The first time I heard of Yubeng was during the summer after my freshman year of college, when the president of our student club was planning a trek there. I vaguely knew it as a primitive village with no running water, no electricity, and no roads to speak of—where transportation meant walking, communication meant shouting, and food was in very short supply.

The next time I saw Yubeng, it had already become a full-fledged tourist destination, complete with boutique resort hotels, restaurants everywhere, and the roar of off-road vehicles.

The changes over ten years were staggering.

Yubeng’s popularity has grown exponentially. If you lined up all the tourists in Shangri-La town, it would be an exaggeration to say every single one had been to Yubeng—but if you picked every other person, you’d probably still miss quite a few who had.

With crowds already pouring in like this, I can’t even imagine what it’s like this year.

Why Go to Yubeng?

A 2-hour drive northwest from Lijiang gets you to moonlit Shangri-La. From Shangri-La, drive another 3 hours west-northwest to Deqin. Then from Deqin, after one more hour of twisting through roads in every direction, you finally reach the entrance to... Yubeng. Yubeng itself is still on the other side of the mountain.

Why does everyone love going to Yubeng? Probably for a few reasons:

  • The sacred Meili Snow Mountain and its Thirteen Peaks are already famous, and with that kind of star power behind it, it was bound to become popular;
  • Yubeng is not a long-distance through-hike. Instead, Yubeng Village serves as a base for different short day hikes in all directions, which makes it accessible and appealing to just about everyone;
  • The infrastructure is solid, with full-service support: four wheels, two wheels, mules and horses, plus Chinese food, Western food, coffee by day, and drinks by night.

Meeting Meili

To enter Yubeng, you first have to get to Deqin. And in Deqin, everyone goes through the same sacred initiation: seeing the golden sunrise on Meili Snow Mountain. Of the Meili Thirteen Peaks, the main summit Kawagarbo and the subsidiary peak Mianzimu are tall, elegant, and stunning to look at. The story of the 1992 China-Japan mountaineering tragedy only adds to their aura of mystery.

There are two main places to watch the sunrise alpenglow on Meili: Feilai Temple and Wunongding. Feilai Temple is the mainstream choice: it’s closer to the snow mountains, has more food and lodging options, and is easier to reach by public transportation. Wunongding, on the other hand, offers a full panoramic view of Meili, is quieter, and has fewer lodging choices, though there is at least one very nice property there, which makes it a better fit for self-drivers. Of course, if you can spend a night at both, what regrets would there be? Feilai Temple’s narrow street is nevertheless a must-pass stretch on the Yunnan-Tibet route. Every now and then, you see a cyclist or two riding off in a cloud of dust, heading all the way toward Lhasa.

Hotels of every kind line the street, arranged one after another with the viewing platform as the center line. Room rates are directly proportional to how much snow mountain you can see—fair and square. Stay in the prime spot, and you can lounge comfortably in bed, waiting for sunrise over Meili through a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

As for us, we got up shivering in the dark. Around Mid-Autumn Festival, it was already cold enough to make you tremble. A girl in the room next door started crying before even stepping outside, saying she didn’t want to go anymore. We walked downhill under the stars to the viewing platform, and thankfully, the beauty of the snow mountains is shared equally by all.

September and October are still the tail end of the rainy season, and the mountaintops are wrapped daily in thick clouds and mist. Catching the golden sunrise through that sea of cloud always takes a bit of luck, which makes seeing Meili feel all the more ceremonial.

It’s a bit like pursuing a goddess: first, you need absolute sincerity. If you take one look, say “wow, that’s a lot of clouds,” and head back, then you don’t even qualify to be a backup option. Only by persevering through bitter wind and freezing mist might you finally catch the moment when the goddess flashes a smile.

Not much, really—just the tiniest little bit.

Watching the golden sunrise during the rainy season is a great way to test your luck.

The best season is probably from November onward, after late autumn gives way to early winter. At that point, not seeing it becomes the real challenge. This is what it looks like if you go in November.

After sunrise, we went back to catch up on sleep and grab a solid meal, then set off for Yubeng.

Entering Yubeng

Yubeng has two access routes:

  • The Xidang route crosses over the mountain and involves more climbing. You ascend from about 2,400 meters to a pass above 3,700 meters, then descend to Upper Yubeng at 3,150 meters—12 kilometers uphill and 6 kilometers downhill. The upside is that you can drive in and out on this route.
  • The Ninong route is a gentler 16-kilometer uphill walk, climbing from just above 2,000 meters by the Lancang River to Lower Yubeng at 3,050 meters.

Most people choose to drive into Yubeng via Xidang and hike out via Ninong. There are quite a few off-road vehicles on the Xidang road, so hikers can easily end up eating dust, while Ninong’s long downhill is relatively easy. We chose to do it in reverse, entering from Ninong and exiting via Xidang to add a little difficulty and use it as a warm-up.

The winding footpath through the canyon leads deep into the mountains. The trail along the mountainside is fairly narrow, but not especially dangerous, so we focused on enjoying the scenery along the way.

With abundant rainfall during the rainy season, the trees are especially lush and everything is vibrantly green. With vegetation this rich, how could you still worry about altitude sickness?

Whether you look up or down, all you see is towering primeval forest blocking out the sky. Lesson one in a real-life Emerald City.

There are two or three rest stops along the way. Hiking the Ninong route in reverse, you’ll pass many people coming out of Yubeng, and hearing their repeated cheers of encouragement gives you that lone-hero-walking-through-a-dark-alley feeling.

After four or five hours of huffing along under full packs, we finally reached Lower Yubeng.

Upper Yubeng and Lower Yubeng

Yubeng Village has two parts: Upper Yubeng on the mountainside and Lower Yubeng in the valley, with an elevation difference of 100 meters between them. A mere 100 meters can still feel brutal after a full day of hiking.

Upper Yubeng looks down over the valley and out toward the snow mountains. At the entrance to Lower Yubeng, meanwhile, there’s a huge grassy field that feels wonderfully open and relaxing, along with the very Instagram-famous resort Wild Words.

Entering the village from Ninong, we made a beeline for Wild Words and greedily downed a huge glass of iced Coke. Sitting on the platform out front and looking over the open fields was ten-yuan happiness.

We didn’t stay there, but from then on Wild Words became our favorite place to return to after each day’s hike. We’d eat or grab a drink, then read beside the stove by the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was incredibly comfortable.

We hoped for sunshine every day. On one rare day of good weather, we finally got to see what Mianzimu looked like.

Most of the time, though, Mianzimu and Wuguan Peak remained half-hidden behind the clouds.

One day I overheard a group of middle-aged travelers chatting nearby and realized they were driving in and out, specifically coming to stay at Yeyu for two days for a class reunion. So that’s a way to do it too. No wonder I kept seeing more and more giant 28-inch suitcases on the road.

Later, Yeyu stopped accepting non-guests, probably because it affected the overall experience. Understandable, though a bit of a pity.

Upper Yubeng has more lodging and dining options, and the nightlife is livelier. Lower Yubeng, however, is being developed in an orderly way and has slightly better conditions.

No need to agonize over the choice—if you come to Yubeng, you’ll likely stay in both Upper and Lower Yubeng.

Yubeng Hiking Routes

There are many routes in Yubeng, with varying levels of difficulty, and more are still being explored. At present there are 7 routes in total: Xidang Route, Ninong Route, Sacred Waterfall Route, Ice Lake Route, Sacred Lake Route, Cordyceps Route, and Nise Route.

The last five are the true hikes within Yubeng itself.

Sacred Waterfall Route

This is the easiest route and the only officially designated sightseeing trail. Starting from Lower Yubeng, it heads into the valley along a built boardwalk and stair path. The endpoint is a waterfall wrapped in religious myths and legends. Round trip is 12 km and takes about 4 hours.

From afar and from below, the Sacred Waterfall doesn’t carry a huge volume of water, but the vertical drop is dramatic.

We did have a small mishap on the Sacred Waterfall hike. To add a little adventure, we didn’t return the way we came. Instead, we tried descending via the scree slope below the waterfall near the prayer flags. Halfway down, the slope turned out to be so steep that we got stuck, unable to go either forward or back.

Awkward.

Luckily, a tourist in the distance who looked very experienced had been watching us for a while. He probably realized we weren’t admiring the view but were actually in trouble, so he turned back and helped us make it down.

Huge thanks to kind people who help each other outdoors. On the way back, we picked up trash along the trail to build up some karma.

The barren scree on the unmarked path was a bit more interesting than stairs.

Ice Lake Route

A bit more difficult, with 850 m of elevation gain (maximum elevation around 3900 m). Starting from Upper Yubeng, the round trip is 14 km and takes about 6-10 hours. The destination is a small lake formed by snowmelt at the foot of General Peak, one of the Thirteen Peaks. It looks especially beautiful on a clear day, and there are also miniature glaciers around it.

Pack animals cover the whole route, as long as, well, you know, your budget is in place. The first half, with its climb through old-growth forest, is quite enjoyable—rock fields, meadows, and forest all packed into one route—but the trail gets extremely muddy in the rain.

Along the way you pass Xiaonong Base Camp, associated with the 1992 mountaineering disaster, where there is a resupply point.

The glacier visible in the distance is also the endpoint of this route.

Try to start early. That same day, we ran into an inn owner hiking into the mountains after dark to retrieve stranded hikers.

Sacred Lake Route

This one is genuinely difficult. The route itself is not especially long, but the elevation gain is significant—around 1500 m total (Sacred Lake at 4400 m, summit at 4600 m). The trail is steep, with the first 3 km already gaining 1000 m. The full out-and-back takes anywhere from 10-12 hours, so you need to manage your time carefully.

The entire route is on rough, unofficial trail, with steep slopes, rocks, snow, and mud. If you’re not used to that terrain, your pace will slow dramatically.

The scenery at Sacred Lake itself is fairly average, but a side path on the right leads to the summit, where you can look straight across at the full panorama of Meili Snow Mountain. A more advanced version is camping at Sacred Lake to shoot the stars and sunrise alpenglow on the peaks, but there are no resupply points anywhere on the route, so it requires backcountry experience and careful planning.

Cordyceps Route

This is a newer route developed to accommodate the surge in visitors, and it’s also one of the most surprising and rewarding. It gets its name from the cordyceps that local mountain residents often collect along the way.

The full hike is difficult, with a maximum elevation close to 4500 m, pushing right up toward the snow line. Walking along the ridge with snowy peaks all around is visually stunning.

From Upper Yubeng, there are two route options. Experienced hikers can choose the direct traverse up the mountainside to the summit, while beginners can first take a car or hike to the pass and then follow the ridge. The relationship between the two is like the hypotenuse versus the two legs of a right triangle.

The direct traverse is 18 km round trip and takes about 10-12 hours; for the return, you can follow the ridge, which is easier. The ridge route is 22 km round trip and takes about 8-10 hours, depending on whether you drive part of the way.

Nise Route

A niche route whose entrance prominently displays a sign reading “No Entry.” It starts in the same direction as Ice Lake: about a quarter of the way in, Ice Lake branches right while Nise Lake branches left. The destination is Nise Pasture. Difficulty is moderate, making it a relaxed hike of about 4 hours total.

But if you continue on to the Nisela Ancient Pass, the difficulty rises sharply. The highest elevation approaches 4700 m, and weather conditions at the top are extremely complex, requiring substantial experience and strong teamwork.

There are very few people on the Nise route, so prepare a GPX track in advance or hire a guide.

Yubeng Botanical Garden

Walking in Yubeng, beyond just being left breathless, I’m more inclined to think of it as a magical botanical garden, where I somehow turn into Sir David Attenborough in a BBC documentary.

I often drift off route, wandering unconsciously into the depths of the forest, drawn in by all kinds of strange and wonderful plants.

On the damp mountainsides after rain, maybe not wall-to-wall everywhere, but if you look down from time to time you’ll spot mushrooms in all kinds of shapes and colors—enough to make a whole cartoon lineup without much difficulty.

Rocks are covered in moss—have they been here for tens of thousands of years? And that opening propped up by branches—could it be the rabbit hole from The Wizard of Oz? (Okay, wrong story: Alice wandered in.)

Deep in the woods, pure enchanted forest.

Trees twist and sprawl in every possible shape, growing wildly with a raw, untamed energy—and the mushrooms don’t spare even this place, squeezing into every crack and crevice.

For plant lovers, this place is paradise. It’s also one of the best classrooms for kids to get to know nature. Unfortunately, as someone whose botany skills barely scrape a passing grade, all I can say is, “Wow, it’s so green.”

Honestly, it would even be worth giving up a full day of hiking just to search for plants in the forest.

Goodbye, Yubeng—When Will I Return?

Compared with the remote, untouched village I had imagined, Yubeng has already lost much of that original character. One example: the road project in Lower Village has completed the public bidding process and construction has begun. I’d guess it won’t be long before the area undergoes full-scale commercialization and turns into a standard tourist attraction.

The same is true for many villages in Diqing. Places like Nanjiluo and Abuji Cuo are also pushing ahead with road construction, setting up tourism companies, and standardizing admission and shuttle ticketing. For local residents, easier daily life and better economic opportunities are naturally good things. For most visitors, that is true as well: there are more choices and it is safer. Still, I really hope they do not start building more stairways into the mountainsides.

Whether I’d want to return to Yubeng if I get the chance is a good question.

Tips

01 Basic Hiking Gear

Clothing: quick-dry shirts, quick-dry socks, waterproof shell jacket and pants, lightweight windbreaker

Gear: hiking boots, trekking poles, headlamp, emergency whistle (the first four items are especially important), rain gear, insulated water bottle, hiking backpack

Medicine: sunscreen, stomach medicine, band-aids, vitamin C

Hiking apps: 2bulu, AllTrails, Maps.me

02 Itinerary, Food, and Lodging

You can simplify or adjust this basic itinerary, which I think offers the best timing overall, based on your own needs:

D0 - Arrive in Shangri-La

D1 - Songzanlin Monastery in the morning; in the afternoon, take a bus from Xianggelila Passenger Terminal to Feilai Temple

D2 - Early morning Meili sunrise glow on the peaks, then take a car to the Xidang entrance and transfer into Yubeng. After dropping off your luggage, warm up with the Sacred Waterfall route and stay in Upper Village

D3 - Chongcao route, stay in Upper Village

D4 - Ice Lake route, or if you still have plenty of energy, challenge yourself with the Sacred Lake route; stay in Lower Village

D5 - Leave Yubeng via the Ninong route in the morning, take the Deqin bus back to Shangri-La in the afternoon, and spend the evening in Dukezong Ancient Town enjoying the feeling of returning to the bustle of civilization

Transportation: Shangri-La to Feilai Temple can be booked online for 60-70 yuan; from Feilai Temple to Xidang or Ninong, and for entering Yubeng, you can usually find a shared car on the spot, with prices of 25 and 150 yuan respectively (not sure whether prices have gone up this year)

Food and lodging: credit to the scenic area management, as food prices are entirely reasonable; lodging varies by high and low season, with options ranging from hostels to luxury wilderness stays