Tibetan-themed hotels aim to attract tourists in Deqen

[Photo: www.xgll.com.cn]

The Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China is famed as the home of Shangri-La.

It boasts rich tourist resources with towering snow-capped mountains, lush forests, vast gorges, and compelling Tibetan culture.

Some locals have been trying to capitalize on the resources, turning their own houses into Tibetan-themed homestay hotels. 

Tsedan Wangmo is one of them, which is located in the city of Shangri-La, administered by Deqen. 

The hotel’s owner Lharong Qonpel says he came up with the idea of turning his house into a hotel several years ago. 

“I have seen many homestay hotels in Lijiang and Dali when I visited there. In 2010, there was only one Tibetan-themed hotel here. At that time, most of the hotels here were run by non-native residents and in Han Chinese style.”

Trying to fill the gap, Lharong Qonpel started to transform his three-story house into a homestay hotel with unique local flavor.

“We didn’t hire a designer because it’s very expensive. So I worked out the design and decorations of my house with a decoration worker. The renovation we did is a combination of different styles I think are good. The stones and woods used all come from this land.”

Opened in 2015, the homestay hotel has nine guest rooms. 

Lharong Qonpel expects tourists staying there can enjoy the local food and culture, which he seeks to provide.  

His hotel offers typical Tibetan food, like butter tea and barley cakes. Its interior walls are decorated with thangkas--Tibetan scroll paintings on paper, cloth or silk.

Widely considered as the "encyclopedia of Tibetan culture," thangkas illustrate the history and customs of Tibet and lifestyles of Tibetan people.

In addition to the enchanting hotels, Deqen offers a wide variety of tourist attractions, such as the Meili Snow Mountain and Mingyong Glacier, China's lowest and southernmost glacier.