out Shangri-la?  So yet another change of plans and long train travel to northwest Yunnan province. 

On the way we stopped a few days in Lijiang.  A beautiful old town packed with thousands of Chinese tourists.  While walking around we kept getting the feeling that we were in a Disney theme park and were never sure if the locals in their ethnic dress were real locals going about their everyday business or on the payroll to entertain the tourists.  We found out that our suspicions were correct.  About 20 years ago this ancient town was severely damaged by an earthquake and the Chinese government had it totally rebuilt as an example of an ancient town of the region.  Apparently a large proportion of the local Naxi people moved out afterwards.  Still we were able to find some Naxi culture like this fantastic Naxi orchestra. Ancient musicians (most were in their 80's and 90's) playing 1000 year old music on traditional instruments.

And the Naxi museum which had old manuscripts of the dongba language, a pictorial script similar to hieroglyphics.

Dongba writing

But Shangri-la awaited us aging hippies.  We searched high in the mountains...

View from the top of Shika Mountain (~14,500 ft)

And all over the town....

Shangri-la Town

Throughout the valleys.....

Consulted the monks high and low

Monk on Shika Mountain

Songzanlin Monastery

And finally we found it - the elixir of youth!

After several bottles of this Bob has been transformed.