Phuntsok and his family inn
Phuntsok (R) [Photo/Xinhua]
Phuntsok is a villager in Nyingchi of Tibet. The village is located on the edge of the 318 national highway which is called “the most beautiful landscape road of China” with the altitude of 3,300 meters. The village is surrounded by standing mountains and immense forests, becoming a famous scenic spot in Tibet.
Phuntsok, born in 1950, did not have opportunities to go to school, after growing up, he learns Chinese and some knowledge. At the beginning, alike all other villagers, Phuntsok was a guide walking with his horse providing primary level of service to the tourist customers.
“Later on, there were a few customers asking me if they could stay in the village. I said that ‘if you do not mind, just come to my house to stay!’” said Phuntsok, who opened the first family inn in the village which had only eight beds in 1998.
Phuntsok attracted customers not only by his practical benefit in the services he provides but also by his honesty and enthusiasm characterizing the Tibetan people. There was one time when a customer forgot his cell phone, camera and wallet in the home inn including all of his credentials and thousands of RMB. He contacted the customer in time and returned the things to the customers. There was also another time in which a customer from Guangdong Province forgot his video camera in the home inn, Phuntsok walked all the way to the town to find the customer…
Phuntsok charge 70 yuan (11.3 US dollars) for food and housing for one day, yet there are often some tourists still bargaining. “Uncle, can you come down a little bit?”. “OK!” Because the beddings are clean, the food is good, and the price is low, his customers fondly call him “parity uncle”
Phuntsok's family is famous for their honesty. In recent years, there are many tourists from different countries such as France, the U.S., Malaysia, Singapore and Japan coming to stay in Phuntsok’s inn.
Nowadays, there are three Tibetan style two-storey buildings with 53 beds constructed in his yard. The construction and furniture all follow the traditional residential style.
Phuntsok is a “Wechater”. “As long as the customers want to add me, I add them all, the number of Wechat friends is increasing continuously which reaches a few hundred friends,” he said.
In his Wechat Moments, Phuntsok posted many new feeds including Tibetan song and dance performances, group photos with the tourists and reports by the media regarding his family inn.
“Only one person became rich, this is not rich. Only when the whole village becomes rich, will real better off society be realized,” said Phuntsok, who loves to watch television and listen to radio. In order to help other poor households in the village or other places where natural disasters occur, he always is the person who donated the biggest amount of money.
Run the business honestly, pay attention to hygienic conditions, receive customers with enthusiasm, all of this is the secret for opening a good home inn. Phuntsok shared his experiences with other villagers who are running family inn business. Sometimes when there are many customers coming, he will recommend the tourists to go to stay in those relatively poor families’ family inns.
Phuntsok's family inn [Photo/Xinhua]