The crown jewel of Yunnan
Villagers leverage the natural, beginner-friendly mountain environment to boost tourism and incomes, Yang Feiyue and Li Yingqing report.
Over the past five years, his life has taken off as he started offering accommodation and climbing services for mountaineers across the country.
Following the May Day holiday frenzy, Chen took a break and went to a local bank to open a company account.
His service met the local government's requirements and is now certified to receive guests. He sees it as a good sign for the future, as things become standardized.
In 2009, Chen, then a teenager from the Yi ethnic group, laced up his military sneakers, wrapped a thick scarf around his neck, and became a mountain guide.
His inaugural climb ended abruptly when his ill-equipped team had to abort the expedition after being stranded in a blizzard.
"Youth made me fearless — I didn't understand danger back then," Chen recalls with a laugh, though his eyes betray a lingering reverence for the mountain's lessons.
By 2012, after witnessing multiple accidents, Chen committed himself to professional training, from high-altitude first aid to storm survival, eventually summiting the 6,178-meter Yuzhu Peak in Qinghai province.
"Now, safety is carved into my bones," he says.
The mountain's transformation mirrored his own. Once isolated, Haba village now thrives as an outdoor hub after road expansions and trail construction.
