The original settlement of Dukezong (City of White Stones), squeezed to the edge of the new town has a history of over 1300 years. The Tubo (Tibetan) regime on conquering the Deqen area is said to have constructed the settlement in accordance with Buddhist geomantic principles around Turtle Hill. Ground down clay was used to paint the dwellings a bright white in respect to their Qiang ancestors who worshipped white stones. The town emerged as place of strategic importance on the Old Tea-Horse Road, which stretched from Lhasa all the way to today’s Burma. Its prosperity, founded on frontier trade, faltered under the ravages of war and revolution. However, the opening up of China in the early 1980s saw a fresh momentum sweep across much of the country, in the form of private enterprise. By the late nineties local farmers had discovered that many of the indigenous breeds of mushroom were heavily sought after by the Japanese. This resulted in over half of the local residents moving into the fungus business. The introduction of the Shangri-La brand in 2002 gave fresh opportunities in the tourist trade. Despite the increasing gentrification, it is still possible to wander up winding side streets, past authentic Tibetan houses to witness a life little changed for centuries. Take a peek into one of the old dwellings which dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), then close your eyes and listen to the sound of horse bells echoing through the narrow cobbled streets where Tibetan chess has been played for a thousand years.