Inside Shangri-La/Outside Globalisation: Remapping Orientalist Visions of Tibet

The paper studies the vexed geopolitical situation surrounding the Chinese 'occupation' of Tibet in the context of the myth of Shangri-La. According to popular legend, Shangri-La is a hidden city in Central Asia where social and cultural conflict does not exist and the inhabitants enjoy prolonged youth. I argue that this myth represents the possibility of an 'outside' to globalisation, a standpoint from which to question the processes of integration and fragmentation associated with global capitalism. To begin, the paper explores the historical construction of the Shangri-La myth in popular culture, with special attention to Hollywood film. The focus then shifts to the politics surrounding the 'Free Tibet' movement, and the complex positioning of Tibet in debates about human rights, international trade, and state sovereignty. The paper concludes by suggesting that the Shangri-La myth has a significance in excess of its Orientalist construction, a critical utopianism that allows a reassessment of the Tibetan question outside the politics of territory.