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Vera and Lee of Feeding Foca arrive in Shangri-La, Yunnan, a town renamed from Zhongdian and associated with James Hilton's Lost Horizon. They stay at a centrally located hotel with heating, then use an electric scooter to explore. Their route takes them to a large monastery known as the Little Potala, where they walk around the lake rather than take the bus. They continue to Napa Lake, a seasonal wetland that appears as grassland during this visit, with yaks, horses and donkeys. The day also includes Tibetan barley with yak meat, yak butter tea, fruit, a golden prayer wheel and a wild mushroom hotpot.
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More about the current video:(Published on 2025-02-27)
Arriving in Shangri-La
Vera and Lee of Feeding Foca reach Shangri-La by high-speed train. The town sits in northwest Yunnan near Sichuan and the Tibetan Autonomous Region. They describe a fresh breeze and a blue sky after arrival, then check into a centrally located hotel. Heating matters at this altitude, which is above 3,000 metres; the account says many hotels also have oxygen machines for visitors who feel the effects. Shangri-La was formerly called Zhongdian and was renamed for tourism. Its population is primarily Tibetan, alongside people who moved there as tourism and economic activity grew.
They rent an electric scooter to get around. At the large monastery, they use a digital ticketing system and choose to walk instead of taking the bus. The walk gives them a view across the lake toward the monastery, which the account says once housed 2,000 monks and now has around 700. It is also called the Little Potala. The area is quiet during their visit apart from the main square and monastery.
Grasslands, local food and evening sights
They travel to Napa Lake, a seasonal wetland and nature reserve. During this visit it looks like grassland, with yaks, horses and donkeys. They walk through the open landscape and pass Tibetan villages. At a local meal they try stir-fried Qing Ke, or Tibetan barley, with yak meat. Later, they notice illuminated streets and street food, and comment on the size and abundance of local fruit.
The pair sample yak butter tea and learn how it is prepared; they describe its salty, buttery and strong taste. They also visit a large golden prayer wheel, which people believe brings good fortune when spun several times. Dinner is wild mushroom hotpot, a regional specialty with many kinds of mushrooms. They compare the meal with a previous trip to Lijiang and notice hanging ham in restaurants, which they liken to Spain's tapas culture. Back at the hotel, they meet its resident cats. The hosts say Yunnan is pet-friendly, with cats and dogs often seen with their owners. They finish the day looking forward to visiting Tibet and other Tibetan regions.
The account also gives context for the stops: the monastery is described as once housing about 2,000 monks and now around 700, and the town's former name was Zhongdian. The hosts describe the lake walk as a way to see the monastery rather than taking the bus. At Napa Lake, the seasonal landscape is open grassland during this visit, and the animals include yaks, horses and donkeys. Their evening brings fruit, tea and a meal they compare with food from a previous visit to Lijiang. These scenes connect the practical details of getting around with the places and dishes they encounter.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What's the best way to get around Shangri-La?
- A: Vera and Lee rented an electric scooter and found it fun and easy to use.
- Q: What's the weather like in Shangri-La?
- A: It gets cold at night at this altitude, so they recommend packing warm clothes.
- Q: What was yak butter tea like?
- A: They describe it as salty, buttery and strong, a distinctive taste.
- Q: What was the most memorable food?
- A: They highlight the wild mushroom hotpot, which included many different kinds of mushrooms.
