Would you be surprised if we told you that in a small town on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, 80% of the population was Catholic?

And would you be even more surprised if we told you that in this town, a community of Buddhists, Muslims, and Catholics all live harmoniously side by side around a French-built church in the center?

The town we're talking about is Cizhong in northern Yunnan and for us, this is the area of Shangri-La James Hilton is talking about in Lost Horizon. Here, you'll find Lisu, Yi, and Tibetan people still tending the vineyards that French missionaries grew and attending the church built in a captivating blend of Chinese and European architectural styles. 

The villagers in Cizhong gather every Sunday for an improvised mass, singing Catholic songs in Tibetan as their ancestors once did, in a church where religious images on the walls were erased by Red Guards.

Cizhong is a town overflowing with living history and it's where we'll be spending Christmas this year,