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[Kathie Shayne]

Dressed in the traditional costume of the Naxi people, actress He Meizhen performs for a music video at the
Bai Shui limestone terraces—formed by deposits of calcium carbonate from flowing hot springs.
The Naxi religion holds that man and nature are kin, and that humans who take too much from nature risk the wrath of their nature brother in the form of floods,
epidemics, and other disasters.

[Kathie Shayne]

One of the last remaining residents of Xiaoshaba village, near Liuku, stands sentry at his home.
The village was demolished to make way for one of the largest dams proposed for the Nu River, just north of Liuku.
Although China's government insists that dam construction has been halted, preparations are still under way.

[Kathie Shayne]

Lush green brightens a gorge wall where warm, mineral-rich waters from hot springs tumble into the Nu River.
Deep valleys between high peaks host a dramatic range of habitats, creating bastions for rare species.

[Kathie Shayne]

Pool cues, leather jackets, and cell phones:
Even young Buddhist monks from the venerable Ganden Sumtseling Monastery nearby indulge in Shangri-La's fresh temptations.

[Kathie Shayne]

Installed by the local government as part of efforts to enhance Shangri-La's status as a tourism destination,
this giant Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheel has become a gathering place for visitors and the resident faithful alike.
It bears reliefs depicting all of China's 56 officially recognized ethnic groups,
 and while it's possible for one strong and resolute person to set the 50-foot-high, 25-foot-diameter wheel
turning in the traditional clockwise direction, it's easier with a crowd.

[Kathie Shayne]

A young Bai child rides on her grandmother's back through crowds drawn to Shangri-La for the annual horse festival.