In October 2016, Singapore-based Shivaji Das (he is Asia- Pacific Managing Director at Frost & Sullivan) and his wife Yolanda Yu&mdashfondly called Lobo&mdashovercame their fear of dirty toilets, which China has a reputation for, and headed off into the remoter parts of Sichuan, to its Wild West, where the plains of the province meld into the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Tibetan and Han cultures overlap.
The travel-struck couple started their journey at Chengdu, heading towards Kangding. The pretty town is famous all over China for the &lsquoKangding Love Song&rsquo and extremely popular with domestic tourists.
From Kangding, they proceeded to Tagong, where they encountered Tibetan nomads, followed by Litang (the &lsquoWorld&rsquos Highest Town&rsquo), on to Daocheng in the south, where lies the Yading Nature Reserve (named by the local government as Shangri-La). From here they returned north, passing by Chengdu on their way to Sertar and Larung. Larung is home to Larung Gar&mdashthe world&rsquos largest monastery&mdash and possibly an illegal settlement.
The journey ended at Danba, the valley of the beautiful women and the tall towers. The itinerary could perhaps be described as &lsquotouristy&rsquo if it were not uplifted by Das&rsquos sharp observations and empathetic outlook on the people and places he encounters. Here&rsquos a quietly humorous take on Kangding &ldquoThe town of love was naturally the town of babies. Soon I realised that nowhere else in China&mdasha country of exceptionally low fertility rates&mdashhad I seen such a proliferation of babies.
The mountain weather gave these babies bulging red cheeks, just like the oversized red radishes on display in the roadside stalls in Kangding.&rdquo
The journey is through one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet, and the few photographs in the book confirm that. Here is a lucid window into a fascinating place, gently peppered with history. Das&rsquos wry and perceptive travelogue on a region that is &lsquonot-quite Tibet&rsquo shows that things are never black and white. The style remains chatty and approachable, making the book a pleasure to read.
The &lsquoOther&rsquo Shangri-La by Shivaji Das
Publisher Konark Rs299
