We received a poem on a beautiful summer day from our guest Mr.David Duke

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It's the most active time of the year in the mountains, living in the mountains, you feel the pulse of the nature at every moment. 

Rhododendron bloom at Meili

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Is Shangri-la too in winter? Is the place boring and bare? Although many tourists may not see Shangri-la a winter destination, seasoned travelers find it fascinating when the villages become so lively with family gathering together for a relaxing season and the New Year.

Butchering the pigs is a big deal for local families  -- Sha Nian Zhu -- Kill the Year Pig, is the official name of the event. It's a day when every member of the family is supposed to be home, and relatives and friends are invited for a big banquet. This year, many guests stayed with Songtsam Lodges had the opportunity to be invited to such a pleasant banquet. 

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What is Songtsam Lodges like in summer?

Summer mountains in shangri-la are extremely green,  dotted by hundreds of different kind of wildflowers -- many species originated here are now found in the gardens in Europe.

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Benzilan is 3 hours by car from Shangri-la along the Yunnan - Tibet Road. It was an important trade stop on the ancient Tea and Horse Road.

In the past decade, I can’t remember how many times that I travled on this road to worship the mysterious Kawagebo. Every time, I would make a lunch stop in the small one-streeted  town of Benzilan. Sits between Deqin(Meili) and Shangri-la (Gyalthang), Benzilan was heaven  to have a simple but tasty meal which was hard to find on highland. Rumor always had it that people in Benzilan cook well, but I believe it’s the low altitude and relatively high boiling points that made rice softer and dishes tastier. Deep fried ribs decorated by a few pieces of mint leaves had been my all time favorite.

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黎明时分的滇西北整个大地还在沉睡中，而当第一缕晨光射向卡瓦格博尖顶的一瞬间，时间仿佛静止，万籁俱寂。传说中的日照金山就在眼前，禁不住想振臂欢呼，可突然担心哪怕一丝丝的声响都会惊扰了群山中居住的神灵，唯有默默祈祷，尽献一颗虔诚之心。

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冬天香格里拉安静下来,游客来往的季节已经过去,但是村里的热闹才刚刚开始：婚宴一场接着一场；杀年猪—绝对是游客不能想象的大事。周末前，同居一村的三个姑娘小伙子已经急忙赶回了家乡，周六，两辆车载着14个松赞员工，浩浩荡荡去塔城村里做客。由于修路，我们这庞大的吃饭团要绕道虎跳峡，再到塔城，将近5个小时的路，一直都有人指点：那个村子是谁谁谁的家。事实上，从香格里拉到每一个松赞系列所在的村子，一路都有松赞员工的家乡，如果流落在这一路，那是一直都有人招待的。

塔城的松赞建在村边的山坡上，两棵柿子树掩映的是典型的暗暗发红的石木结构的房子。九间宽敞客房的阳台都面对着山谷中层层稻田，远眺一抹青山，镶着隐隐的银边：最近下了雪，高山上都顶着雪。山谷中阳光明媚，虽是冬季，中午，我们也热得只穿着短袖。很难想象这里和香格里拉一般只是两个小时的路程。海拔的变化使这两个小时带来了惊人的变化：从雪山环绕枯黄的青稞地，转眼就到碧绿富饶的稻田；中国西南横断山脉南缘的这一带，就是这样神奇。垂直气候变化也孕育了丰富的物种---这是世界上生物多样性最为丰富的地区之一，多少世界花园中盛开的鲜花，都来自中国大西南这一隅。高山深谷隔断的小小区域，千年来生活着各个民族，这两个小时，我们也从藏区来到傈僳族、纳西和藏族聚居的山谷。

松赞塔城虽是一样的石木结构，看得到和香格里拉一样结实的木雕，手工雕琢的铜饰，却隐隐透着不一样的气质。适应这里温暖的气候，整座建筑创造更大的空间感，室内使用减法的装饰风格。面向山谷的一端，无论是房间还是公共空间都装着更通透的木格镶嵌的玻璃窗：窗外的那一片碧绿映入室内，是一幅幅最自然的装饰画。温暖山谷中的酒店没有再用太多的暖色调，院里的露天泳池和一丛翠竹都显得凉爽而清雅；而室内暖色调的杉木地板、窗楞和手工铜雕装饰的大门则平衡了早晚的凉意。

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Songtsam's good friend and intrepid traveller -- Mr. Gilles Boulianne writes about his experience climbing Haba Snow Mountain.   Read Article

Last break before the final summit push at 4,900 m

Some Memories Never Fade:

It seems like only yesterday. Baima Dorji was on his way back to Shangri-La, with ambitious plans to shoot a documentary of his childhood home. While it had been many years since he had last set foot in his native land, fond memories never forgotten came pouring back. He remembered the excitement of climbing local mountains as a young boy, the intimate solitude of his town’s temples, and the people who helped define him as a person. Finally, Baima was home. The rush of emotions made him wonder. How could he give back? What more could he do? Soon it all became clear. He thought about the Region’s rich culture and how he could create a way for travelers to come and experience a new way of life. A place that was more than hotels and gift shops, a place where guests could immerse themselves in a living history. So Baima turned his family’s small guesthouse into the first lodge. Inspired by the rich Tibetan culture, he worked with local artisans and members of the community to help produce and run Songtsam Green Valley.

Four lodges and nine years later, Baima’s vision continues to grow and so does the Songtsam experience.