Yubeng Village
Yubeng, Deqen, Yunnan, China
About
Yubeng Village (雨崩村; Yǔbēngcūn), (18km away). Tibetan village not accessible by any vehicles. You can ask at your hostel to book a seat for you in one of the minibuses departing every morning from FeiLaiSi to Xidang Hot Springs（西当温泉[xīdāngwēnquán]）where the hike actually starts. There are usually 6-7 seats in a bus and an overall price is ¥150 (June 2011). Talk to the other people planning to go there so you can share the price. There are a decent number of domestic Chinese tourists that make this trek, so finding a lift shouldn't be difficult. It takes 1 hour and a half to get there and you will be asked to pay ¥80 (June 2011) as a scenic area entrance fee. Make sure you bring your passport as you have to be registered. With a student card you can get a half-price ticket. The 9 km (one way) hike takes about 6-7 hours in total (6.5km uphill and 2.5km downhill) with 1284 meters vertical gain. For those who find the hike difficult there is an option of hiring a horse or mule for ¥185 to the top or ¥255 for the whole way (June 2011). There are 2 tea-houses on the way up where you can buy some water and simple snacks and a tea-house at the top of Yakou pass. The accomodation in Yubeng are very basic and costs about ¥20-25 for a person (June 2011). Food though is very expensive in Yubeng due to the lack of fresh veggies and Once there, Yubeng is one of the most picturesque villages you could hope to see. Nestled in an alpine valley, surrounded by snow peaks, multicoloured forests, and waterfalls. There are also numerous treks one can make from the village, so plan to spend at least a couple of days there.
