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Shangri-La
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
From Wikipedia: "Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. In the book, "Shangri-La" is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world."
Bhutan has as good a claim as any place to be the last Shangri-La. As official policy the government promotes "gross national happiness." Again from Wikipedia: "Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. The term was coined by Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many worthy moral goals it is somewhat easier to state than to define, nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for the Five Year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans to the country."
The Shangri-La feel perhaps reaches a peak when one visits Taktshang, or Tiger's Nest, a temple built on a ledge high up a cliff. Once more from Wikipedia: "Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. It hangs on a cliff at 3,120 metres (10,200 feet), some 700 meters (2,300 feet) above the bottom of Paro valley. Famous visitors include Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century and Milarepa. The name means "Tiger's nest", the legend being that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew there on the back of a tiger." My wife and I were fortunate that we were technically guests of the Foreign Ministry (see the notes below this photo for explanation), so we were able to go into the temple and have tea with the monks, which is not normally allowed. I'll put a photo from there in a workshop. |
Flavia, vincenti, pat0500, pedrocarmo has marked this note useful
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bonsoir ken
vriament une tres belle composition
que dire sinon que la photo est parfaite.
A+
- Cormac
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3204 W: 56 N: 5888]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(24589) - [2007-03-10 19:12]
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This is certainly very evocative of the title, Shangri-La, with the temple perched high on a ledge in the mountains, with exotic trees surrounding it. That must have been a wonderful trip!
Hi Ken,
Very nice composition indeed..!
Beautiful point of view for this good shot..!
very good framing, good picture..!
Best regards,
Have a nice weekend.
Patrick
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- Flavia
(7824)
- [2007-03-14 21:03]
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Hi Ken,
You manage to catch the essence of this place on this picture. The POV nad composition showing the distant temple troughg the trees really pass the ideia of a hiden place. It's as if you had just discoverd it and are observing it in secrecy behind the trees...
I must had been such an honor to be invited insede this place.
Best Regards,
Flavia
Hi Ken
I like the composition and the natural framing, but I miss more details of the temple.
Maybe you have also a closer view of the temple from the same prespective?
Anyway good photo and note
TFS.
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1251 W: 29 N: 1089]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 121 W: 3 N: 66]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(851)