The town that still promises of nirvana and a great alternative to Tibet: Shangri-La, Zhongdian in China. The Land of Lost Horizon is a place to get off-the-beaten path in China, Yunnan and find your ‘zen’.

What’s interesting about the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike is that it takes you to the high-altitude border town of Shangri-La in China, which was once famously called the Lost Horizon, in James Hilton’s 1993 novel. It is probably one of the better trekking trails and off the beaten path in China that is untouched by the domestic Chinese tourists.

Here’s how I ended up backpacking in offbeat China's on the Southwestern side, in Yunnan province to explore the back-country roads, understand the underrepresented ethnic minorities that lie on the fringes.