Situated over 4500 meters above sea-level on the old Tibetan border in China, Zhongdian is, in every sense of the word, breathtaking. Whilst not particularly hard to reach, Zhongdian has, as of yet, managed to avoid the perils of mass tourism and successfully clung on to its unique old border town atmosphere. Certainly, from its icy fresh air to its rustic wooden guesthouses, the moment you enter town you know you’ve stumbled across something special.

We arrived in Zhongdian after trekking through Tiger Leaping Gorge. Buses apparently run between the two locations of a fairly regular basis but, as ours never materialized, we instead hitched a lift with a local. Whilst the distance wasn’t vast, the landscape changed dramatically during the course of our journey and the foreboding rocks of the canyon soon gave way to open planes. As our old and dented car rattled onwards and upwards, the temperature dropped further and we, huddled together in the back, began to wish we had packed the thermals.

By the time we arrived in town the light had faded and, with the help of our driver, we navigated the narrow cobbled streets looking for a guesthouse that had been recommended to us by a fellow traveller. Luckily it didn’t take long to find the building in question and after thanking our driver we headed inside. The inn itself was tiny, consisting of only four rooms and one communal bathroom area. That said, what it lacked in space it made up for in character and the open log fire at reception provided us with the warmth we had been craving. Though we were tired, the young receptionist recommended a nearby restaurant called Arro Khampa and, after dumping our belongings, we took her advice and went to get a bite to eat.

As luck would have it, Arro Khampa was in fact the nicest restaurant in China. The owners were incredibly hospitable, the food divine and the price embarrassingly reasonable. One of our favourite dishes included yakow meat - a cross between a domestic cow and a yak. These animals are found in places like Zhongdian because the altitude is too high for cows but too low of yaks. In terms of taste, it was like incredibly rich beef. Anyway, after a hearty meal we headed back to our inn and planned the next day’s escapades.

The joy of Zhongdian is that you encounter something new every time you turn a corner. Though tourism is on the increase and a handful of backpacker orientated cafes have opened up, you still feel as though you’re exploring an authentic and unspoilt corner of a country otherwise obsessed with modernisation. Indeed, as we wondered the dusty roads leading out of town we regularly came across local markets selling everything from scrap metal to mushrooms. Amazingly, the locals continue to wear their traditional dress, despite the gradual influx of mass produced alternatives. The style is naturally Tibetan and the bright vibrant colours made me reach for my camera almost continually. That said, I tried my best to be unobtrusive and refrained from taking pictures of individuals without their permission… well, at least without them realising.

It was during one of our unplanned strolls that we noticed something colourful flapping high up on a hill. Upon reaching the summit we found a large shrine covered in prayer flags, all swaying gently in the icy breeze. As we stood alone admiring the views of the nearby mountains and the sound of the wind whistling through the trees, I began to understand why the Chinese claim that this place was the inspiration for the legendary Shangri-La.

After our hill climbing antics we decided to visit the little known Songzanlin Monastery that lies just a few kilometers outside of town (Bus No.3, last stop). The structure itself is like a scaled down version of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and, though smaller, at least you don’t have to share it with as many tourists. Though the palace was renovated in 2005 and given a new coat of paint, the buildings are by no means superficial and this is demonsrated by the large number of monks that live and worship here. Whilst we had lost track of the number of temples and pagodas we visited during our time in China, it was hard not to be captivated by the Songzanlin Monastery.

But then again, it’s hard not to be captivated by Zhongdian, full stop. You don’t even have to leave the town to experience jaw dropping buildings and natural beauty. Even after the sun sets, the action continues at the central square where all the locals – and tourists - gather to dance to traditional Tibetan music. The atmosphere is amazing and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you had somehow fallen into some type of dreamy musical.

Zhongdian really wet our appetite for Tibet but, alas, time was not on our site and we instead had to head south in order to cross into Vietnam. However, despite travelling through South East Asia for a further six months, very few places impressed us to the extent Zhongdian did. To tell you the truth, if it were not for the fact that we don’t want to disturb our memories of this magical place, we’d return here time and time again.

Categories: China, Featured Articles
Tags: China, features, Zhongdian