-- In the heart of the Tibetan-Qiang-Yi corridor, amidst the deep folds of Mo’erduo Mountain, 22 millennium-old watchtowers stand like silent guardians, watching over the morning mist and cooking smoke of Jikayi Village.
Jikayi Village, in Mo‘erduo Mountain Town, Danba County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China’s Sichuan Province, is an ancient Tibetan settlement located 325 kilometers from the provincial capital city Chengdu. The village carries a dual heritage as both the “core area of Jiarong Tibetan culture” and a “site preserving the legacy of the Eastern Women's Kingdom,” and it also boasts recognition as one of “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism”. Visitors marvel at its transformation from a hidden cloud-bound hamlet to a model for cultural tourism, seeking to understand: how does it maintain its ecological and cultural integrity amid tourism commercialization? How does it break free from a “museum-style isolation” to engage the world on equal terms?
Building a Community-Led, Life-Centered Village on the Principle of “No Harm”
Jikayi Village preserves the most complete mountain-based agricultural civilization on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its 22 ancient watchtowers reflect the survival wisdom of early Jiarong people, who “built stone nests to prepare for potential threats.” The Tibetan-style residences, constructed with rubble-stone walling techniques, are celebrated as “living textbooks of architecture.” Its unique ecological and cultural endowments dictate that development must adhere to the principle: “the best display is no destruction.”
The village’s altitude ranges from 1,700 to 5,000 meters, creating the ecological phenomenon of “four seasons on one mountain” and a distinctive agricultural civilization. Located at the core of the Sichuan-Yunnan forest and biodiversity ecological functional zone and adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage “Giant Panda Habitat,” every forest patch and terraced field is a home protected by generations of villagers. Tibetan fragrant pigs forage freely under the tree, purple-skinned potatoes are grown with traditional composting, and “Beauty Crisp” apples are cultivated pesticide-free using natural pest control. Jikayi Village’s organic agricultural products reach markets through homestay experiences and e-commerce livestreaming. Visitors take home not only the taste of mountain produce but also a heightened awareness of highland ecology. In 2025, the village received 424,900 tourists, generating total revenue of 467 million yuan ($67.1 million), reinforcing the belief that “protecting the ecology is protecting livelihoods.”
The village’s forest school programs allow students from across China and the world to step beyond the role of tourists and become active participants in ecological protection. They learn to identify rare plateau plants with villagers, practice Jiarong embroidery (a county-level intangible cultural heritage), and participate in “village water restoration” projects – repairing stone canals used for decades – understanding the Jiarong principle: “rely on the mountain, feed off the mountain, and also nurture it.”
When international students share photos of “spruces they planted by hand” upon returning home, and when foreign environmental organizations adopt its “village-led forest guardianship” model, Jikayi Village’s ecological philosophy resonates globally.
From “Intangible Heritage Display” to “Shared Life,” Letting Culture Reach People and Hearts
The distinctiveness of Jiarong culture is reflected in Jikayi Village’s matrilineal cultural remnants. The provincial-level intangible cultural heritage “Danba Women’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony” (Tibetan: Jisa) continues the braided-hair tradition recorded in the Old Book of Tang. Through rituals such as burning mulberry leaves for blessings and coiling hair with ornamental pins, adolescent girls complete their transition to adulthood. Rather than treating its culture as something to be preserved behind glass, the village is bringing it into everyday life, inviting visitors to experience how Jiarong people live.
Local homestays and cultural centers integrate intangible heritage elements into everyday scenes: morning labor like grinding barley, hands-on Tibetan incense experiences, and evening gatherings accompanied by Guozhuang dance allow visitors to engage with culture in an immersive way. The rubble-stone walling technique remains a living practice, while live-action performances such as A Day of the Eastern Queen and Coming-of-Age under the Pear Blossoms illustrate Eastern Women culture’s values of “respecting women and emphasizing collaboration” through role-playing and participatory involvement. The village has also taken part in the filming of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, a documentary produced by state broadcaster CCTV, bringing everyday aspects of Jiarong culture to a wider audience.
Using Local Roots to Build a Global Bridge of Equal Dialogue
After being named a world “Best Tourism Village,” Jikayi Village’s greatest challenge was not attracting more tourists but maintaining its identity while engaging the world. Its approach provides a clear answer: the most meaningful global resonance does not come from trend-driven symbols, but from placing local ecology and culture at the center, creating a participatory global link based on “co-creation, sharing, and joint protection.” Every cross-cultural encounter becomes mutually enriching.
Today, the packed earth textures of millennium-old watchtowers harmonize with the transparent windows of modern homestays. The laughter of Tibetan women dancing Guozhuang with foreign visitors blends with the chisel and hammer of international students restoring watchtowers. Specialty products such as Sichuan pepper coffee, developed by villagers, bring traditional produce to life through modern aesthetics and reach markets nationwide. The UN World Tourism Organization’s award statement underscores this achievement: “This site exemplifies the deep integration of tourism and sustainable development, protecting valuable cultural heritage and ecosystems while ensuring that the local community benefits, providing a replicable model for villages worldwide.”
As a guardian of cultural diversity, a restorer of ecosystems, and a source of cultural innovation, Jikayi Village demonstrates that the key for villages to connect globally is anchoring in local roots and bridging through active participation. Its approach integrates cultural preservation with everyday participation and places ecological protection at the centre of development. Among China’s 19 global “Best Tourism Villages,” this Tibetan hamlet shows that traditional villages can embrace globalization without abandoning their identity, and pursue shared prosperity without compromising ecological foundations. If more villages follow Jikayi’s example – innovating while preserving, and opening up while maintaining balance – they can safeguard local heritage while contributing ideas and experience to rural revitalisation efforts around the world. This is the most beautiful practice this ancient Tibetan village offers the world, and a heartfelt contribution of Chinese civilization to human sustainable development.
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