Lost Horizon

Chang leaves Conway at the High Lama’s room, and Conway finds the High Lama, who is a small, old man in Chinese garb. The High Lama greats Conway and offers him tea, which Conway accepts, revealing that he lived in China for many years. After tea, the High Lama tells Conway the story of how Shangri-La came to be, beginning with a Jesuit Catholic missionary named Perrault, who arrived at Shangri-La in 1719. The lamasery was in disrepair at that time, and Perrault took it upon himself to repair and restore the buildings and the spirituality of the valley, proselytizing Christianity in place of the Buddhism that was previously dominant. Perrault’s personality was unique, as he had a knack for learning languages and a simplicity that allowed him to flourish in the valley, even becoming somewhat addicted to the tangatse berries, which have a mild narcotic effect. Over time, Perrault’s enforcement of Christianity faded, and many of his disciples died, as Perrault himself began practicing Hindu rituals like yoga. In 1789, news traveled that Perrault was dying, but, after a couple of weeks, he recovered, at the age of 108.

A mysticism developed around Perrault, including claims that he climbed