Introduction
Despite its fictional origins, the myth of Shangri-La has demonstrated phenomenal longevity. Numerous attempts were made to tie it to real-life locations, with Tibet being one of the popular candidates. The following paper analyzes the sources of images of Tibet as Shangri-La by tracing the evolution of the myth in public consciousness.
Shangri-La in Popular Culture
In order to establish parallels between Tibet and the fictional image of Shangri-La, it is necessary to first examine the emergence of the latter in popular culture. The concept of Shangri-La as a mysterious utopian land preserved from the corruption of the Western culture is commonly attributed to James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. The book presented a detailed account of the adventures of a Western diplomat who discovered the land after a plane crash. After being integrated into the society, the protagonist gradually discovered its outstanding spiritual and cultural characteristics. The book describes Shangri-La as a place of boundless wisdom and knowledge, which was in line with the perception of Oriental culture at the time. Lost Horizon garnered immense recognition among the Western audience and is considered one of the seminal works responsible for the formation of the cultural image of the Eastern spirituality (Norbu 375).
Two factors can be identified as causes of its popularity. First, the Western society was experiencing the aftermath of a recent chain of events triggered by World War I. This aftermath can be summed up as the total disillusionment with the majority of values characteristic for Western culture (Yang 164). The sobering effect of technological progress in the form of increasingly deadlier weapons of mass destruction rendered the long-established moral and ethical norms irrelevant. Many principal components of the civilization, including financial systems, politics, and governance, were shown to have vulnerabilities. In such a setting, the tale of an idyllic location was highly appealing to the troubled audience. At the same time, by the early twentieth century, the concept of miraculous discoveries yielded by the expeditions had been firmly established in public consciousness. Thus, the vibe of secrecy and mystery provided by the book further solidified the image of Shangri-La in the minds of people.
Transition to Real-World Setting
While the book was fictional, the idea proved to be resilient enough to transcend the setting and enter the domain of urban legend. The most likely reason for this is the existence of similarities with other concepts in several Eastern countries. Most notably, Tibetan Buddhism includes the concept of Shambala – a harmonious state that is linked to Kalachakra. While the concept is primarily esoteric in nature, some authors associate it with physical locations in the region, including the Ngari prefecture located in the Western part of Tibet. This location has earned some credibility since it aligned with the description offered by Hilton in his novel, defined vaguely as somewhere beyond the western range of the Himalayas.
As a result, a number of claims of the Shangri-La’s location were made by different researchers. One of the candidates is Hunza Valley located in Pakistan, which was visited by the book’s author several years before writing the book. Several locations in China also claim the status and advertise the fact to the tourists. However, Tibet remains among the most often cited location of Shangri-La, both from the standpoint of limited corroborating evidence and in terms of cultural and spiritual similarities. It should be mentioned that while the evidence gathered by the researchers remains inconclusive, it is highly likely that some of them were genuine sources of inspiration for the author.
Public Perception of Tibet
As was mentioned in the previous section, Tibet harbors a certain amount of credibility as a real-life analog of Shangri-La due to several geographical clues. Specifically, the connection to a region of Himalayas combined with respective mentions in local literary sources lends it some credibility. In addition, the mentions of similar locations in local lore seem to confirm the assumption. However, arguably the most significant influence comes from the cultural perspective characteristic of the era.
First, it should be understood that the image of Tibet as a source of wisdom secret knowledge had already been established by the time Hilton’s book was published. The main source of this reputation was the Theosophical Society established in the late nineteenth century by Helena Blavatsky and Henry Olcott. Central to the society’s mythos was the story told by Blavatsky in a series of books. According to the claim, the doctrine of the society was provided by the individuals encountered by Blavatsky in Tibet. These individuals, referred to as Masters of Wisdom, were members of a larger society spread across the world and aimed at collecting, refining, and preserving knowledge.
Notably, the described organization’s central residence was located in an undisclosed location in Tibetan mountains. The society’s cultural influence was immense, serving as a foundation for the majority of similar movements in the oncoming century. In addition, a number of features from Blavatsky’s works bear a close resemblance to the setting laid out in Lost Horizon. For instance, the Masters are described as being on a higher end of the spectrum in terms of intellectual development. At times, they also demonstrate abilities that go beyond human capacity. In the most telling example, the information presented in the book was claimed to be received by Blavatsky from the masters telepathically. In the same manner, the masters are known to have lifespans that far exceed that of humans. Interestingly, the inhabitants of Shangri-La were also described to demonstrate incredible longevity, which establishes an evident connection.
The second source of connection between Tibet and Shangri-La was the account of Antonio Andrade, a missionary from the court of Akbar I. During Akbar’s reign, he came in possession of a map that listed an undiscovered area roughly matching the modern Tibet. The description provided by the map’s author prompted Andrade to undertake an expedition to the region, which led to the discovery of a relatively wealthy region. While the account of the expedition was not widely known at the time, it garnered traction after Hilton’s novel came to light. As a result, Tibet became firmly associated with a number of characteristics, such as seclusion, secrecy, wealth, and, perhaps most importantly, the existence of highly developed individuals possessing enormous intellectual and moral capacity.
The effect was further strengthened by the fact that in the first half of the twentieth century, Tibet remained relatively unknown to an average Western observer. While many Eastern countries were thoroughly explored, Tibet was not conquered or otherwise impacted by the colonial efforts of major European players. In addition, it demonstrated considerable resistance to establishing trade relationships with the Western world. As a result, by the time Hilton’s book was published, Tibet was already firmly embedded in the public consciousness as something mysterious unexplored, and harboring enormous material wealth and spiritual and cultural potential (Tong 177). The challenging geographical location that prevented exploration further strengthened the myth.
On the other hand, despite its scarcity, the anecdotal information about Tibet was available to public thanks to the constant flow of missionaries and military officers, as well as occasional explorers and scholars. The influence of the former is especially important for the story since their accounts were often romanticized. The first probable reason for this is the informal setting in which these accounts were delivered. At the time, traveling to remote locations has become a respectable and intriguing activity, and fascinating stories were an expected outcome. In other words, depicting Tibet as a mysterious and magical place became a source of amusement. In addition, the authors of the accounts were likely as susceptible to biased perception as their listeners since both had the same cultural and social backgrounds. In other words, Tibet became the most suitable candidate for the niche of the source of magic in the increasingly pragmatic and materialistic world.
Finally, the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950s played its part in the alignment of Tibet and Shangri-La. The image of peaceful and enlightened Tibetans driven out of their land by the malevolent militarized force and destruction of gorgeous temples resonated with the recent trauma of the Second World War. At the same time, the influx of refugees to the Western countries became a major source of Eastern knowledge. Several schools and societies have formed by the gurus from Tibet, both real and fictional. Eventually, the myth permeated the popular culture, with references to sacred knowledge from Tibet appearing in popular songs and books.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the information above, the image of Tibet as Shangri-La originated from a popular book inspired by the fascination with the Orient. The desire for mysterious and magical imagery sustained the effect for several decades. Finally, the political events of the 1950s provided an additional source of inspiration while at the same as well as information in the form of refugees. Simply put, the image of Tibet as Shangri-La was a product of its time, a well-timed myth that found support in human hearts.
Works Cited
Norbu, Jamyang. “Behind the Lost Horizon: Demystifying Tibet.” Imagining Tibet: Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies, edited by Thierry Dodin and Heinz Räther. Wisdom Publications, 2001, pp. 373-379.
Tong, Q. S. “‘Lost Horizon’: Orientalism and the Question of Tibet.” Writing China: Essays on the Amherst Embassy (1816) and Sino-British Cultural Relations, edited by Peter Kitson and Robert Markley, Boydell & Brewer, 2016, pp. 167-187.
Yang, Yuqing. Mystifying China’s Southwest Ethnic Borderlands: Harmonious Heterotopia. Lexington Books, 2018.