Lost Horizon
The legend of Shangri-La
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There are places that have familiar-sounding names but are impossible to locate on a map.
Quite simply because they don't really exist – or at least they didn't.
Shangri-La first appeared in 1933 as a fictional location in a novel by James Hilton, where the inhabitants of a lamasery hidden in the Himalayan foothills live long and harmonious lives. Since the novel was published, the name has been attached to everything from restaurants to resorts and has inspired generations of adventurers. But its origins remain a mystery, with various parts of the Buddhist Himalayas claiming to be its inspiration.
In 2001, the city of Zhongdian, in the region of the three parallel rivers of Yunnan province, was renamed Shangri-La by the Chinese government to attract tourists in search of their spiritual side. Work was soon under way to turn the ancient Tibetan city into the utopia evoked by its name, transforming Shangri-La into a colossal construction site.
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." – Confucius