A three-book travelogue series on west China by American writer Laurence J. Brahm has recently been published by the New World Press, a Beijing-based publishing house. The series, which includes Searching for Shangri-La-Off the Beaten Track in Western China, Conversations With Sacred Mountains-A Journey Along Yunnan's Tea Caravan Trail, and Shambhala-The Road Less Traveled in Western Tibet, records the experiences of the author in his five-year travel in the western area of China. Brahm's travels included Tibet and the Yunnan Province, and his works feature words and images of his encounters with the people and the land.

In this series, the author tries to find the answers to the questions: "What is Shangri-La?" and "Where is Shangri-La?" Through his journey, he finally found that Shangri-La is not a place, but a state of mind.

During his long travels, Brahm talked with many Chinese artists whose works have been inspired or deeply influenced by the Tibetan culture. These included composer San Bao, female dancer Yang Liping and pop singer Zhu Zheqin (Dadawa). He also spoke to Buddhist masters, lamas and countless locals. These conversations reflect the deep thinking of both Chinese and Westerners about the environment of art and culture in west China and the simple lifestyle in the region that resonates closely with nature.

In the book Shambhala-The Road Less Traveled in Western Tibet, Brahm records his talk with Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama. Brahm asked the living Buddha how to get to Shangri-La. "It depends on determination and study. If you study hard enough and continue to learn and think positively, you can get there," he was told. A prayer in English from the 11th Panchen Lama is included in the book. "I pray for peace in the world. May Buddha bless all human beings."

In early July, Brahm met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at his courtyard home in Beijing and gave Ban the copies of his trilogy as a gift. After listening to Brahm's introduction about his travels in Tibet, Ban said that the values in the books are in accordance with the aims of the UN millennium development project.

Each book in the series includes a DVD containing a short movie of the book's contents. All the scenes in the movie were shot by the author himself during his travels.

A lawyer and political economist, Brahm is an American who has lived in China for over 20 years. Since 2002, he has devoted most of his time to producing and directing a series of films and documentaries featuring Tibet, during which he wrote a series of travelogues, including the above three books. In 2005, he established the Shambhala Studio, promoting ethnic diversity and supporting culturally sustainable development models that include monastery restoration, construction of schools, developing medical clinics and setting up enterprises in Tibetan regions of west China.

He is a pioneer of culturally sustainable heritage restoration in Beijing and Lhasa, capital of Tibet. He has also helped conserve historic neighborhoods and sections of the Great Wall by restoring ancient buildings and establishing a series of heritage hotels.