Lecture Access

This lecture will be available to view until 6 April 2026

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OVERVIEW

Watch on Demand | Online Lecture


Shangri-La brings to mind the place described in James Hilton's Lost Horizon, a remote Himalayan sanctuary symbolising longevity, harmony, and an escape from modern pressures.

Since the novel’s debut in the 1930s, the concept of Shangri-La has transcended fiction, shaping Western perceptions of the Himalayas and influencing travel narratives, tourism, and popular culture.

In this lecture, Judy Tenzing explores how the idea of Shangri-La originated, how it was received, and why it remains so compelling. She examines various geographical locations suggested as possible origins, along with Himalayan religious beliefs, local myths, and Buddhist concepts of sacred landscapes.

Using historical records, cultural insights, and personal reflections, Judy Tenzing unpacks the layers of the Shangri-La legend, questioning what it reveals about the Himalayas and the people who have sought it.

LECTURER

Biography

Judy Tenzing is a historian with a passion for all things South Asian – India, the Himalaya, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Judy has a degree in South Asian History as well as post graduate qualifications in secondary teaching. She has taught at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education, U3A, COFA, the Jane Austen Society and more – offering courses in the histories, cultures, textiles and faiths of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Taiwan and Myanmar. Judy led her first tour for Academy Travel in 2012 and has been a regular leader since then, accompanying groups to India, Myanmar, Bhutan, Taiwan, Japan and Sri Lanka.

Judy Tenzing

Historian