Grant Me a Love Affair with Kawagebo: In Yubeng, I Found What Heaven Looks Like

Prologue: The Reason for Setting Out

"Don't forget why we started, just because we've gone too far."

The moment the plane broke through the clouds, the roar of the engines was deafening, and the ringing in my ears arrived right on schedule. I opened Chai Jing's Seeing, and that line hit me like a sledgehammer, yanking me back from my restless state of mind.

When I left Lijiang last year, I cried my eyes out. Not because of the ancient town's cobblestone streets, not because of the scenery that had been photographed by countless people, but because of every person I met there. A romantic encounter doesn't have to be love—it can also be friendship. We live completely different lives in different cities, yet we met and connected at some corner. That feeling can only be described in four words: "Why didn't we meet sooner?"

I still remember cycling in Shuanglang and asking the horse-riding uncle, "Are you happy?" Laughing at Korean tourists on Napahai Lake while jumping around despite the altitude sickness. Riding an electric scooter on Lugu Lake and doing the "crab dance." Picking apples at a Mosuo uncle's house, dancing a horse-riding dance while holding corn. These scenes feel like they happened yesterday, so vivid it's disorienting.

Last year, when a guy from Northeast China told me this was his second time in Lijiang, I thought it was unbelievable—Lijiang is so commercialized, why would anyone come back? Now I understand. Because I, too, have stepped onto this "road of no return."

This time, the goal was simple: I wanted to see the golden sunrise over the snow-capped peaks. I wanted to fulfill the wish I didn't complete last year. I wanted to meet the snow mountain grandfather I'd been talking about for a whole year. It was this obsession that turned my gaze toward Yubeng. "If you can't go to heaven, go to Yubeng"—just how tempting is that phrase? But I couldn't help worrying about my physical condition. From initially thinking I'd ride a mule into Yubeng, to later making up my mind to hike in no matter what—that itself was a kind of growth. Just like the song says: We are young.

And so, I set off.

About Me: A Contradictory, Interesting Soul

Some people say I live willfully. I admit it—I'm the kind of crazy person who can have a spontaneous idea and fly off the next morning, but also the quiet type who can stay home baking, reading, and running. I can sleep in a youth hostel, but I'll never pass up a five-star hotel. I can swallow street food, but I won't miss a Michelin three-star restaurant. Sometimes I'm as artistic as a poem, other times as goofy as a joke.

In short, I think I'm an interesting person.

Life is short, so you have to love what you love.

Pre-Trip Preparation: Practical Tips

Transportation Info: - Changsha → Lijiang: MU5872, 21:10-23:40, booked 22 days in advance for 540 RMB - Lijiang → Changsha: 8L9811, 14:50-16:50, booked 23 days in advance for 487 RMB - Lijiang airport shuttle: 20 RMB/person, to Blue Sky Hotel, about 40 minutes - Taxi to airport (no highway): 80 RMB, 40 minutes - Lijiang → Shangri-La: about 4.5 hours, ticket 64 RMB - Shangri-La → Feilai Temple → Xidang → Nilong → Feilai Temple → Shangri-La: 7-person chartered car 2,000 RMB (Tibetan driver, very kind)

Itinerary: - D0 (Oct 19): Changsha → Lijiang, stay at Yuxing Family Inn - D1 (Oct 20): Lijiang → Shangri-La, chartered car to Feilai Temple, stay at Meili Youth Hostel - D2 (Oct 21): Feilai Temple → Xidang, hike 12 km uphill + 6 km downhill to Upper Yubeng, stay at Hiker's Home - D3 (Oct 22): Upper Yubeng → Base Camp → Ice Lake → Upper Yubeng, round trip 22 km, stay at Far Away Home - D4 (Oct 23): Upper Yubeng → Lower Yubeng → Sacred Waterfall → Lower Yubeng, round trip 13 km, stay at Sacred Waterfall Inn - D5 (Oct 24): Lower Yubeng → Nilong, hike 18 km to Feilai Temple, stay at View Paradise Hotel - D6 (Oct 25): Feilai Temple → Shangri-La, stay at Meili Garden - D7-D9 (Oct 26-28): Shangri-La → Lijiang, three days of doing nothing, stay at Wangchengju - D10 (Oct 29): Lijiang → Changsha

Accommodation Recommendations & Warnings:

Lijiang: - Yuxing Family Inn (60 RMB/night): Great value as a transit stay - Wangchengju (128-176 RMB/night): Not recommended—lugging luggage up the hill is a hassle

Shangri-La: - Meili Garden (158-168 RMB/night): Highly recommended! Right off Square Street, has a big courtyard, wall clocks with Meili photos, three cute dogs, and a front desk where you can sit by the fire, drink tea, and chat

Feilai Temple: - Meili Youth Hostel (90 RMB/night): Basic—you get what you pay for - View Paradise Hotel (380 RMB/night): Highly recommended! Located at the highest point of Feilai Temple, with its own viewing platform. All rooms have views—you can see the snow mountain from bed

Upper Yubeng: - Hiker's Home: Not recommended—woke up covered in red bumps all over my body - Far Away Home: Recommended! Ground floor has a big fireplace and a hairdryer! The owner is named Nima, very handsome, almost 30 and still unmarried—any interested ladies can stay and become the boss lady. His braised eggplant is especially delicious

Lower Yubeng: - Sacred Waterfall Inn (35 RMB/bed): Recommended! Big courtyard with a view, add 10 RMB for an electric blanket. Bonfire at night, people from all over sit together soaking their feet and chatting

On the Road: Every Frame Is a Wallpaper

D0: Returning to Where Dreams Took Flight

After a day of heavy walking, carrying a nearly 40-pound hiking backpack with a flashy luggage tag, I was back where my dreams took flight last year. It was raining when I left Changsha, and raining when I arrived in Lijiang. But as soon as the bus drove into the old town, the rain stopped. I could faintly see white clouds in the sky, and my mood lifted instantly. I didn't sleep until 2 a.m., but my heart was full of anticipation.

D1: Heading Toward the Snow Mountain

Woke up at 6:30 a.m., looked in the mirror—eyes puffy, but skin not bad. Bought breakfast in a hurry and met Huihui at the bus station. The forecast said rain, but it turned out to be a sunny day—the heavens were kind.

The road from Lijiang to Shangri-La passes by Lashihai Lake and winds up along the Jinsha River. I stared out the window the whole time, at the mighty mountains and rushing waters. Some people compare mountains to men and rivers to women, but to me, these mountains feel more like fathers and mothers, and the water their children—they protect and shelter them, holding up the sky. One mountain has four seasons; ten miles apart, the weather changes. The sky was an unreal shade of blue, just like in my photos from last year. I had finally come back.

The leaves were starting to turn yellow. Autumn had come again.

Arrived in Shangri-La at 12:30, ate at Lefu in the old town—the boss lady was very welcoming. Finished eating and headed to Feilai Temple at 2:30, passing by the Jinsha River Moon Bay, Dongzhulin Monastery, and Baima Snow Mountain. At Dongzhulin Monastery, a lama's words weighed heavily on me: "In today's society, everything depends on connections. You study four years in university and still need connections to find a job. When our temple's incense burns strong, the government comes to build roads for us, then wants to fence off the area and charge tickets... Very little money actually goes to temple construction. It's like the wheel of samsara—people like that will go to the eighteenth level of hell."

Many people misunderstand lamas, thinking they're dirty or terrorists. But as Kekexili: Mountain Patrol says so well: "Have you ever seen people doing full-body prostrations? Their hands and faces are dirty, but their hearts are especially clean." There are indeed a few lamas who wear Armani and carry Hermès, but that's a tiny minority. In Tibetan families, usually only when there are two sons will one be sent to become a lama, and they're sent from childhood without conditions.

When we passed the 4,292-meter Baima Snow Mountain pass, we jumped around taking photos, completely unafraid of altitude sickness.

Arrived at Feilai Temple as night fell. The moon was brighter than the streetlights. Stayed at Meili Youth Hostel, dinner cost 350 RMB. After dinner, Wuxin took me out to take photos. We climbed over the so-called Feilai Temple viewing platform. Just as we set up the tripod to photograph Kawagebo in the night, a security guard came out and chased us away. Fencing off the area to charge tickets is bad enough, but not even letting us shoot at night? Can you imagine the white pagodas in front, the Thirteen Peaks before you, and the Milky Way above your head?

I wanted to hold you close, Ani Kawagebo.

D2: Waiting Is the Longest Confession

The 5 a.m. alarm went off. I struggled for five minutes, then got up, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. Left at 5:35. The clouds were thick, stars dotted the sky, and the moon hung alongside the Thirteen Peaks. Come out soon, my god.

At 6:30, someone came out of the hostel and took me to the spot where he used to take photos. I set up my tripod and started shooting. As the sky grew brighter, I was overjoyed. The man was from Lijiang and had been to Meili six times without ever seeing the sunrise. He came again this time, but still didn't see it. At Feilai Temple, there are so many people like that. Later, my travel buddies got up and went to the viewing platform at View Paradise Hotel. I immediately ran over—how could I miss out? Carrying two cameras and a tripod, I sprinted at 3,500 meters altitude, climbing 76 steps at a 60-degree incline in one breath, then turning up a small staircase. I was severely缺氧 (oxygen-deprived) and felt like I might fall at any moment, but thinking of Kawagebo waiting for me, I pushed on with sheer willpower, gasping for air, wanting to inhale all the oxygen in the world.

"What a huge snow mountain ice cream! That color—you'd need 175 milliliters of milk plus 225 milliliters of cream to whip it up, plus two more spoonfuls of sugar." That's from Kora, and it's spot-on.

But the clouds still wouldn't part. Kawagebo still wouldn't show its true face. A gentle breeze seemed to play games with us—blowing the clouds open a little, then covering them back up. We were all excited, taking group photos and selfies.

In the end, I still didn't see Kawagebo's true face. I could only wait until I returned from Yubeng.

To meet is fate; not to meet is also fate.

Around 8 a.m., we went back to the hostel for breakfast (13 RMB), then set off for Xidang. At the Xidang ticket booth, my friends heard the voices of Japanese tourists and immediately understood why Kawagebo refused to show itself—this is where I can mention the 1991 mountain disaster; you can look up the documentary.

The Meili ticket is a mandatory package, including Yubeng, Wunongding, Moon Bay, and the Feilai Temple viewing platform: 230 RMB per person, 120 RMB for students. You get checked at the trailhead, again at the Yubeng village entrance, and when entering Upper Yubeng, you pay another 5 RMB for some fee—don't lose this receipt; it can be used as a 5 RMB discount on accommodation that night.

We decisively loaded all our luggage onto one mule and traveled light. Sorry, mule! The mule fee had gone up: Xidang to Upper Yubeng 305 RMB, Xidang to the pass 265 RMB.

Important plea: If you're not sick or injured, if you're healthy, if you're young, please spare the mules, pick up your trekking poles, and walk! Mules also have lives; they get tired too. On the trail, I saw many mules gasping for air after just a few steps uphill, and it broke my heart. Also, I beg everyone: don't litter! I saw so much trash along the way, often in very dangerous places. The garbage in Yubeng is carried out by mules—they work hard. Even if you can't change others, start with yourself.

The scenery along the way was too beautiful for words. Any description would be a desecration. We were lucky because we picked up Wuxin—the only guy in our group. Thank you for never giving up on us, for always waiting for the last person in the group, for carrying the canned pork belly for us (even though it was all fat).

D3: Ice Lake, Blue Tears

The 22-kilometer round trip from Base Camp to Ice Lake was the hardest but most worthwhile journey of my life. Through primeval forests, across muddy paths, over piles of rubble—every step pushed me to my limits. But when Ice Lake appeared before me, all the exhaustion vanished. It was an indescribable blue, like blue tears shed by the snow mountain, so pure it made you want to cry.

D4: Sacred Waterfall, A Cleansing of the Soul

From Upper Yubeng to Lower Yubeng, then to the Sacred Waterfall—a 13-kilometer round trip. The waterfall's water was bone-chillingly cold, but they say being splashed by it can wash away your sins. We stood under the waterfall, letting the spray hit us, and in that moment, all distracting thoughts were washed away.

D5: Leaving Through Nilong, The Final Hike

From Lower Yubeng to Nilong, an 18-kilometer hike. This was the road out of Yubeng, the road of farewell. Every step was reluctant. Arriving at Feilai Temple, we checked into View Paradise Hotel. Lying in bed and seeing the snow mountain—that was probably the best reward for the hike.

D6-D9: Days of Doing Nothing in Lijiang

From Shangri-La back to Lijiang, I started a three-day "zone-out mode." No plans, no destination—just wandering around the old town, sunbathing, drinking coffee, watching people come and go. At Square Street, I celebrated my "brother's" birthday. The Naxi people sang her a birthday song, and she cried like a baby. Even though we're both women, I always call her "brother," and she calls me "little brother"—we must have been born from the same womb in a past life.

About My Travel Companions: The Most Precious Gain

It seems the highlight of every trip is this group of lovely friends. Finding travel buddies isn't hard for me—I always have a few like-minded people around who are ready to go at a moment's notice.

Qiazi finished her thesis defense in October and wanted to go to Yunnan. Lulu and Yezi had a school-organized sketching trip to Yunnan in October and would be waiting in Shangri-La. Soon we had four friends. A chartered car works best with seven people, so I turned to the almighty Weibo and quickly found three more. Six girls with zero outdoor experience and one guy formed this team. Lucky for us, none of us got altitude sickness, and we completed the whole journey safely and smoothly.

Wuxin—the only guy, thank you for never giving up on us, for patiently teaching me photography, for always waiting for the last person in the group.

Ajin—a Fujian girl living in Chongqing, a free-spirited tomboy. I especially loved your easygoing nature.

Huihui—a girl from Tianjin. After Yubeng with us, she went on to Daocheng Yading. Respect!

Yezi—Lulu's college roommate. Why didn't we meet sooner?

Lulu—How can I thank you for your companionship? Basically, every time I say I want to go somewhere, you say, "Okay, let's go. I trust you." We still have a lifetime to see the world together.

Brother—11 years. But how can 11 years feel so short? We still have a lifetime ahead of us. Love you.

The seven-person disaster squad, assembled!

Epilogue: Finally, I Found You

Every night I fell asleep with the moonlight as my pillow, and every morning I woke with the sun. Pulling back the curtains, I could see the snow mountain, clouds swirling around me, autumn colors spreading in layers. Before coming to Yubeng, I never believed there could be a place that made me feel like I was inside a beautiful painting. I think this is what heaven looks like.

This journey, I was lucky. I saw a rainbow in seven colors, a shooting star that vanished in an instant, the dazzling Milky Way, the azure Ice Lake, the sacred waterfall, the awe-inspiring Kawagebo, and the heart-stirring golden sunrise over the snow mountain—I saw what heaven looks like.

Finally, I found you. Thank goodness I didn't give up. Happiness doesn't come easily, which makes it all the more precious. Finally, I found you. I almost missed you. Meeting you in the best years of my life—that's how I haven't let myself down.

Ani Kawagebo, please grant me a love affair with you.

A Final Note: Some Words from the Heart

If you ask me whether going to Yubeng is worth it, I'll say: Yes, absolutely worth it. But this isn't an easy trip. It requires physical strength, perseverance, and courage. If you're not sick or injured, if you're healthy, if you're young, please spare the mules and use your own two feet to measure this land. Because only then can you truly feel every breath of Yubeng.

And please, protect this pure land. Don't litter. Don't damage the environment. The garbage in Yubeng is carried out by mules—they work hard. Even if you can't change others, start with yourself.

Finally, thank you to everyone I met along the way. Fate is a strange and wonderful thing—we live different lives in different places, and then we meet here, get to know each other, and connect. "Why didn't we meet sooner?"—these four words, I give to you.

May you also find your own Kawagebo, and may it grant you a love affair with it.

No reproduction of text or images in any form without permission. If needed, please send a private message.