Shangrila Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
county-level city
About Shangrila
Historically, this area was part of the old Tibetan province ofKhambut the Qing Dynasty made it administratively part of Yunnan Province in the 18th century. Today, the town is split between Tibetan and ethnic Han residents, as well as a fair smattering of Naxi, Bai, Yi and Lisu, with the surrounding countryside almost entirely Tibetan. While the crass name change in 2001 was a sign of the desire for increasing mass tourism a laLijiang, the town has nowhere near Lijiang's crowds, and it's still possible to experience the area's Tibetan heritage and see gorgeous countryside in near isolation. Zhongdian was renamed Shangrila for marketing reasons, however, signs in bus stations still use Zhongdian. There is also a third name in Tibetan, Gyelthang. The original Shangrila, from James Hilton's
Top Attractions in Shangrila
Explore the best things to see and do in Shangrila:
- ★Biking around Napa Lake
- ★Countryside
- ★Diqing Long March Museum
- ★Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Museum
- ★Golden Dragon Street Gallery
- ★Horses
- ★Nixi Tibetan Village
- ★Old town
Where to Eat in Shangrila
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Arro Khampa!
- 🍴Bhaskar's Kitchen
- 🍴Compass Cafe
- 🍴Hiker's Coffee
- 🍴Hongxin Restaurant
- 🍴Karma Cafe
Where to Stay in Shangrila
- 🏨Banyan Tree Ringha
- 🏨Bright Hotel
- 🏨Gyalthang Dzong Hotel
- 🏨Halfway Guesthouse
- 🏨Harmony Guesthouse
- 🏨Kersang's Relay Staion
Shangrila Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: