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当华美的叶片落尽，生命的脉络才历历可见..
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Shangri-La, China: paradise found
The boatman sat on the shore of Lake Erhai in an embroidered velvet waistcoat, sucking at what looked like a contrabassoon through a mouth glinting with silver teeth. Reluctantly, he exchanged his pipe for oars and ushered us onto his canoe to visit a Bai couple on the lake who would be demonstrating the art of fishing with cormorants.
Twenty birds manned the gunwales of their boat, wings spread out to dry. Another solitary bird perched on the prow watching the old woman row. At a sign from the fisherman, the birds dived into the water to emerge with their wriggling catch.
“The birds wear a ring around their neck that prevents them swallowing the larger fish,” explained my guide, Lisa. “Then the fisherman rewards them with small fry.”
Most of China’s Bai people live in and around the city of Dali, squeezed between the lake and the Cangshan Mountains. The city lies about six hours from the industrial sprawl of Kunming, reached on a drive through fields of rice and tobacco, and hamlets where long strands of corn cobs and scarlet chillies hang like bunting from the houses. In the fields, farmers toil with pitchforks and wooden shares, and spread corn in the streets to be threshed by passing vehicles.
Over the next 10 days, as we drove through the snow-capped mountains and valleys into ever-remoter areas of Yunnan Province, the 21st century would recede even further until we reached our destination: a land dubbed by the Chinese, keen to promote the region, as a location for the fabled Shangri-La.
Until the road was built in the Fifties, people travelled along the ancient caravan routes through Yunnan, the market towns en route prospering from trade. Dali was one of these, a city older than Beijing, founded in 1382 at the junction of the South Silk Road and the Tea Horse Road. Today, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1925, it relies on domestic tourism.
Of more authentic appeal is the nearby town of Xizhou, whose weekly market attracts a colourful mix of minority peoples: the “white” Bai, whose marriageable girls wear colourful aprons and elaborate headdresses with long white tassels, the Muslim Hui, and the exotically attired Yi, who descend from the mountains on horseback.
Here, along with pigs’ snouts, ducks’ heads and chickens’ feet, you can find a bewildering array of vegetables and fungi, live lake fish, sackloads of salted shrimp, blocks of dry bean jelly, cones of cane sugar, dates and rape seed oil pressed on site.
Passing “Yellow Tooth City” – so called for the sulphur springs from which the locals drink – along the Old Tibet Road, we arrived in Shaxi, a market town of renown since the third century BC, and one which – thanks to sensitive restoration – has retained the charm of its Ming Dynasty heritage. Around its large central cobbled square stands the 1415 Xingjiao Temple, which once catered equally for Bai, Taoists, Buddhists and visiting Muslim merchants. Beautiful multi-eaved courtyard houses of wood and adobe washed with lime abound, a rock at their entrance indicating that these were once caravan guesthouses, while the defaced decoration on the outer walls is testament to the Red Army’s long reach.
I wished I’d had longer in Shaxi to explore an ancient Tea Horse trail to the old customs post of Mapingguan, famous for its nearby salt wells, and to ride into Yi mountain villages – and perhaps a little less in the more famous town of Lijiang, my next stop.
Lijiang is a Unesco World Heritage Site surrounded by lakes and orchards of apples and winter peaches. But unlike its quiet neighbouring villages – Yufu, with its clip-clopping horses and rough stone houses protected by clay rooftop cats; and Baisha, where I had the frescoes of Dabaoji Temple to myself – Lijiang itself is overrun by visitors. More than eight million, in the first half of last year, came to marvel at the Old Town’s quaint canals, spanned by 300 bridges and bordered by weeping willows and “old” wooden houses (actually rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1996). The commercialism is relentless – even the Naxi horsemen, parading in shaggy jackets, and women in traditional embroidered sheepskin capes, have been summoned to entertain the crowds. But venture beyond the shops and bars into the local market, and real life reasserts itself, among vendors of copperware and pu’er teas, and birdmen trading falcons and fearsome golden eagles.
The old road that snakes along the Yangtze River and through the mountains to Shangri-La was an unforgettable highlight. Passing the first bend of the Yangtze where, in 1252, Kublai Khan’s Mongol army crossed to defeat the Dali Kingdom, and pausing to admire the churning waters of Tiger Leaping Gorge (3,000 visitors a day), we soon entered an enchanted world.
Climbing high above the silvery river and into the forested Habashan Mountains, each curve revealed a breathtaking vista of yellows, greens and oranges against the purple mountains. We passed remote Yi villages, stopped to buy bags of pears and walnuts at roadside stalls, and climbed to Baishui Tai – an astonishing series of white limestone pools of turquoise water that cascade like a sculpture down the mountain. Sacred to the Naxi, and said to be the birthplace of the Dongba religion, it is a site we shared with a solitary Naxi family, their young daughter cloaked in traditional finery.
With a kaleidoscopic shift, we were suddenly in “Little Tibet”, emerging from pine forests onto a high plateau and the “county” of Shangri-La, whose population is 82 per cent Tibetan. Distinctive Tibetan farmhouses appeared, with sloping walls, elaborately painted beams and shingle roofs weighed down by stones, where families live above their livestock. In the golden fields, barley and turnips dried on distinctive wooden racks and women balanced large wicker threshing baskets on their heads.
Did you know?
The Nazis sent an expedition to find Shangri-La and a sister 'master race’ in 1938
The old town of Shangri-La is beautifully preserved, but the real delight of the region lies in its countryside. “The name was changed from Zhongdian in 2001,” said Sonam, my guide. “After James Hilton’s book, every town wanted to be renamed Shangri-La. But after 17 visits and petitions by our governor to Beijing, we won.”
The Banyan Tree, on the edge of a village in rural nowhere, could not be more auspiciously located. It lies at the foot of the Ringha Monastery, where prayer flags flutter, boy-monks chop firewood and tend the butter lamps and the views extend over the Shudugang River to fields of grazing yaks.
A troop of gentle, stocky horses appeared outside my lodge in the watery light of dawn one morning, a thin layer of frost shimmering on their back; another day, it was a drift of black pigs that escaped from the village to materialise from the rising mist. The scene was heavenly.
I was fortunate to have Ama as my escort on a “cultural hike” organised by the hotel. Paths were lined with rhododendron and azalea, the mountains carpeted in pine, larch, spruce and aspen, the only sounds those of birds and cattle bells. “A typical Tibetan house has 1,200 hand-carved roof tiles,” she explained, as we visited a village. Married at 14, and now a youthful 48, Ama is pure Tibetan. “Love is not considered important,” she told me as we sat around a stove in a village house eating fresh-baked bread and yak’s cheese sprinkled with sugar. “Life is hard, and couples are too busy working to fight!” While Ama told me about Tibetan customs, our hostess prepared butter tea: boiling black leaves with water, and churning it with yak’s butter and salt in a wooden cylinder. The autumn weather had turned cold, and the tea tasted surprisingly good.
I noticed a photograph of Mao and his generals on the wall, juxtaposed with a poster depicting the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The one subject here of which no one may speak, of course, is Tibet itself. It was a salutary reminder that, even in the earthly utopia of Shangri-La, the line between politics and religion must be balanced with the funambulist’s skill.
Getting there
British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) offers flights to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, there are flights to Kunming on Dragonair, China Eastern and Hong Kong Airlines, from ￡188.
Packages
Audley (01993 838200; audleytravel.com) offers tailor-made journeys to Yunnan from ￡5,500 per person, including one night at the Intercontinental in Hong Kong, two nights in Dali, one night at Shaxi, three nights at the Banyan Tree Lijiang and four nights at the Banyan Tree Ringha, with private transfers, driver, guides, domestic flights and international flights with BA to Hong Kong.
The inside track
Local guide Sonam Gelek ([email protected]) is one of Shangri-La’s secret treasures.
Take a side trip to Shibaoshan Mountain, near Shaxi, for its grottos, which contain unique eighth-century Buddhist carvings.
Visit the 17th-century Sumtseling Monastery, also known as Little Potala Palace, three miles from Shangri-La town. It is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, home to some 700 Yellow Hat monks.
Bring home sculptures made of polished stone from the Cangshan Mountains in Dali; handmade tie-dye fabrics from nearby Zhoucheng; handmade silk slippers from Shaxi; pu’er tea, for which Yunnan is famous – the best choice is in Lijiang; yak’s horn combs; and Tibetan carpets from Shangri-La.
Yunnan by Jim Goodman (Odyssey) and Shangri-La (Bradt) are excellent for background.
The best hotels
Laomadian Lodge, Shaxi ￡
This delightful rambling old Bai courtyard house is brimful of character. Built entirely of wood and thick adobe walls, with lattice windows, it lies in the heart of Shaxi Old Town. There are just nine rooms, with nicely anachronistic slate bathrooms – this is simply the best place in town (0086 872 472 2666; [email protected]; doubles from ￡46).
Banyan Tree, Ringha (pictured above) ￡￡￡
In rural Shangri-La, 30 minutes’ drive from the Old Town, the Banyan Tree’s warmly rustic, Tibetan-style lodges have huge bathrooms (with wooden free-standing bath) and dressing rooms occupying the lower floors, with bedrooms and living rooms upstairs, and balconies that offer breathtaking views. The restaurant serves authentic regional food – the Tibetan hotpot is a must (887 828 8822; banyantree.com; doubles from ￡173).
Banyan Tree, Lijiang ￡￡￡
Away from the throng of the Old Town, the slick and sophisticated Banyan Tree is a tranquil retreat, set around water features, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain providing a dramatic backdrop. After a hard day’s sightseeing or a pummelling in the spa, you can relax by moonlight in the Jacuzzi of your walled garden (888 533 1111; banyantree.com; doubles from ￡185).
The best restaurants
Tara Gallery ￡
Formerly a courtesan’s house, Tara serves an excellent version of local fusion foods. Only the freshest ingredients need apply (Shangri-La Old Town, House 29; 887 822 6128)
Shangri-La Karma ￡￡
Beautifully and authentically restored by the owner-designer, this delightful, cosy restaurant on the first floor of an old Tibetan house serves the most exquisite home cooking. Don’t miss the yak tenderloin with potatoes mashed in yak butter (6 Lunhuolang, Old Town, Shangri-La; 887 822 4768).
Bai Yun ￡￡￡
The Banyan Tree Lijiang’s Cantonese and Yunnan speciality restaurant is in a class of its own. From the signature Cross Bridge Fish soup to the bird’s nest dessert – a delicacy made from the spittle of swallows – there is no finer dining in Yunnan (Yuerong Road, Shuhe; 888 533 1111).
What to avoid
Over-reliance on the information from guides. Not all are well-informed, so make sure you do your homework first.
Travelling during the Chinese holidays – particularly New Year and early October. The majority of tourism in this region is domestic.
Altitude sickness. Shangri-La lies at around 10,500ft (3,200m), so acclimatise gently.
Taking the new road from Lijiang to Shangri-La. Conditions permitting, the old road, though longer and more tortuous, is much more scenic.
船夫穿着一件绣花天鹅绒马甲，闲坐在洱海之滨。他吹奏着一个类似倍低音巴松管一样的乐器，嘴里的银牙在阳光下闪闪发光。看到我们，他有些不情愿地放下乐器，执起船桨，带我们踏上小舟，去拜访一对白族夫妇，欣赏他们在湖上携鸬鹚捕鱼的精彩技艺。
二十只鸬鹚鸟在船舷的上缘一溜儿排开，伸展着翅膀滴水晾干。一只形单影只的鸟儿则在船头驻足，看着那位老太太轻摇船桨。只消渔夫一赶，鸟儿们便跃入水中，浮上来时，嘴里已衔着不停扭动的猎物了。
“这些鸟儿的脖颈上都套着一个皮圈，以防它们把比较大的鱼吞下去。”向导丽莎告诉我，“渔夫会赏它们些小鱼吃。”
中国境内的大部分白族人都居住在大理以及附近的地方，生活在洱海和苍山的怀抱里。大理市距离昆明工业区大约有六小时车程，途经成片的稻田，烟草田和一些小村落。村子里，一条条长长的玉米棒，一串串火红的辣椒，像被屋子推挤着似的，饱满地挂在屋外。而田地上，手持草耙和木犁的农民辛勤地劳作着，把收下来的庄稼撒在马路上，好让过往的车辆碾压脱粒。
接下来的十天，我们驾车穿越积雪盖顶的山峦和深谷，前往云南省内更加偏远的地区。一路上，先进发达的21世纪的踪影也愈发模糊不可辨明。最终，我们的目的地到了。致力于发展这片区域的中国人，把它视为传说中的——香格里拉，并以此命名。
这里的公路建于上世纪五十年代。在此之前，人们都走古代商队走的路穿越云南，这也使得那些沿路的市镇凭借贸易往来兴旺发达。大理就是其中之一。这座历史比北京还要悠久的城市，位于丝绸之路和茶马古道的交汇点，始建于1382年。1925年大地震过后重建的大理，如今则以国内旅游业为经济支柱。
富有更加原汁原味的当地风情的，还得数邻近的喜洲古镇了。在那里，每周一次的集市聚集了各种穿戴鲜艳的少数民族居民。崇尚白色的白族人定会前来，待字闺中的白族姑娘都穿着亮丽的围裙，戴着精心制作的头饰，脑后垂下长长的白色流苏。信奉伊斯兰教的回族人，和装扮颇有异域情调的彝族人也是少不了的。这些赶集的彝族人可是策马扬鞭，一路从群山中奔来的呢。
集市上，除了形形色色的猪鼻子、鸭头和鸡爪，成堆的蔬菜和菌菇，生鲜湖鱼，一包包盐水虾，一块块干凉粉，码成锥状的蔗糖，枣子还有油菜籽油，都就地摆着，真让人应接不暇。
沿着古老的通往西藏的道路，途经“黄牙之城”——一个因为当地居民长期饮用硫磺泉水导致牙齿发黄而得名的地方，我们来到了沙溪。沙溪早在公元前三世纪就以集市贸易闻名天下，而且，得益于细致的修复工作，这座古镇依然保留着明朝流传至今的风韵。在铺着鹅卵石的大型中心广场附近，你还可以找到建成于1415年的兴教寺。寺庙来者不拒，信仰“本主”的白族同胞、道教信众、佛教徒，还有穆斯林客商，均可前往，一视同仁。寺内漂亮的院落多由木材和泥砖建成，上刷厚厚的石灰，顶部设有多重屋檐。大门口的一块岩石诉说着它的身份：过去，兴教寺曾是驿路旅舍，供来往的商队停留歇脚。而外墙上已经有些磨损的装饰，则表明红军长征时也来过此地。
我曾希望可以在沙溪多住几日，以有机会探寻一下古代茶马队前往古老的边关——马平关的足迹。马平关因周边地区的盐井而著称。过了关口，我想去拜访彝族山村，再前往我的下一个目标——丽江，一座更加有名的古城。那里供我参观的彝民村寨可能要少一些。
丽江是联合国教科文组织批准的“世界文化遗产”城市，处在大片湖水和苹果园、冬桃园的环绕之中。可是同与其毗邻的宁静村落——渔夫村不一样，丽江，这个大街上马蹄得得，粗石房子的屋顶上安着镇宅辟邪的瓦猫，白沙古镇的大宝积宫壁画引我驻足的地方，挤满了游客。仅去年上半年，就有八百多万人前来旅游，在古色古香的运河畔叹为观止。丽江古城的运河上跨300座桥梁，岸边尽是依依垂柳与“古旧”的木屋。那些只是所谓的“古屋”，因为现存的屋子都是1996年一场毁灭性的大地震过后，重新建造的。这里商业化的痕迹却有些无情。即使是穿着粗糙的夹克在街上闲逛的纳西族马夫，和身着传统的绣花羊皮披肩的女子，也被召集起来招待众人。然而撇开商店与酒吧的喧嚣，尝试着深入当地市场，置身于售卖铜器和普洱茶的小贩，还有买卖猎鹰和凶猛的金雕的捕鸟人中间，你会发现，真正的生活又浮现出了它原本的面貌。
沿着长江蜿蜒而行，穿过群山通往香格里拉的这条老公路，实在是旅途中难以忘怀的精彩之地。我们经过长江发源之后的第一道弯，1252年忽必烈率蒙元大军征服大理国时穿过的河段，又在虎跳峡，这个每天迎接3000人次旅客的景点稍事停留，观赏了滚滚翻腾的江水，很快便走进了一个让人深深为之着迷的世界。
攀上覆盖着茂密树林的哈巴雪山，万丈之下的河水泛着银光，每转一个弯，都是一处与紫色的雪山相映成趣的满眼黄色、绿色和橙色的风景，无比壮观。我们穿过偏僻的彝族山寨，在路边小摊上买了几袋梨子和核桃，又登上了白水台。一阶阶白色石灰池，池里是碧蓝的水，如同雕塑一般，从山上逐级而下。这是纳西族的圣地，据说是东巴教诞生的地方。那里不只有我们这些旅客，还有一户独自外出的纳西族家庭，那家年轻的女儿穿着宽大的纳西传统服饰。
伴随着令人眼花缭乱的景色更迭，我们一下子就来到了“小西藏”区域。这片区域从松树林里显现出来，一直延伸到一块高地还有香格里拉县城。香格里拉县城82%的人口都是藏族。别具一格的藏族农舍浮现在我们眼前，农舍的墙是斜的，房梁上画着精巧的纹样，石头压在木瓦盖成的屋顶上。藏民就居住在家畜圈栏的楼上。金黄色的农田里，农民把大麦和萝卜搁在特制的木架子上晒干，农妇们则头顶柳条编的大篮子行走，尽力保持平衡。
你知道吗？
纳粹曾经组织过远征队伍，寻找香格里拉，并在1938年发起过类似的“征服运动”。
香格里拉古城区保护得很完美，但这里真正让人眼前一亮的还是乡村地区。“2001年，我们县的名字从中甸改为香格里拉。”我的向导索朗说，“詹姆斯·希尔顿出了那本书之后，每个城镇都想改名叫香格里拉。县长为这事儿跑了17趟，还向中央递交了请愿书，于是我们县赢了。”
乡野不知名的角落，某座村庄边上种着一棵菩提树。再没有比这更吉利的地方了。仁安寺前祈祷旗帜迎风招展，僧人们有的砍柴，有的面对着酥油灯，目光越过属都岗河，望向绿草如茵，牦牛成群的牧场。菩提树，就站在仁安寺的脚下。
一天清晨，淡淡的晨光中，一队温顺健壮的马儿路过我歇脚的地方，脖子上薄薄的一层清霜还闪烁着微微的光芒。还有一次，一群从村子里逃出来的黑猪拨开迷蒙的雾霾，逐渐显现出清晰的模样。目睹这样的场景，就好似身处天堂吧。
在宾馆组织的一次“文化远足”中，我有幸分到了藏族妇女阿玛做我的伴游。路边种满了杜鹃花，山坡上是漫山遍野的松树，落叶松，云杉和白杨。耳边，也只有鸟鸣和牛铃的声音。“一座典型的藏族民居，屋顶上有1200片手工雕刻的瓦片。”我们参观一个村子的时候，阿玛向我介绍。她是个地地道道的藏族人，14岁就结婚了，今年48岁，看上去还很年轻。“我觉得，爱情不是什么重要的东西。”她告诉我。我们正围坐在一户农舍的火炉边，品尝新鲜出炉的面包，享用撒了糖的牦牛奶酪。“生活不容易啊，小两口都太忙了，哪有工夫吵架！”阿玛告诉了我一些藏族的风俗，这家的女主人则在一边准备酥油茶。她把红茶煮好，和牦牛奶酪放在一起搅拌，再摆在木质圆筒里撒上盐。秋天的天气已经转凉了，再品上一杯酥油茶，真是分外香甜。
我注意到，墙上挂着一张毛主席和他手下几个将军的照片。旁边就是一张画着拉萨布达拉宫的海报。这里没人愿意多说的一个字眼，当然就是西藏了。这倒是个有点用处的提醒。在这个世界上，哪怕在香格里拉这个如同乌托邦一般的地方，政治和宗教之间的界限，也是需要时刻小心翼翼地去平衡的。
到达方式
英国航空公司 (0844 493 0787; ba.com)有直飞香港的班机。港龙航空，东方航空和香港航空有香港飞昆明的班机，机票价格188英镑起。
旅游一条龙服务
澳德利 (01993 838200; audleytravel.com)提供为游客量身打造的赴云南旅游项目，所需费用每人5500英镑起。该项目包括香港洲际酒店住宿一晚，云南大理住宿两晚，沙溪住宿一晚，丽江悦榕庄住宿三晚，以及仁安悦榕庄住宿四晚。旅社提供私人通票，司机，导游和直飞香港的英航国内外航班机票。
当地旅游亮点
当地向导索朗格列（音） ([email protected])是香格里拉一位不可多得的优秀向导。
到当地，可顺便游览沙溪附近的石宝山，参观岩穴。岩穴内展出有独特的十八世纪佛教题材的雕刻作品。
建于17世纪的松赞林寺是一个不可错过的地方。松赞林寺距离香格里拉城区3英里远，也被称为“小布达拉宫”。这是云南最大的藏传佛教寺庙，居于寺内的格鲁派僧人有700人上下。
大理苍山上采集的石头抛光，制成的雕塑是不错的纪念品。此外还有附近村落周城的手工扎染织物，沙溪的手工丝绸拖鞋，云南闻名遐迩的普洱茶（丽江的普洱最佳），牦牛角做成的梳子，和香格里拉的藏族毛毯。
最佳旅栈
沙溪老马店客栈 ￡
这座古旧的白族院子有点杂乱，然而充满趣味，令人心情舒畅。客栈坐落于沙溪古镇的中心地带，全由木材和厚厚的泥砖墙建成，装着花格窗。内部只有九间房间，和漂亮的古董级别的石板浴室。这已经是镇上最好的旅馆了。(0086 872 472 2666; [email protected]; 双人房￡46起)
仁安悦榕庄 ￡￡￡
这家酒店位于香格里拉郊外，离古城区30分钟车程。这里西藏风情的朴素客房温暖舒适。酒店底层是浴室（配备单独的木质浴桶）与更衣室，楼上则是卧室与起居室。在阳台上，你还能够饱览香格里拉醉人的风景。酒店内的餐厅提供地道的当地菜肴，这里的西藏火锅是绝对的招牌菜。
(887 828 8822; banyantree.com; 双人房￡173起)
丽江悦榕庄 ￡￡￡
远离古城区的喧嚣，华丽精致的丽江悦榕庄是一个宁静的休憩场所。酒店与水相伴，背靠风景绝佳的玉龙雪山。结束了奔忙一整天的旅行，或做完一次spa之后，在与外界隔离的花园中，躺在按摩浴缸里沐浴在月光下，该是十分轻松惬意的。
(888 533 1111; banyantree.com; 双人房￡185起)
最佳餐厅
Tara 小馆 （Tara Gallery） ￡
这里曾经是一个名妓的住所。Tara做的当地复合式美食相当胜人一筹。只有最新鲜的食材需要预订。（香格里拉古城区29号; 887 822 6128）
宿命香格里拉（Shangri-La Karma）;￡￡
这栋藏族旧民居由屋主亲自设计修复，华美又极富当地风情。温馨而令人愉悦的餐厅位于一楼，提供非常精致的家常菜。不要错过牦牛里脊肉配牦牛油土豆泥这道菜。(香格里拉古城区伦火廊6号; 887 822 4768).
白云中餐厅 ￡￡￡
设于丽江悦榕庄内的餐厅，制作自成特色的粤菜和云南菜。你可以从招牌菜过桥鱼汤吃到最后的鸟巢甜点——一道燕窝做成的精致甜点。云南着实没有比这家更好的餐厅了。(束河悦榕路; 888 533 1111)
注意避免的事项
不要过度依赖导游提供的信息。导游并非全知全能，所以去香格里拉之前自己要做好功课。
避免在中国国内节假日，尤其是春节和十月上旬国庆假期期间出行。这里接待的大部分是国内游客。
避免产生高原反应。香格里拉的海拔为10500英尺（3200米），所以务必要慢慢适应水土。
不要走从丽江通往香格里拉的新建公路。如果条件允许，建议走老公路。老公路虽然更长更崎岖，但风景比新公路要好得多。
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