Tibetan Plateau

Shangri-La is a fictional place described by British author James Hilton in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. It symbolizes a happy, earthly paradise, particularly a Himalayan utopia, which is isolated from the outside world. While the exact geographic location of this dreamy place has not been officially found, many areas in the northwest of Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province, and Tibet with features such as beautiful mountainous scenes have claimed the title. In 2001, Zhongdian County in northwestern Yunnan officially renamed itself Shangri-La County.