Tourists took photos of snow mountain. (Xinhua/Zhao Jiasong)

Snow-capped mountains, grasslands, prayer flags and “golden mountains”, the fantastic scenery has gradually become known to the world, attracting hikers from all over the world to this Tibetan village hidden deep in the mountains of southwest China.

The village is called “Yubeng Village”, located in Yunling Township, Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Yubeng Village is composed of two village groups, Shangcun and Xiacun, both with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters.

For many people, Yubeng Village is the “Shangri-La” in British writer James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon.

View from Yubeng Xiacun to the waterfall hiking trail. (Xinhua/Zhao Jiasong)

Getting to Yubeng is not an easy task, requiring 5 to 8 hours of walking along winding roads. For a long time, Yubeng villagers grow highland barley and wheat and raise livestock for a living.

In recent years, hikers from all over the world have come to Yubeng to experience the fun of walking under the snowy mountains and in the forest, which also gives the local government and villagers the development opportunities. Almost every family now operates inns, supermarkets, restaurants.

In 2018, an exploration company was established to develop the trekking industry of Yubeng Village and provide more convenience and safety guarantee for tourists.

Currently, visitors can take the company’s off-road vehicles to the village, and the time has been reduced to about 40 minutes.

Zhuige is the staff of this company. “Now there are about 30 people in our company, and I earn about 4,000 yuan a month. I don’t have to leave my hometown to work, and I can stay with my family here.” The Tibetan woman said. 

Visitors coming to Yubeng can choose to either walk or ride mules. Villagers can get 300 to 500 yuan if they bring their mules for visitors to ride. 

From hotel rooms costing 1,000 yuan a night to hostel beds costing tens of yuan, tourists have a wide range of accommodation options. Jiagejiceng, secretary of Xidang Village Party Branch, said that there are 52 household, 189 people, and 53 inns in the village. At present, the main income of the villagers comes from production and management and rental.

Villagers and tourists also take great care to maintain the "pure land". Villagers will carry out garbage cleaning every week, and there are special cleaners to clean and recycle the garbage in the scenic spot.

“Yubeng offers both great hiking trails and pristine natural scenery,” said Mr. Chen from Kunming. “You can appreciate the beautiful scenery while learning about Tibetan culture, exploring niche destinations and keeping fit at the same time. This is the perfect hiking spot in my mind.”

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(Editors: Christine, Rachel)