Tourism entrepreneur fulfills his dream on the high plateau

"Tourism is one of Tibet's pillar industries and accounts for 20 percent of the region's economic contribution, and it has become the main channel of Tibet's opening up," Li said.

Xu enjoys working in Tibet, and he travels frequently between the region and other provinces. "I can concentrate on work in Tibet. I love the sunshine there. I always miss Tibet when I am not there," Xu said.

To cater to tourists, Xu opened a self-designed hostel. He spent a year on the design, and three years on the interior decor.

"I tried to run a hostel 10 years ago. I tasted many failures due to inexperience," Xu said. "Finding a house is not easy. I wanted to find an old house with sense of design."

Xu's friend Meng Fanhua said the time Xu spent perfecting the comfortable hostel was worth the wait. "The hostel is an old house with all walls painted white and the original figures preserved," Meng said. "It just feels like renovation mixed with modern patterns."

As Xu often travels, he relies on his trusted employees to keep the businesses running smoothly.

"He is ambitious and an ideas man, a man we want to learn many things from," said Gu Zhigang, 45, general manager of the tourism company. "He is good boss, because he doesn't only thinks to make a fortune for himself. He supports the members of his staff by paying their insurance contributions."

Xu remains ambitious. Next, he plans to create a self-driving tour club in Lhasa.

"I have never thought about success and failure before a new thing was started. I just wanted to do a good job with the work in my hands," Xu said. "It's not only about making money. Doing a good job is important as well."