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| Ganden Sumtseling Gompa Tibetan Monastery |
Prayer: Om Mani Padme Hum Interpretation: Jewel in the lotus (Buddha)
 Shangri-la is where Chinese believe James Hilton was referencing in his 1933 book, Lost Horizon. Perhaps this is true since Hilton was a fan of Joseph Rock's National Geographic articles about Yunnan and more specifically, Zhongdian.The temperatures are cold after Beijing and Kunming's scorching heat. There are currently 3 million Tibetans in China. The Tibetan Autonomous Region, set up by the Chinese government, establishes very clear borders for the holy Buddhist lands. However, true Tibet moves beyond these boundaries into Yunnan and Sichuan. Zhongdian is part of the original lands and upwards of 80% of the community are Tibetan people.
The Tibetan regions ecology reminds me of the Pacific Northwest. With snow-capped Himalayan mountains peaking through the clouds and alpine forests at their feet, it is the shrubs that most surprise me. Forests in Oregon are filled with massive rhododendrons bushes, which I always believed were native species. In actuality, these plants are indigenous to Nepal and other "rooftop of the world" lands.
Ganden Sumtseling Gompa is a monastery just outside of Zhongdian, often referred to as Little Potala Palace. Originally built in 1679, it is an architectural blend of Tibetan and Han Chinese influence. Prior to extensive damage due to the Cultural Revolution, the monastery housed over 2000 monks. The rebuilt structure is now home to about 700 monks. Most of these monks are from the poorer province of Sichuan. Although Tibetan monasteries bring abundant tourist dollars to various regions of China, the government never subsidizes the maintenance. However, funding from local, national, and international contributors is evident from substantial construction taking place.
At the center of Zhongdian is the largest prayer wheel in the world, in Guishan Park. A place where local Buddhist Naxi and Tibetans walk counter-clockwise to spin the wheel clockwise, while often chanting, "Om mani padme hum,"... 108, or just three times. Any denomination of 3 and 9 is considered auspicious. I chose three prayer circles around the wheel at sunset.
As it was our last evening in Yunnan, Darrin, the dam expert, and I had an impromptu meeting of nations at the western-style Noah Cafe. Three French, two Swiss, one Spaniard, and one man from Holland. Every person at the table was fluent in at least three languages. Darrin speaks four languages fluently and can communicate effectively in at least three more. I, a product of American education, was the only member of the festivities who only speak one language fluently. Luckily, or maybe sadly, everyone spoke English. |
Shangri-la is where Chinese believe James Hilton was referencing in his 1933 book, Lost Horizon. Perhaps this is true since Hilton was a fan of Joseph Rock's National Geographic articles about Yunnan and more specifically, Zhongdian.
