Category: Chinese Culture

The Chinese government renamed the city to Shangri-La (Xiānggélǐlā, 香格里拉) in 2001 in a effort to boost tourism, which is originally known as Zhongdian (Zhōngdiàn Xiàn, 中甸县). A gateway for travelers into Tibet, the cobblestone-lined old town offers a charming look into Tibetan life without having to jump through all of the hoops required to enter the Tibetan Autononomous Region (TAR) itself. It's a beautiful ride from Zhongdian through the mountains to Deqin to the northeast, and beyond that, the massive range of snow-and-ice-capped mountains on the border with Tibet proper known as Meili Xue Shan. It is also possible to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo National Park, Napa Lake (Nàpà Hǎi, 纳帕海), Xiagei Hot Springs (Xià Gěi, 下给) and Haba Snow Mountain (Hǎba Xuě Shān, 哈巴雪山) from Zhongdian/Shangri-La by bus, motorcycle or hired car.

The Fantastic Colorful Beach五彩滩（wúcǎi tān）
在中国，几乎所有的河流都流向东海，唯有一条河一直向北奔流，注入北冰洋。这条河就在新疆阿尔泰地区准噶尔盆地北部的额尔齐斯河。号称“新疆最美的雅丹地貌”的五彩滩就在额尔齐斯河岸边。这里又称五彩城或五彩湾，因其五彩缤纷的地貌特征而得名。五彩滩位于一座非常美丽的小城镇——布尔津县境内，是国家4A级景区，以怪异、神秘、壮美而著称。额尔齐斯河穿越五彩滩一直向北流去。河的两岸景色各异：南岸，绿洲、沙漠与蓝色的天际相合，风光尽收眼底；北岸则是千姿百态、扑塑迷离的雅丹地貌。Nearly all of the rivers in China empty into the East China Sea. The only exception is the Ertix River, which lies to the north of the Dzungarian Basin in the Altai region of Xinjiang. Unlike the other rivers of China, the Ertix riverColorful Beach, best known for its Yadan landscape, can be found along the Ertix River. It is also known as the “Colorful City” and the “Colorful Bay,” for the dazzling array of colors that can be found throughout the landscape. Colorful Beach, in the beautiful town of Burqin, is a 4A-rated national scenic spot, famous for its mysterious and magnificent landforms. The Ertix River runs through this scenic spot on its way north. The landscapes along the opposite riverbanks are dramatically different. On the south bank, oases spring from the expansive desert and the horizon where the sand meets the sky is visible as far as the eye can see. All this beauty stands in a single scene in front of your very eyes. At the north bank, the Yadan landscape awes all who see it, with a variety of complicated and intricate landforms.
五彩滩大约形成于几十万年前。这里沉积了很厚的煤层，后来由于地壳运动，地表凸起，那些煤层也随之露出地表。在雷电和阳光的长期作用下，煤层大面积燃烧，而后堆积成大小山丘，形成了现在这种绚丽的自然景观。
Colorful Beach was shaped hundreds of thousands of years ago. It is mainly composed of sediment from thick coal deposits which burst through the surface of the earth due to the shifting of tectonic plates. Years of thunder and lightning, as well as the sun’s bright rays, have gradually helped form large areas of the coal deposits into hills of different sizes, creating an impressive and imposing landscape.