(Photo courtesy of Koh Jin Qi)

 

                 

“My goodness, if you think of all the folks in the world who’d give all they’ve got to be out of the racket and in a place like this!”

- James Hilton, Lost Horizon (on Shangri-la)

 

Similar thoughts coursed through our minds as we walked, lived and worked the lush plains and vast skies of Shangri-la. Sixteen of us set off from Singapore on 11th May 2019, not knowing what to expect from the exotic promise of a fourteen-day journey in Shangri-la (Yunnan, China) to build a waste pit and toilet. Some seized an opportunity to serve the community while travelling, while others simply craved a release from the stress of final examinations.

 

Arriving in Bisong-gu (village) after a night in the poetic Lijiang Old Town was a humbling experience. Concrete dissolved into vast plains, and animals grazed in quietude flanked by mountains. We learned that the majestic Tibetan houses, including the one we would live in, were every villager’s pride and soul. And our contributions over the next few days would help do justice to this way of living.

 

Throughout our days in the village, so many showed us their warmth. Drolma, our homestay host, helped us with preparing rice and doing the dishes, and did a load of laundry when we began to feel grimy. The elderly builder, whom we affectionately termed shifu (master), smiled at our uneven plastering work and said we ‘did well’, then proceeded to guide us gently. Now and then, the aged couple whose toilet we were building offered us bread and yak butter tea.

 

In itself, Bisong-gu inspired reflection. Nightly sessions sharing life journeys by the fire evoked precious vulnerability, and heartfelt words spilled out while gazing at the stars. On the final night, gathered in the living room with the villagers, laughter lit up our faces from table to table. Surely and surreally as it began, our time in Shangri-la came to a close. And we each got more than we imagined: new friendships, strengthened bonds, and a visceral understanding of mindfulness and contentment.

 

Author Credit: Marcia Lee Tjie Yi