Tourism goes beyond scenic landscapes, cultural experiences, and adventures. It also connects people from all walks of life. Visiting Tibet provides a unique opportunity to experience the lifestyle of locals living on the Tibetan plateau. Most visitors are intrigued by locals’ exotic and mysterious traditions. Their culture and ways of life are different from other parts of the world. During your tour of Tibet, take some time to know the locals because they are part of this beautiful land. Diversity, inclusion, and heritage run deep on the snowy plateau. Here, world-famous tourist attractions break down religious, racial, gender, and cultural walls. Each experience entices travelers to set aside their differences. For a moment, locals and visitors are one. Successful tourist lodges value and advance all three ideologies.

Songtsam hires most of its employees from nearby villages and preserves locals’ heritage. Locals manage Songtsam lodges while maintaining traditions and customs. Working directly with locals living close to each lodge is an effective way to protect the authenticity of their culture. The preservation of traditional lifestyles is part and parcel of Songtsam’s corporate social responsibility. The company advances diversity and inclusion by fostering equality in the workplace, regardless of race, gender, or religion. At Songtsam, locals’ stories convey and reinforce the values of diversity, inclusion, and heritage.

A group photo of locals in Tibetan costumes

The Spirit of Local Woman: A manager from a remote village

Local women are resilient and hardworking, with limitless potential. They wake up before sunrise and return home after sunset. Gu Liying, the manager of Songtsam Tacheng Lodge, proclaims the spirit of women across the snow plateau. Today, every guest wants to stay at this Songtsam property.

The manager of Songtsam Tacheng Lodge-- Guliying

Gu Liying’s position overshadows her background. She was a farmer's wife working in the fields with only a junior high school diploma. In 2010, Songtsam built a hotel in Tacheng, Weixi County, Yunnan Province. This region is a natural paradise with rare animals. “The location of the hotel used to be a hill covered with trees and bamboos,” she said. In 2011, Songtsam started recruiting workers from the village. “Me and four friends saw an opportunity to transform our lives,” said Liying, “We signed up to work at the hotel.” At the time, no one would have thought that she would rise to a hotel manager. Liying and her friends were hard working, but they were a little confused about their duties in the hotel. "We were nervous when we received the first hotel guests,” said Liying, “We didn't know what to do.” She still remembers the manager’s advice, “Take care guests like you would do at home."

Gu Liying worked hard to fulfill her duties at the hotel. As a farmer’s housewife with a junior high school diploma, she felt trapped with no way out. The opportunity to work at Songtsam Tacheng Lodge was all she needed to show what she could do. “Every day, I vowed to accomplish more the next day,” she said. Liying’s efforts to satisfy the guests earned her the store manager position. In this role, Liying introduced traditional culinary experiences for visitors, such as stone-ground tofu. Songtsam Tacheng  became the first Songtsam lodge to implement localization, thanks to Liying’s efforts. Gu Liying transformed from a farmer’s wife to a hotel manager. Today, more than half of the adults in Qibie Village work in this boutique tourist lodge. Gu Liying is a driving force behind Songtsam Tacheng’s success.

The daily work of Guliying at Songtsam Tacheng Lodge

Planting freedom and love in your heart: A Living Buddha who practiced in the secular world

Inclusion goes beyond protecting vulnerable communities and individuals. It also includes respecting and supporting individuals’ personal choices. The life story of Luosang, one of Songtsam's butlers, proclaims the value of advancing personal freedom. At the age of three, Luosang was regarded as the reincarnation of Master Jiang Sekong Wengzhe of the Dongzhulin Monastery. Tibetans enshrined his picture in their home’s Buddhist halls. He was sent to India at the age of 13 to study Buddhism. Nine years later, Luosang returned to Tibet but decided to become a teacher instead of a monk. He worked as a teacher in his hometown before joining Songtsam.

Luosang in Buddhist costume as a teen

Everyone expected Luosang to join the monastery. They were surprised when he chose to forego being a monk, one of the most revered life paths. But they respected and supported his decision to become a teacher. According to Luosang, “keeping the monastic precepts is one of the 84,000 teachings taught by the Buddha.” “Becoming a monk is one of many ways to promote Buddhism,” he said. Whether Luosang wanted to be a monk or a teacher, this decision was ultimately his personal choice. As a Songtsam butler, Luosang preached Buddhism and Buddhist wisdom daily. He advocates for inclusion, protecting the weak and vulnerable, loving and caring for one another, and doing the right thing. “Buddha's teachings were inclusive, never determined by class, creed, marital status, or job position,” preached Luosang. Although Luosang didn’t become a monk, he found a way to promote Buddhism without undermining his inner peace and personal freedom.

Luosang participated in a Songtsam campaign in a big city. He noticed that there were so many people in the streets, but they didn't smile and interact with each other. “At that moment, I truly felt how rare the culture and people-to-people relationship in Songtsam and my hometown were,” Luosang said.

Luosang

Where my heart settles, where my home is: A "local" from a foreign land

At Songtsam, we embrace our differences. This value is ingrained in our DNA and proclaimed by Renqing from Sichuan province, an outsider who integrated into the Songtsam community. Renqing went abroad with his family as a child. He decided to return to China in 2011 and got a job at Songtsam in Shangri-La. At the time, all Songtsam employees were locals. After living abroad for years, Renqing stood out from the crowd. His habits were different from those around him. He communicated in English, but he couldn't speak Mandarin fluently.

Renqing was an "alien" but strived to fit in. He interacted with locals and improved his communication skills and fluency in Tibetan and Mandarin. Out of his love for Tibetan culture, Renqing learned from locals about folk customs and studied Buddhism with the monks at the monastery. He became more proficient in Tibetan culture and an expert in local vegetation and the environment.

Renqing

If you’ve ever moved to a new neighborhood, school, or city, you understand the challenges of blending in with the crowd. You’ll have to make new friends, find entertainment joints, and interact with your neighbors. As an outsider, Renqing had to overcome these challenges to fit in. Luckily, his co-workers at Songtsam helped him adapt by embracing his habits and character traits. Renqing transformed from an outsider to a respected member of the community. He has made his home in Lijiang,Yunnan. When asked why he decided to settle in Yunnan, Renqing said, “My home is where my heart settles.” Although Reqing was an “alien,” he felt at home in Yunnan. But his decision was also influenced by the work culture at Songtsam. After working as a Songtsam butler for 6 years, Reqing is sure he won’t get tired of his job even after another 6 years. "I meet different people,” Renqing said, “Some are interested in Buddhist culture, others just like nature.” He enjoys interacting with the guests and adjusting his explanations to align with their interests. “Every trip is new,” he said, “The important thing is the self-value I achieve when I serve the guests sincerely and with a good heart." Today, locals seek his advice because he knows everything about Tibet like the back of his hand.

Renqing explaining Tibetan culture enthusiastically to the guests

Drawing wisdom from folklore and finding beauty in nature: A talented chef who transmits Tibetan culture with cuisine

Inclusion is not determined by past behavior and actions. It provides second chances for the lost. Like food, inclusion offers a path to enlightenment and breaking barriers, allowing people to communicate. Wu Guijun, the head chef of the Songtsam lodge series, got a second chance to pursue his passion. With the innate ability to recognize ingredients and a keen sense of taste and smell, Wu Guijun became a five-star hotel chef at a young age. Chef Wu rose to fame in a few years, giving rise to the illusion of omnipotence. After becoming famous, the young man started gambling. He got addicted to this vice and lost everything.

After hitting rock bottom, a friend introduced Chef Wu to Songtsam. Songtsam has several tourist lodges in different locations across Tibet. Each location has unique features and provides access to hard-to-find ingredients. Working close to nature rekindled Wu’s culinary aspirations. And access to a wide variety of ingredients inspired the young chef to innovate and develop unique and creative localized cuisines. Chef Wu got a second chance to transmit Tibetan culture through authentic culinary experiences at Songtsam. He grabbed this opportunity and vowed to make the most out of it. A transformed chef on a mission. "Many aspects of Songtsam's architecture and services draw wisdom from the folk,” said Chef Wu. Like Songtsam, Chef Wu is also inspired by Tibetan traditional cuisines. “The cuisines of each lodge can be completely localized in the future.” he said. So, Songtsam guests can experience unique local delicacies and flavors wherever they visit across Tibet.

Chef Wu developed a central kitchen, exploiting Songtsam’s ingredient-rich location. He also designed a unique spice system and the Songtsam Banquet. This banquet brings together the best ingredients from each lodge, including ham from Tacheng, chili from Benzilan, mushrooms from Meili, and beef from Mangkang. Chef Wu is still innovating creative localized cuisines. From a gambling addict to an executive chef, Wu’s life transformation is inspirational.

Chef Wu gathering and researching ingredients

Nothing to worried about: Transformed life of a sheperd

People development is one of the many fruits of diversity, inclusion, and heritage. Songtsam adheres to all three ideologies to create opportunities for locals, such as Ayi Ga, a transformed sheperd. Ayi Ga grew vegetables and herded cattle in a remote village with only five families. These farming activities only cover necessities, but they don’t provide enough money to live comfortably. Ga's life changed with the arrival of Songtsam Lodge.

Ayi Ga and Songtsam grew and developed together, influencing each other's successes. After joining the Songtsam team, Ayi Ga contributed to Songtsam lodge's development. Ga learned to build houses during the construction of Songtsam Lodge. He acquired hands-on experience on the job, working with trained masonries, engineers, and architects. As a skilled builder, Ayi Ga earned a living by undertaking tasks on construction sites. This new revenue stream supplemented his income from herding cattle and growing vegetables. When the lodge opened for business, Ayi Ga learned Mandarin to communicate with guests. Fluency in Mandarin unlocks new opportunities for locals in this region. It breaks down communication barriers, allowing locals to engage in tourism and earn from tourist activities. Moreover, tourists rely on storytellers to learn and understand locals’ traditions. So, efficient communication is vital for conveying and promoting heritage. By learning Mandarin, Ayi Ga acquired the tools to interact with tourists and promote culture. He is now a local guide.   

Ayi Ga was influenced by Mr. Baima's commitment to the environment and traditional culture. Locals’ culture and the environment are interlinked. As a former sheperd, Ayi Ga can advise farmers in his village on eco-friendly farming practices. The transformed shepered understands the link and value of protecting the environment and promoting locals' heritage. He advocates for environmental protection as an integral component of preserving locals’ livelihoods and way of life. Although the hotel is only a five-minute walk from his home, Ayi Ga prefers to live in the dormitory to make everything easier. “My son and daughter are competent,” Ayi Ga said, “Nothing to be worried about for the family.”

Ayi Ga

Guardians of the wonderland: The horse-riding boy who grew up around the glacier

Marginalized remote villages globally are disadvantaged due to a lack of resources and opportunities. Including these villages in development programs can unlock untapped potential and empower their communities. Born and raised in Laigu village, Luobu grew up without electricity. Residents produced oil lamps that light up the night like the stars of Laigu. As a child, Luobu engaged in horse-rising for fun. Then, Songtsam built a lodge in Laigu village. This event transformed Luobu's life.  

Luobu riding on horseback at the foot of the glacier

Residents of Laigu were intrigued by the construction of Songtsam lodge. Luobu was curious about specific aspects of the project. “Why was it built in the river valley?” The constructors transported pre-made pieces to Laigu and assembled them to create houses. “Why use this approach?” Answers to these questions introduced Luobu to environmental protection.

Luobu learned about Songtsam’s unique designs and environmentally-friendly construction strategies. The lodge’s location provides the perfect view of the beautiful Laigu Glacier. So, guests can see this bluish ancient glacier from their luxurious rooms. After understanding Songtsam's environmental efforts, the horse-riding teenager found his calling. He was awakened to the realities of environmental pollution and took the responsibility to protect this fragile glacial wonderland.

Luobu coordinated cleanup initiatives around Laigu. He rallied fellow residents to join him near the glacier and help clean up the garbage left behind by tourists. Luobu is social and communicates with a bright smile. These qualities were vital for the success of the defender of the Laigu Glacier. He leveraged his charming character and oratory skills to convince others to join his cleanup initiatives.

Luobu was cleanning up the garbage left behind by tourists

Join Songtsam Advance Diversity, Inclusion, and Heritage on the Snow Plateau

We all have a role to play in advancing diversity, inclusion, and heritage. As a tourist, contribute to this noble cause by supporting travel agencies and tourist lodges that practice these values. Songtsam nurtures an inclusive workplace where all employees are free to participate and pursue their aspirations. Each Songtsam tour educates visitors on locals' heritage while providing opportunities for the protectors of traditional culture.

Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of Songtsam’s corporate and work culture. You can hear more locals’ stories of diversity, inclusion, and heritage on the snowy plateau at any Songtsam lodge. From Guliying to Luosang, Renqing, Chef Wu, Ayi Ga, and Luobu, these unsung heroes are the driving force behind Songtsam’s success.