DEKYI， a Tibetan girl， had a decent， desirable job in a hospital in Chengdu of southwest China’s Sichuan Province following graduation from university， but her dreams lay elsewhere.
In 2016， Dekyi opted to work in a travel agency for a year， and then returned to her hometown with the experience she had gained from the travel agency， and resolved to build a new residential quarter for homestay service in a mountain area. “I have always had a dream， I must come back here. This is where my dream began and it is where my dream came true.” Dekyi started her own business in her hometown.
A Place Where the Dream Was Born
Dekyi’s home is in Zhonglu Tibetan Village， Danba County， Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. This is the best-preserved Gyarong Tibetan community in Danba County. Not far from the county seat， the village retains the traditional architecture and way of life of Gyarong Tibetans.
Dekyi possesses a deep affection for every tree and blade of grass here. “Look at how beautiful my hometown is. Pear blossoms bathe in rain in spring， fluffy clouds float in the sky in summer， the maple leaves are ablaze with color in autumn， and the prayer flags flutter in the snow in winter.” With pictures saved in her mobile phone， she is proud of the beautiful scenery of her hometown all year round.
“When I was seven or eight years old， I used to take the cattle for grazing on this hillside and immerse myself in the scent of flowers in the mountains. I often thought that in the future I must go out of the mountains to learn a lot of knowledge， and then come back here.”Dekyi said that her greatest dream as a child was to build two big beautiful houses in the wasteland where cattle were herded， so that visitors from all over the world could see the beautiful scenery here， appreciate Tibetan customs， and enable the villagers around her to live a happy life. This dream became the driving force that kept her moving forward.
In 2009， in response to the government’s call to develop tourism， Dekyi’s father took the lead in building a homestay business. However， due to the low levels of tourist inflow and seasonal constraints， the income from the business is not high. In the off-season of tourism， Dekyi’s father has to work in the construction company. Her father’s hard work gave Dekyi the opportunity to leave the mountain and venture out to the outside world. “I hope to give my father the best reward by realizing my dream，” Dekyi said.
