The formerly forbidden kingdom of Mustang shines as a pristine relic of Tibetan culture, history and art – hidden from the Chinese occupation, north of the Himalaya but within the borders of Nepal. More than a hundred mysterious, human-excavated cave systems punctuate the cliffs of the remote valleys throughout this desiccated landscape.

In August of 2008, a research and film expedition funded primarily by the National Geographic Society found human skeletons, abandoned ancient text folios, and an exquisite, 14th Century mural depicting a lineage of mystical Buddhist yogis. But these human-excavated cave cities date to before the Buddhist era -- as far back as two millennia B.C., and earlier. Who created these sacred and historic sites -- and more importantly, what will happen to them?

Project Leader Broughton Coburn, working with veteran climber Pete Athans (7-times Everest summiter) and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Liesl Clark, recently returned from the expediton and the initial inventory work. He delivers a thought-provoking, inspirational and entertaining illustrated presentation in which he shares this year's remarkable discoveries. The film of the expedition is now being produced as a National Geographic Television Special, to air in the fall of 2009 on PBS, a show that, broadly speaking, offers up the real-life version of a fictional movie -- the latest installment of the blockbuster Indian Jones series.

Click here to download a PDF of Secrets of Shangri-la