Location

The Da Liangshan (Great Cool Mountains) Yizu autonomous region of Sichuan is a magical place, full of contrasts, unexpected adventures, majestic snow capped mountains, rich flood plains and pristine wilderness.

Situated in the south of the Province and bordering Yunnan and Guizhou, it is home to over 17 minority groups, the main two being Yizu and Tibetan.

Meigu county in the east, is a natural habitat of the Giant Panda, and is also spiritual home of the Bimo, Shamen who are the keepers of knowledge and ancient wisdom of Yi culture.

Muli county in the west, is a Tibetan Autonomous region where the ethnic Tibetan Pumi and Khamba kingdoms meet. Here, the revered Pumi King and Queen still reside and hold court.

Perched high on a steep slope, where the thundering river below is fed by melting snow from nearby mountain giants, is an ancient Tibetan monastery where the resident Living Buddha is spiritual head of this isolated corner of the Liangshan.

Up until the mid 20th century this region had only limited exposure to outside influences, due partly to it's isolation and rugged terrain, and partly to the fearsome reputation of the Yi warrior clans. It is part of the area explored by the famed botanist Joseph Rock, and many claim Da Liangshan was the inspiration for the fictional "Shangri-La" of the novel "Lost Horizon" written by James Hilton in 1933.

Until recently it had been a forgotten place in the great economic miracle that is modern China, but now its people are being prodded into modernity, slowly and reluctantly.

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