Moonlight City, Dukezong Ancient Town
A Tibetan town located in Shangri-La, 3200m
Yunnan, China
The town has a history of 1,300 years, during which it has experienced both the flames of war and prosperity of frontier trade. Tibetans regard the shade of white as a sign of respect for their forefathers, the ancient Qiang people, who worshipped white stones. Shortly after the town was established, craftsmen found white clay in the region that could be ground down and used as paint. All dwellings were accordingly painted white. This is why Dukezong was named white stone city. On a clear night, the ancient town reflects a silver sheen. This has engendered to another epithet: moonlight city.
