Base camp ban on travelers triggers hot debate online

He Wei, 33, stretched out her hand in a vain attempt to catch a star twinkling in the sky. At Qomolangma base camp, at an altitude of 5,200 meters, the stars looked so close.

Like her, many tourists from China and abroad are drawn to Qomolangma.

"It's been a dream since childhood. When I actually saw the spectacular mountain close up, I was too excited to speak. I felt that humans were insignificant in nature," said He, an office worker from Shanghai.