Zhongdian(Shangarila) and Nujiang Introduction

Zhongdian is the name of both a huge county and the town that is its capital . It forms one of three counties that make up the Diqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern most Yunnan ; Tibetns call their home Gyelthang , not ZHongdian , an introduced Chinese name . The prefecture touches Tibet in the northwest , Ganzi and Muli in Sichuan to the north , Lijiang to the south and Nu Jiang (Salween River ) Lisu Autonomous prefecture to the west . It has a population of more than 300,000 and
Song Zangling Si  is at the heart of the Hengduan Mountain Range thatembraces the gorge system of great rivers which rush down from Tibet . The region  has a huge range in elevation , from a 6740-metre mountain on the border with Tibet to 1480 metres in river valley to the south . Plant hunters and naturalist  during the first half of this century prized the area . Now Many of the forests have been stripped , but still large traces of virgin forest remain . Domesticated animals of the region include yak , Dzo , sheep , goats , pigs and chickens , wild animals are the Dian golden haired monkey , wild donkey , black-necked crane , lesser panda , leopard ,  
    
Baishui Terrace muskdeer , pangolin , and many small mammals and birds . Hunting is universally loved here and guns are common ; most of these rare treasures will not survive .