Ganden Sumstseling monasteryDiqing is a region at the nort-west of Yunnan district. The wonderful capital of the district, Shangri-La County, is primarily a Tibetan county. It is the capital of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
It was formerly called Zhongdian County, but was renamed after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon in 2001.
The local Tibetan population refers to it by the name Gyalthang. “Shangri-La” or “Zhongdian” may also refer to Jiantang Town, the capital of the county.
Many travelers use the county town as a gateway into Tibet, either travelling many days overland by Jeep to Lhasa, or by flying from the city’s airport.
However, the town itself is a tourist destination, primarily due to the nearby Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (Sōngzànlín Sì), the Pudacuo National Park, and the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The Red River (Yuan) has its source in the mountains south of Dali and enters the South China Sea through Hanoi in Vietnam.
