Hilton Linzhi Resort is located within the historic King of Gongbo site, at an elevation of 3,000 meters. Credit: Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

Hilton has opened a luxury resort with a high-altitude golf course in the town of Milin in the prefecture-level city of Linzhi in southeast Tibet, China.

The Hilton Linzhi Resort includes 200 rooms and suites and has views of the Himalayas and the Yarlung Zangbo River. It is set amid 800-acres of land where more than 1,000 endangered yellow tree peonies are grown. The Linzhi resort is the first international brand resort in Milin County and is home to Tibet’s first nine-hole golf course. The high-altitude golf course is at an elevation of about 9,600 feet.

Hilton Linzhi Aerial View

Tibet has maintained double-digit economic growth annually for the past 23 years and is now one of China’s fastest growing regions. Tibet’s GDP jumped to nearly 16 billion USD in 2015 from about 20 million in 1951, and its economy grew by more than 10 percent in 2016.

Linzhi is the second wealthiest city in Tibet followed by the capital of Lhasa. In 2015, the city’s GDP was about 1.5 billion USD.

On March 28, Tibet marked Serfs’ Emancipation Day, an annual holiday to celebrate the emancipation of serfs in Tibet. In a televised speech on the eve of the celebration, Qizhala, chairman of the region’s government, said Tibet is “full of vigor.” Using a Chinese expression to describe a time of prosperity, Qizhala said, “I can proudly say that Tibet is full of vigor like never before. A hundred flowers are in bloom.”

Hilton’s footprint in Tibet shows that China’s development efforts in the region are paying off and more Tibetans are living a better life. “Hilton Linzhi Resort is a world-class destination resort that caters to the increasing demand in Tibet’s leisure and MICE segments,” said Bruce McKenzie, senior vice president, operations, Greater China & Mongolia, Hilton. “The region has been benefiting from the ongoing efforts of the Tibet Tourism Bureau.”

Hilton Linzhi Lobby Lounge