Shangri-La County

Shangri-La County is a primarily Tibetan in northwestern Yunnan Province in southwest China and the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Name

The county was formerly called Zhongdian County but was renamed after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the James Hilton novel '''' in 2001 in an effort to promote tourism in the area. 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.

National Park

Pudacuo National Park

Transport

The town's airport is Diqing Airport. Covering an area of 225 hectares, it is one of the biggest airports in the northwest of Yunnan Province. There are flights to Kunming, Chengdu, Lhasa, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

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 Gandan Sumtseling Monastery , Pudacuo National Park, and Tiger Leaping Gorge.