Shangri-La acts as China’s gateway to Tibet, and the city boasts many attractions that draw tourists from around the world. The Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park and the Tiger Leaping Gorge are all nearby. Renamed in 2001, Shangri-La was originally called Jiantang Town. The city took its name from the famous novel “Lost Horizon”, which featured a mythical land of the same name.Visitors to Shangri-La find its weather cool all year round, as the city sits at a 3,000 metre altitude. It has many attractions for religious followers of Buddhism, and the monastery at Ganden Sumtseling, with its relics and art, draws the devout from all around Asia.