Yangronghade, the dwelling place of immortals! The ultimate guide to China’s most beautiful Tibetan village

In the early morning, sunlight spills into the room, illuminating the golden mountain peaks, while a sea of clouds roils in the distance. This place, called “the dwelling place of immortals” by locals, quietly awaits your arrival. Nestled in the embrace of Aba in western Sichuan, lies a hidden gem known as “China’s most beautiful Tibetan village” — Yangronghade. Locals call it “Dongbaga,” meaning “the place to set out for happiness.” Surrounded by water on one side and mountains on three sides, it is located in the heart of the “Larch Forest” scenic spot in Shashiduo Town, Heishui County, at an altitude of 2,360 meters. With a forest coverage rate of 90%, it is renowned as a “natural oxygen bar and colorful forest.” --- 01 Village Scenery: From a Poor Mountain Village to the “Immortal’s Abode” Yangronghade means “the dwelling place of immortals” in Tibetan, but this “fairyland” was not always so. Once a poor mountain village, Yangrong was remote and difficult to access, with villagers relying on human and horse transport for all their production and living supplies. Villagers’ income mainly came from migrant work, animal husbandry, and forestry, with per capita income less than 5,000 yuan. Its transformation began in 2012 with the relocation of the entire village. Under the leadership of the village party branch and guided by the principles of “ecology, culture, and sustainable development,” a professional design team was hired to plan the street layout, room types, and pastoral landscapes. Today, Yangronghade has become a new immigrant village with a beautiful living environment. The village’s total economic income has increased year by year, with per capita income more than tripling compared to before relocation. 02 Architectural Features: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity Yangronghade’s distinctive Tibetan houses are mainly made of rubble stones, wood, and earth. The buildings are fortress-style, able to withstand centuries of weather. Walking into the village, you see rows of two- and three-story villas, intricately carved Tibetan wooden houses, brightly colored eaves, vermilion pillars, and bright yellow exterior walls. Water channels run alongside the village roads, circling the entire new village. The water, drawn from the mountains, is crystal clear, sparkling like pearls. The highlight here is the fusion of traditional and modern. While the exterior maintains traditional Tibetan style, the interiors are fully modernized. Each Tibetan household is decorated in a style that is both fashionable and retains traditional Tibetan charm, with standards comparable to four- to five-star hotels, providing visitors with a comfortable living environment. 03 Cultural Experience: Immerse Yourself in Authentic Gyarong Tibetan Culture Yangronghade is a typical Gyarong Tibetan settlement in Heishui, where you can experience authentic Tibetan culture. The Kastawin culture is one of the village’s souls. Street lamps incorporate the Kastawin, a national intangible cultural heritage of Heishui County. This is a folk sacrificial song and dance performed by ancient Heishui warriors before expeditions, where warriors prayed for victory and their families prayed for their safety and blessings. It is passed down in the Heishui River basin. Religious symbols are everywhere in the village. Stones inscribed with words are called Mani stones, and prayer flags in five colors symbolize the blue sky and white clouds. The village also has prayer wheels used for chanting scriptures, as well as white stupas and Mani piles, creating a rich religious atmosphere that calms the soul. 04 Seasonal Scenery: The Ever-Changing Beauty of the Colorful Forest The forest of Yangronghade is colorful: fresh green in spring, lush and dense in summer, brilliant and layered gold in autumn, and solemn, cold white in winter. It is full of surprises and emotions all year round. Autumn is the most beautiful season in Yangronghade. Under the sunlight, the entire village is colorful and looks like a fairyland. The whole village is hidden within the golden larch forest, creating a beautiful overall effect of “forest within the village, village within the forest.” Winter in Yangronghade has a unique charm. Thick snow turns the trees frosty white, and Yangrong village wears a “white hat.” You can have snowball fights and build snowmen in the courtyard, or sit by the fireplace watching the snowy scenery — it’s so cozy! 05 Travel Guide: Explore the Immortal’s Abode 📍 Location and Transportation Yangronghade is located in Yangrong Village, Heishui County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, 18 km from Heishui County seat and 8 km from Dagu Glacier. Transportation recommendations: · Self-driving: From Chengdu, pass through Wenchuan and Maoxian to Heishui, about 300 km and 5-6 hours by car. · Public transport: Take a bus to Heishui County seat, then transfer by car for about 40 minutes. 🏡 Accommodation Recommendations Heishui Gar Manor is an ideal choice: · The Tibetan-style villa design is very distinctive, with rooms offering views of snow-capped mountains · Super attentive service, with hot milk delivered at night · The manor has a Tibetan restaurant · Located within the Yangronghade scenic area, you can explore the Tibetan village right outside the door Additionally, 45 farming households in the village have formed a tourism development joint-stock company, with a professional team managing homestay reception and catering services. The village has a total of 258 guest rooms and 435 beds, with six different room types including colorful forest, themed, characteristic, and luxury. 🍴 Food Experience When visiting Yangronghade, don’t miss the local Tibetan cuisine: · Yak meat hotpot: Gar Manor’s Tibetan cuisine is definitely the best locally, with steaming yak hotpot broth being an excellent treat · Butter tea and tsampa: traditional Tibetan dishes to experience local flavors · Other specialties: barley cakes, pickled vegetable noodles, blood sausage, hand-pulled meat, and more The village’s “Ama’s Taste” restaurant specializes in yak hotpot, various mushrooms and vegetables, and delicious cured ribs. 📸 Photography Tips Yangronghade is full of photo spots. Here are some tips: 1. The viewing platform on the east side of the village is the best spot for sunrise photography 2. Prayer flags and door/window decorations of each household make excellent backgrounds 3. The light is softest at dusk, making any photo inside the village a masterpiece 4. Wearing ethnic-style or red clothing will make your photos stand out more 🗓️ Itinerary Suggestions One-day tour: Arrive at Yangronghade in the morning, visit the Tibetan village and experience Tibetan culture, enjoy Tibetan hotpot for lunch, spend the afternoon taking photos and strolling in the village, and watch the sunset in the evening. Two-day tour: · Day 1: Depart from Chengdu in the morning, arrive at Yangronghade in the afternoon, check in and tour the Tibetan village, enjoy Tibetan cuisine in the evening, and attend a bonfire party; · Day 2: Capture sunrise and golden mountain light early morning, have breakfast, then visit Dagu Glacier (only 10 km from Yangronghade), and return to Chengdu in the afternoon. 06 Unique Value: A Vivid Practice of Rural Revitalization Yangronghade is not only a tourist destination but also a pioneering example of cultural tourism integration driving rural revitalization. The village has developed an innovative “Party branch + company + farmers” cooperative model, with a professional team managing homestay reception and catering services. This model has achieved a remarkable transformation: “resources become capital, rural areas become scenic spots, villagers become shareholders, private homes become guest rooms, and products become commodities.” Since opening, the village has received over 800,000 visitors and generated more than 15 million yuan in tourism revenue, effectively expanding income channels for local people. --- Today, Yangronghade has become a national forest village, a Chinese ethnic minority characteristic village, a key rural tourism village in Sichuan Province, and was named a Tianfu Tourism Famous Village in 2022. In the morning, open the Tibetan wooden window and see the snow mountains shining in the dawn; at night, fall asleep under the stars, listening to the babbling spring water. Here, you will forget time and empty your mind in the embrace of Mother Nature. This is Yangronghade, a place where you can escape the city’s hustle and bustle and experience the purest Tibetan culture at the foot of the snow mountains.