An Escape To the Actual Shangri-la in the Yunnan Province

Text & photographs: Crystal Woo.

Sojourn in Banyan Tree Lijiang

Even a brief stay opens a rare window into the world of the Naxi—an indigenous people devoted to music and dance, celebrated for falconry, and remarkable for having developed their own writing system. The Dongba Script, a form of pictographic glyphs reminiscent of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. One afternoon spent with a Naxi Wiseman, learning about life or painting Dongba characters to take home as a keepsake connects guests to culture in an organic way, something Banyan Tree does so well.

Elsewhere, Shuhe Ancient Town is but a short walk from the hotel, drawing one into tea houses with the finest Pu’er and mirrored lakes that encourage imagination. Also known as Dragon Spring Village or Water Town, Shuhe wears its solitude graciously. Cobbled lanes, clear canals, dark-tiled rooftops, red lanterns, Dongba script at every turn. Its quiet charm disarms any sense of hurry. A slow day here is the finest meditation—and the perfect prelude to what lies ahead: Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The ascent is steep and at times vertiginous. One navigates crumbling edges, slippery waterfalls and the occasional nonchalant band of mountain goats heading in the opposite direction. Cairns punctuate the dusty path; light rain is not unusual, so a waterproof jacket earns its place in the backpack. Standing at such altitude, gazing down at the roaring river and across to those monumental peaks, every fibre awakens to a profound reverence for the natural world.

The exhilaration lingers long after the descent. Conveniently positioned between Lijiang and Shangri-La, TLG also serves a practical purpose. The day’s exertion has acclimatised the body to altitude, and the road onwards to Shangri-La begins here.

One arrives into a mountain-cradled village to find Tibetan performers dancing and singing clockwise around a bonfire — the Guozhuang folk dance. Their colourful Chuba (the traditional ankle-length robe of wool or sheepskin) ripples in the cool highland air, ushering travellers into a dream of a sunset.

Soon, dinner follows in a crimson Mongolian yurt — a nomadic tent whose domed crown, the Toono, connects earth to sky. Within: wooden lattice walls draped in magnificent Tibetan textiles, cushioned low tables. And then the feast! Yak meat (rich, deeply nourishing, a highland staple for its protein and Omega-3 content), seasonal vegetables, condiments and creamy yak butter tea. As music and dance take hold of the evening, conversation flows freely and laughter rises into the highland air. Travel is distilled, at its finest, to precisely this.

Sunrise in Shangri-La

Additionally, there’s even a dedicated corner for business-ing or writing. A television set exists, but it is no match for the balcony’s view of meadow and open sky. After a generous breakfast, the estate invites slow exploration. Here, Tibetan villagers tend their herds as their forebears have done for generations. Theirs is a way of life that serves as a genuine touchstone for the sublime. Meanwhile, wild rivers rush through rugged terrain, juniper and alpine forests frame the horizon, and the Himalayas do what they have always done: put life into perspective, and restore the spirit to its natural state of peace.

What distinguishes Banyan Tree Ringha above all is its situation—a gentle stroll from Naiqin Jiwa Renang (Tibetan) or Dabao temple, a sacred site more than 700 years old, visited by the Fifth Dalai Lama himself. From there, a call upon a local Tibetan household where the family matriarch presses homemade snacks and butter tea upon you with irresistible warmth. Return on foot via the river trail before the last of the light fades. Singular experiences, all within a single village. No artifice. Entirely real.