Growing wanderlust lifting highlands

China’s blossoming love affair with the outdoors life — which is being propelled by a steady rise in living standards, especially among urbanites — is helping bring benefits to underprivileged rural regions.

One area enjoying a tourism boom is Gangshika Mountain in Qinghai province’s Menyuan Hui autonomous county.

At 4,000 meters above sea level, Zhang Fade’s horses leave behind a trail in the snow on the peak, which hosts sports events year-round, including mountaineering and skiing.

Last month, a mountaineering competition was held there, attracting 42 contestants, as well as many spectators.

“Business is quite good,” said Zhang, who helps transport all kinds of materials up the mountain for competitors and visitors. For each round trip up and down the mountain, he makes about 400 yuan ($65).

Like many residents, he has also opened a homestay, providing visitors with lodgings, and local specialties.

Tourism is thriving in China. The domestic tourism industry brought in 4.6 trillion yuan last year, up almost 16 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Growing tourism has generated great opportunities for people like Zhang.

Sonam runs a homestay in the Tibet autonomous region’s Zhaxizom township, which is close to Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West.

From the windows of her home, the world’s tallest mountain appears in a majestic vista.

“In the past, whenever tourists would come to see Qomolangma, they would ask me if I could offer accommodations, so I opened the homestay in 2007,” the 46-year-old villager said.

Business was so good she had to build two more floors on her home, which now has room for 40 guests.

“The peak season is April to October,” Sonam said, adding that the homestay brought in more than 200,000 yuan in revenue last year.