Shangri-La
Michael Wood in the Himalayas
In the second episode of his series Michael Wood travels on a thrilling journey through India and Nepal into Tibet to explore one of humanity's great myths: the myth of an earthly paradise.
The tale of the magical hidden valley of Shangri-La was popularised in the 1930s by the novelist James Hilton in his Lost Horizon, later an Oscar winning Hollywood film. But the story of a lost kingdom behind the Himalayas free from war and suffering is descended from a much older Indian myth. And when Europeans first caught wind of the tale back in the 16th Century, they set about trying to discover it. To find the truth behind the legend Michael follows their track on foot through the Maoist controlled lands of Western Nepal and on into Tibet. On the way he visits Mount Kailash - the sacred centre of the world for all Hindus and Buddhists. Eventually after hundreds of miles on dirt roads he reaches the fantastic ruins of the lost city of Tsaparang, which he suggests is the real inspiration behind the myth.
"One of the oldest myths of humanity, the paradise myth continues to haunt us today, especially in our time of rapid globalisation. Whether such a paradise actually existed or not", Michael concludes, "it represents one of our most basic human desires".
The series continues next week as Michael traces the classic epic of Jason and the Golden Fleece from Greece all the way across the Black Sea to Georgia in the war-torn Caucasus.
Shangri-La Stills Gallery