The Upper Yubeng Village in Deqin County, Diqing

Why is Upper Yubeng Village So Special?

Yubeng Village is known for the beautiful valley it lies in and beautiful day treks which depart from it. It’s divided into two parts: the Upper Yubeng Village and Lower Yubeng Village, about 1 miles between the two parts. From Upper Yubeng, trekkers have access to the Base Camp, and Ice Lake hikes. It has better views of the snowy mountains, more options of guesthouses and more people.

Where is Upper Yubeng Village - Location

Yubeng is a Village in Northwestern Yunnan, situated at the foot of the Wuzi Mountain Peak of Niancimu Mountain Peak on Meili Snow Mountain, Yunling Country, Deqin County. Walking from Xidang and climbing through a pass you will arrive first in Upper Yubeng Village.

How to Get There

Due to no highway to access Yubeng village, one can only get there by trekking or mule-riding for 18 kilometers from Xidang Village, and crossing over a pass for 3700 meters. Tourists can take buses running Shangri-la to Deqin or rent a car to.

What to See

Base Camp and Ice Lake
From Upper Yubeng to Base Camp take about 3 hours. From the base camp to the lake is about another hour. The path leads towards the snow mountains, and starts off fairly easy, getting progressively steeper as you get to the top. Just before the lake, you may have scramble up some rocks for the last section of the walk, which could be a bit dangerous in winter. To reach the lake, you can scramble down the rocks to reach the bottom.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Yubeng Village is from May to July in late spring and early summer; from September to October in autumn. Flowers bloom from may to July. From September to October, the scenery is charming. Large temperature difference between these two seasons and you'd better bring enough warm clothes when you travel.

Accommodate at Upper Yubeng Village

There are more options of guesthouses and more people at Upper Yubeng Village.  If it’s not the beginning of October (1–3) you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place and try to bargain your rate down or get a private room for cheap!

Useful Travel Tips

► On the way from Xidang to Yubeng Village, you can know how far you have walked by watching the number on the wastebasket. No.45 is the location of first rest stop and No. 21 is the second.
► The most practical local delicacies are buttered tea and instant noodles. Yak butter tea is the best food to supply physical strength and prevent altitude sickness on the plateau.
► Before entering the village, be sure to leave your big luggage at the inn and pack light with your necessities.
►Due to the inconvenience of transportation, the supplies here are more expensive than the outside, so bring some food that can supply physical strength such as dried meat, chocolate and so on.
► It takes a certain amount of physical strength and perseverance, and remember to bring waterproof and warm clothes and waterproof hiking shoes. An alpenstock is very useful.
► Respect the local custom. The sacred lake is so sacred to local Tibetans that they can only drink and cannot be used for washing anything.
► The mobile phone may be out of signal on the way.