Nature and Culture Exploration Journey in the Peaceful Shangri La during the COVID-19

Being the top sweetheart of nature lovers, Tibetan culture fans and lots of people seeking the real peaceful fairyland, Shangri-La is always one of the top destinations to immerse into the harmonious life of the hospitality of unsophisticated Tibetan people, happy herds of sheep and cattle, mirror-like lakes, holy ancient monasteries, palaces and city roads, etc. Everything here will bring you to the Magic Land written in the “Lost Horizon” by famous British writer James Hilton some 80 years ago. I’ve been to Shangri-la, I knew the charm and beauty there is much beyond words can describe. Therefore, when people ask me about that fancy land, I always say it’s a place one must go in life.

I received the inquiry E-mail from Jimmie asking about tours in Yunnan in November, 2020 and from there letter I found that they were planning to visit Shangri-La in early December. I have to admit that I was very excited when I received the letter, because I really love Shangri-La and can’t wait to introduce the dream-like places to Jimmie and other people who are interested in the place.

He added my We-chat ID and we started to communicate through phone. He mentioned that he would like to book a 3-day Shangri-La tour and transportation from Lijiang to Shangri-La with us. After fully understanding their needs and requests, I made a 3 Days Shangri-La Trip Itinerary.

Jimmie was satisfied with the plan and after discussing the itinerary with his wife, they decided to book the tour with us starting from December 2nd. I’m very glad to have made it through. Before Shangri-La tour started, he had mentioned that he and his wife would spend hald a day in Lijiang, touring around the ancient city and enjoy nightlife there. Then their trip to Shangri-La began:

Lijiang to Shangri-La

In the first day, the driver and private guide pick Jimmie and his wife up at their hotel. Then drive about 52 kilometers from Lijiang to view the First Bend of Yangtze River. The upper reach of the Yangtze River is Jinsha River coming down from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and when it arrives at Shigu Town, it is obstructed by Hailuo Mountain and forms a V-shape turn. Then it changes the direction and goes to the northeast. Jimmie and his wife can reach the observation deck to catch a panoramic view of the bend, an extraordinary turn nearly about 180 degrees with beautiful and marvelous views like a wonderful landscape painting. Then they will have a look at the local market and Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in Shigu Town. After the tour, be escorted to Shangri-la.

Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument, Photo Shared by Jimmie, Tour Customized by Tracy

Shangri-la  

Jimmie and his wife have two full days to explore the earthly paradise described in the famous novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton.

On the first day in Shangri-La, they will visit the Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Gompa), reputed as the “Little Potala Palace” for it was built according to the complex of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

Songzanlin Monastery in 3rd December 2020, Photo Shared by Jimmie

Then drive to Napa Lake. It is a state-designed wetland area, situated about 3270m above sea level to meet wild migrant bird there.

Napa Lake in Shangri-La in 3rd December 2020, Photo Shared by Jimmie, Tour Customized by Tracy

After the merry time in the park, pay a visit to a local Tibetan family to experience the highly-praised hospitality of Tibetan people and taste some special Tibetan snacks and butter tea.

Jimmie and His Wife Visit Local Tibetan Family in 3rd December 2020, Photo Shared by Jimmie

On the second day in Shangri-La, they would explore Dukezong Old Town. With a history of over 1300 years, Dukezong Old Town is the largest and the best preserved Tibetan community in China. Climb up to the top of Guishan Hill (or Tortoise Hill) to have a panoramic view of both the endless snow-capped mountains surrounded by the pure land and the large scale of the old town with countless Tibetan dwellings. Join in the tourists to turn the largest Prayer Wheel in the world in a clockwise direction.

Dukezong Old Town in Shangri-La, Photo Shared by Jimmie, Tour Customized by Tracy

They also have a great time at Shangri-La Thangka Institute and learn more about Thangka painting, chanting, Tibetan language and calligraphy.

Jimmie's Wife Taking a Photo in Front of Shangri-La Thangka Institute, Photo Shared by Jimmie

To make sure they have the best travel experience, I made a lot of arrangements, such as contacting the hotels in advance, keeping in touch with the local guides and drivers, etc., before the tour started. And also kept in touch with them as they traveled. On the first day of their trip, I sent a message and asked about how their local guide was. They replied:"ack was a great guide!", which relieved me a lot. After knowing that they were satisfied with both the guide and the driver, in order to let them fully enjoy their trip, I didn’t bothering them in the next two days but instead staying in touch with the guide. On December 4th, the last day of their journey, I knew that their trip was almost over, so I sent a message to ask how their tour was and everything went on well. He replied that everything was great, which let me at that time a great sense of accomplishment!

A Little Episode after Jimmie’s Yunnan Tour

After their Shangri-la, Yunnan tour ended, I knew that they booked flight tickets to Chengdu and would like to pay a visit to Mount Emei independently. Bad luck is, one new COVID-19 case suddenly was discovered in Chengdu on December 7th. I knew that they might be staying in Chengdu, so I asked them. Jimmie replied that he and his wife had just returned from Mount Emei and were indeed in Chengdu. I told them about the case and asked which hotel they were staying at. They told me the name of their hotels, then I checked it out and found it was not in the infected area. On the day they were to leave Chengdu, I received a message from Jimmie saying that they heard some misguided information that Chengdu Airport was closed. I asked about their flight numbers and some detailed information, then called the airport to check, turned out the airport was Operating smoothly, only several flights were delayed or canceled because of the heavy fog. I immediately passed the information to Jimmie and He replied: ”Your the greatest! Thanks”

After he returned home safely, he wrote a great review on Trip Advisor.com about his Lijiang Shangri-La Tour. The following is the transcript of the review on Trip Advisor.com:

Hello Everyone, we searched for different travel agencies but found China Discovery. Our agent was Tracy from Chengdu, Sichuan. We are foreigners living and working in China, but wanted to travel during the covid issue. As you know it can be difficult with the language and QR heath code’s etc. We choose the Lijiang to Shangrila, Yunnan which was awesome. Tracy was so helpful planning our personal trip. She provided our driver, guides Jack and Peter which was well worth every penny. Shangrila was the highlight of our trip and strongly recommend you visit. Peter was great and local to the area. We had lunch with a local family and of course saw all the temples as well as the history. There is also an Artist/Museum in the old town you must visit!!!

We strongly recommend using China Discovery ( Tracy ) for any traveling in China. We also strongly recommend visiting Dali, Lijiang and Shangrila 2 to 3 days in each city.

I am honored to be able to plan this Shangri-La trip for them, and very glad that they enjoy the whole journey. Hopefully, there will be more chances to help them plan trips to every corner of China in the future.