The postcard-like beauty of Yunnan's Shangri-La (12)

Oilseed rape fields near Zhongdian 1995. (Photo/chinadaily.com.cn)

It was difficult to leave the monastery, indeed I only went as far as a nearby hill to sit for an hour overlooking the scene, to write up my notes and think about what had happened not just at Songzanlin but also throughout my time literally on the roof of Yunnan.

Before leaving Zhongdian, for that short time my personal Shangri-La, I revisited the market that had earlier provided so many vivid images. Reluctantly boarding the bus for Lijiang I pondered over what could happen to this area once the inevitable changes through infrastructure improvements opened it up for tourism-driven growth? Heading out of town I kept looking back toward the road leading north towards Tibet. So near yet so far. An impossible dream? Five years later it came true for me!