Shangri-la

American  

[shang-gruh-lah, shang-gruh-lah] / ˈʃæŋ grəˌlɑ, ˌʃæŋ grəˈlɑ /

noun

1. an imaginary paradise on earth, especially a remote and exotic utopia.

2. a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility.

   Last summer we rented a cottage on a little lake—our perfect Shangri-la.

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Shangri-la British  

/ ˌʃæŋɡrɪˈlɑː /

noun

1. a remote or imaginary utopia

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Shangri-La Cultural  

1. A fictional land of peace and perpetual youth; the setting for the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by the English author James Hilton, but probably best known from the movie versions. Shangri-La is supposedly in the mountains of Tibet.

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A “Shangri-La,” by extension, is an ideal refuge from the troubles of the world.

Etymology

Origin of Shangri-la

After the fictional Tibetan land of eternal youth in the novel The Lost Horizon (1933) by James Hilton

Example Sentences

Organised by the think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shangri-la Dialogue has traditionally been anchored by the US and China, which have been jostling for power in the region.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

This house is Harlan’s Shangri-la, a place where a man who made his own rules lived.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024

"Ratched" was a bomb, but the psychiatric hospital where Sarah Paulson's wicked nurse worked was an interior designer's Shangri-la.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2023

Austin pushed for improved communication between the rival forces when met Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of Shangri-la Dialogue security meeting in Singapore in June.

From Reuters • Aug. 6, 2022

The house was set on a half-acre landscaped like Shangri-la.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols