Zhongdian

Zhongdian, recently renamed Shangri-la to boost tourism, is where we spent October 13th. Although the classic literary reference to Shangri-la is of a mountain utopia nestled in the Himalayas, in reality this town lays in the high plains, with rolling hills in the distance...a literal translation of Zhongdian: "Middle of the Grasslands".

With a mere population of 300,000, the majority of whom are Tibetan, Zhongdian's culture is unique in China. The land was once considered part of Tibet, and although the Chinese government has redesignated regions, in many ways it retains that heritage.

We spent an afternoon, with our tour, on a yak farm with a five generation Tibetan family. They proudly served us lunch outside their temporary home of butter tea (butter and yak milk), dense thick "bread" made of barley, then pork fat, noodle soup with greens, and rich, roasted potatoes. Though tough to swallow, the meal illustrated how this family, like all farming families, live off their land- and welcome fat (unlike our culture) to put weight on for the winter.

Neighboring this farm, was a modern multi-story school, called the ETTI: Eastern Tibetan Training Institute. Through Intrepid (our tour company), we visited the school and spent time with the kids. The institute runs 4 month programs for children 15-22 of the region to educate them in tourism and ultimately help them move out of rural poverty. These children were chosen for the school because their parents couldn't afford secondary education, and now are given the opportunity to excel and capitalize from the growing tourism boom in the area. In the 4 months, as their English improves, they learn bookkeeping, tourism and interviewing skills. Half of the small fee we paid ($4 each) on this excursion goes to giving the kids suits for their interviews when they graduate. It was thrilling to meet the wide-eyed kids and feel their optimism for their future.

The streets of Zhongdian

An example of the intricate woodcarvings
Every evening in the main plaza, locals (and visitors who learn fast) dance to jubilant Tibetan music. It was refreshing to see young teenagers alongside their elders, dancing with the same pride.

On the yak farm, where we ate lunch. This is the families' temporary home during this season. We were surprised to see that their formal house, a short walk in the village, was large, ornate and full of elaborate Buddhist wall paintings.

The women of the yak farming family we visited. Interestingly enough, they fit 5 generations in what most American families fit in maybe three generations. Here, the 54 year woman is the mother to a 34 year old, grandmother to an 18 year old and great grandmother to a 10 month old. (Her 80 year old mom was out in the village with friends that afternoon!).

Dion feeding a yak their meal of salt. Christy jumped so high when she felt the yak's sandpaper tongue. It's a feeling not often replicated!

The morning before leaving Dion was able to take a short trip out of town to one of the larger Buddhist monasteries in China outside of Tibet. The monastery, rebuilt in recent years, was destroyed during the brainwashed tirades of Mao's Red Army during the "Cultural Revolution of the 60's early 70's. It is now home to a few hundred practicing monks and provides a momentary glimpse at that dedicated lifestyle.