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On the Road to Shangri-La
Alumni Association Co-sponsors Trip to China’s Shangri-La Region
 Early in this decade, the Chinese government renamed a region in Northwestern Yunnan Province and the Tibetan Autonomous Region “Shangri-La.” The new name results from the government’s interest in boosting tourism in one of the more remote and strikingly beautiful areas of the country. The designation, “Shangri-La,” stems from the region’s superficial resemblance to the mythical Tibetan kingdom described in British novelist James Hilton's Lost Horizon (1933).
The University of Wisconsin—River Falls Alumni Association and the China Exploration and Research Society (CERS) are co-sponsoring a 14-day adventure in Shangri-La in September, 2007. CERS founder and president How Man Wong is a River Falls alumnus.
In addition to spectacular mountain ranges with peaks over 23,000 feet, the Shangri-La Region is traversed by three of the world’s most storied rivers running in parallel just a few miles apart—the Mekong on its long journey into Laos and Vietnam; the Yangtze, which eventually turns east and runs the entire length of China; and the Salween, which takes a right and flows into India’s Bay of Bengal.
In addition to breathtaking scenery, the region is home to 26 Chinese ethnic minorities—including Tibetans, of course—making it one of the most ancient, culturally diverse and intriguing areas in country, in fact, the world. China’s ancient Silk Road, documented by Marco Polo in the 12th Century, runs through the region and will be one of the byways upon which our modern travelers will tread.
The trip will take participants through the heart of Shangri-La to enjoy its scenery, diverse cultures, historic and geologic landmarks.
Hosting the trip are Lorin Robinson and Mike Norman, UW-RF journalism professors emeriti. Robinson traveled extensively in the Shangri-La Region in 2004 as a guest of How Man Wong.
For complete information about this Shangri-La adventure, click on: www.shangrilajourney.com. |
