How Tough Is the Road to Tibet?
The total length of highways nationwide reached 4.7735 million kilometers
but only a handful can be called "Heavenly Roads"
with most concentrated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
▼Highways on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, photographer@Shanfeng
Here, the average altitude is 4,000 meters
with frigid climates, thin air, and complex geology
ensuring that the construction of every road would be fraught with difficulties
The turmoil lasting over 100 years had just subsided
and the frontier urgently needed a new defense line
▼From the 1930 "Summary of Tibet's Beginning and End"
"Crisscrossed with rugged rocks, impassable for humans and horses, indescribably perilous"
To ensure sufficient strength for border defense
the construction of a road into Tibet became imperative
Thus, under the call to "advance while building roads"
the "First Road into Tibet" officially commenced
Ultimately, the 2,255-kilometer route was fully connected
The Kang-Tibet Highway stretches from Ya'an in the east to Lhasa in the west
One end is the earthly paradise at a few hundred meters above sea level
the other is the celestial plateau at 4,000 meters
Yet, the elevation difference of several thousand meters was not the greatest obstacle
The Hengduan Mountains running north-south are the true natural barrier
▼To travel from Ya'an to Lhasa, one must first pass through the Hengduan Mountains, map by Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
Located in southwestern China, the Hengduan Mountains
consist of seven north-south trending mountain ranges aligned side by side
with an average distance of only about 100 kilometers between their main ridges
Peaks above 3,500 meters in elevation
▼The Hengduan Mountains, with the Dadu River in the photo, photographer: Cao Tie
form the first major obstacle along the highway
Their highest elevations and the Tianquan County at their foothills
are far more towering than the renowned Five Great Mountains
▼"Mount Erlang, ten thousand zhang high," the image below shows distant mountain ranges viewed from the Erlang Mountain Pass, photographer: Little Snail
This is merely the "appetizer" of the Kang-Tibet Highway
The road will reach Luding at 1,330 meters above sea level
then ascend directly to the Zheduo Mountain Pass at 4,298 meters
Only then does one officially enter the world of towering peaks
▼Zheduo Mountain Pass, part of the Daxue Mountain Range in the Hengduan Mountains, photographer: Jiang Xi
None is more formidable than the Que'er Mountain Pass in the Shaluli Mountains
where winter temperatures can drop to -20 to -30°C
Only through tremendous effort was the mountain split and the pass conquered
▼Que'er Mountain Pass, photographer: Heitao Lao K (please view horizontally)
The Kang-Tibet Highway has traversed over 600 kilometers through mountains and ridges
Yet in the following hundreds of kilometers
The Yela Pass (4,658 meters) in the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains
And the Anjiula Pass (4,475 meters) in the Baxoi Mountains
Quietly await the arrival of travelers
▼A vehicle trapped in snow on Yela Mountain, photographer @ Cao Tie
▼Lancang River Gorge, photographer @ Hu Shu
Between the Shaluli Mountains and the Markam Mountains
As the river with the largest volume among the Six Parallel Rivers
The Jinsha River flows southward with mighty force and winding turns
▼Jinsha River, photographed in present-day Shiqu County, Ganzi, Sichuan, photographer @ Dream Traveler
Between the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains and the Baxoi Mountains
Here the gorges are deep and the currents swift
Over 60 years ago, to build a bridge across the river
The construction team battled the raging waters for nearly four days
Before finally delivering the steel cables for the temporary bridge to the opposite bank
▼The turbulent Nujiang River, photographer @ Allen in the Distance
With elevation differences reaching several thousand meters up and down
The highway often has no choice but to "crawl along the terrain"
Winding and circling on steep mountain slopes
▼The 72 Hairpin Turns of Nujiang, also known as the "99 Bends of Sichuan-Tibet," are located on the way from Bangda to Nujiang. Photographer: Li Heng
High mountains and deep valleys unfold here in succession
The striking elevation differences and rapid altitude changes along the route
▼A convoy crossing Manigango, located in present-day Dege County, Sichuan Province. Photographer: Cao Tie
The hardships of the Kang-Tibet Highway were far from over
The Kang-Tibet Highway, having reached Qamdo in Tibet, turned southward
Choosing a route that passed through Bomi and Nyingchi to reach Lhasa
▼A convoy traveling through the Nyingchi-Bomi section, with the Parlung Tsangpo River alongside. Image source: Land Rover China
Although the climate in the south was milder
It also meant the highway had to cross
The 4,728-meter-high Serkhyim La Pass
And the 5,013-meter-high Mila Pass
While traversing multiple seismic zones and geologically unstable sections
▼Serkhyim La Pass and the distant Namcha Barwa Peak. Photographer: Jia Jiqian
Admittedly, this decision was extremely difficult
But to benefit more agricultural populations
And facilitate proximity to the border for national defense
After approvals from He Long, Liu Bocheng, Peng Dehuai, Deng Xiaoping, Mao Zedong, and others
The framework of the Kang-Tibet Highway was finally determined
And it officially opened to traffic by the end of 1954
▼The Kang-Tibet Highway, which chose the "hard mode," mapped by Zhang Jing/Planet Research Institute
The name "Kang-Tibet Highway" has since become a thing of the past
The familiar "Sichuan-Tibet Highway" emerged as a result
Its starting point was also changed from Ya'an to Chengdu
The construction of the southern route of the highway also began in full swing
▼Litang Jianziwan Mountain Pass, photographed by Dream Traveler
(This is the bridge that was recently destroyed by the barrier lake flood)
And it merges with the old Kang-Tibet route at Bangda
▼Section near Bangda, photographed by Cao Tie
▼Mount Everest Highway, photographed by Jiang Xi
Another route diverges from the Mount Everest Highway in Tingri County
It will cross six major mountains and several rivers
Spiraling down between the Mount Everest massif and Shishapangma
Until reaching the Zhangmu Port on the China-Nepal border
▼China-Nepal Highway, photographed by Xiaoqiang Xiansen
The southern Sichuan-Tibet route and the China-Nepal Highway are connected end-to-end
Allowing a direct journey from Chengdu to the China-Nepal border
People call it "National Highway 318"
▼G318 Chengdu-Zhangmu section, mapped by Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
Even the little-known rural roads in the surrounding areas
▼Heading north from Litang, the road to Cuoka Lake, photographer@Dream Traveler
While the northern route once abandoned by the Kang-Tibet Highway
With the opening of the Chamdo-Nagqu and Chengdu-Luhuo routes
Another highway connecting Sichuan and Tibet was completed
▼Section of G317 from Chengdu to Nagqu, mapped by@Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
Linking the heart of Tibet closely with Sichuan
There is also a famous transportation artery
Though not as dramatic as the Sichuan-Tibet Highway
The era when "with the Kunlun Mountains here, the railway will never reach Lhasa"
Once bearing 80% of the inbound logistics to Tibet
▼Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway, photographer@Zou Xiaoqing
Crossing three major mountain ranges along the way: Kunlun, Tanggula, and Nyenchen Tanglha
With an average altitude exceeding 4,000 meters
▼Mapped by@Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
If the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is like ascending to heaven and descending to earth
Then the Qinghai-Tibet Highway is truly worthy of its name
▼Section of G109 from Golmud to Lhasa, mapped by@Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
Traveling south from Golmud to the Kunlun Pass
The altitude rises nearly 2,000 meters along the way
Making it the most significant elevation change segment of the entire route
And in the nearly 1,000 kilometers that followed
the maximum surface elevation change was only about 800 meters
▼ Chen Yi's description of crossing the Kunlun Mountains and Tanggula Mountains
"Vast land, towering heights, yet no perilous barriers; everywhere, plains stretch flat as a line"
Only endless snow peaks, uninhabited wilderness, and thin air
constantly remind people that this is still the Roof of the World
▼ The flat terrain along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, photographer @Tian Jieyan (please view horizontally)
The highway will traverse a vast wilderness
Streams originating from snow-capped mountains merge and diverge intermittently
▼ Tuotuo River, photographer @Jiang Xi
Here, the highway will successively cross
the Chumar River, Beilu River, Tuotuo River, and Ga'er Qu
which will eventually converge downstream
to form a world-renowned great river
▼ The Qinghai-Tibet Highway crossing rivers near the Tanggula Mountains, photographer @CrazyWolfkin
The same is true south of the Tanggula Mountains
spanning multiple river systems like the Nujiang and Yarlung Tsangpo
▼ The Qinghai-Tibet Highway will reach Lhasa from the left front, photographer @Xiao Feng
Although the Qinghai-Tibet Highway has gentle elevation changes along its entire route
it no longer requires crossing numerous high mountains and deep valleys
▼The freezing and expansion of water in the soil and rocks cause the ground to heave, forming frost mounds. Photographer: Wan Rui
Especially in the vast Hoh Xil region
The elevation along the route is consistently above 4,500 meters
The lower layer of soil and rocks remains perennially frozen and extremely hard
As the altitude or latitude decreases
The soil and rocks freeze in winter and completely thaw in summer
▼Distribution of permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, simplified based on the "Permafrost Distribution Map of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" from the CAS Cryosphere Research Network. Map by Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
The upper layer of permafrost also undergoes thawing and freezing
In severe cases, it can even become like a mass of mud
Becoming the greatest challenge for road construction
The road surface absorbs and accumulates heat
The effect is more severe with black asphalt pavement
The road surface becomes bumpy and uneven
Often referred to as a "washboard road"
▼Bumpy road surface affected by permafrost. Photographer: Zou Xiaoqing
Thus, people had to find ways to "cool" the ground
▼Raised road surface. Photographer: Zou Xiaoqing
▼Thermosyphons, typically 8 meters underground and 4 meters above ground, have high heat transfer efficiency and can lower permafrost temperature. Photographer: Ji Kang
Reducing heat transfer from the road surface to the ground
▼The Qinghai-Tibet Highway crossing the Tongtian River. Photographer: Qiu Menghan
Permafrost is just one of many challenges
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway traverses multiple seismic zones along its entire route
Landslides and mudflows are also frequent occurrences
Especially in the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains area
Though the Damxung grasslands are peaceful and serene, dotted with cattle and sheep
▼Damxung grasslands, photographer @YCC
Less than 100 kilometers away in the Yangbajing area
Most elevations exceed 6,000 meters
The towering Nyenchen Tanglha Peak
Reaches an altitude of 7,162 meters
As if massive rock and mudflows could pour down at any moment
▼Canyon near Yangbajing, photographer @Zou Xiaoqing
The Qinghai-Tibet Highway, completed in just one year
Underwent two renovations and two upgrades
Before finally meeting the Class II highway standards throughout
▼Qinghai-Tibet Highway, photographer @Zou Xiaoqing (please view horizontally)
Highways and railways intertwine and run parallel
The Beijing-Tibet Expressway will also follow the same route to Lhasa
Becoming a new engineering marvel on the plateau
Creating a scene of three roads advancing side by side
It will be the most distinctive mark of three eras
The first vanguard unit of New China endured countless hardships
Finally entering Ngari Prefecture, the westernmost part of Tibet
Marking the peaceful liberation of the entire Tibet region
Yet this land is surrounded by mountains and barren
Even today's Gar County (the seat of Ngari Administrative Office)
Lies over 1,000 kilometers in a straight line from Lhasa
Often relying solely on yaks and horses
▼Map by Zhao Yunpeng/Institute of Planetology
While towns in southern Xinjiang are much closer
Whether to Hotan County or Yecheng County
The straight-line distance is only 500-600 kilometers
The Kunlun Mountains and Karakoram Mountains towering in between
Will be two unavoidable natural barriers
If heavy snow blocks the passes or mudflows occur
▼Snow-capped Kunlun Mountains, photographer@Xiaoqiang Xiansen
The cavalry stationed in Ngari often faced food shortages
Building a vehicular transport lifeline became imperative
Thus, two years after the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways opened
This road connecting Xinjiang and Ngari officially began construction
The engineering team braved wind and snow, cutting through mountains to open the road
thus clearing this lifeline of the frontier
▼Transport convoy on the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, photographer@Team Leader (please view horizontally)
The highway continues to extend toward Lhasa
connecting with the China-Nepal Highway in Lhaze County
ending the long-standing isolation between Xinjiang, Ngari, and Lhasa
The entire highway winds along the border
at its closest point, merely about 30 kilometers from the national boundary
like a thousand-mile-long Great Wall of the frontier
▼The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway and the national boundary, mapped by@Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
The construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway was not without challenges
It crosses 10 snow-capped mountain passes (Daban, Mongolian for "mountain pass") in the Kunlun Mountains
with 915 kilometers of the route at altitudes above 4,000 meters
and 130 kilometers exceeding 5,000 meters
▼The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, photographer@Chen Jianping (please view horizontally)
The highway starts in Yecheng County, Xinjiang
where the elevation is only 1,480 meters
but within less than 100 kilometers along the route
it climbs to the 3,250-meter Kudai Daban
known as the first "Gate of Hell"
▼"The Kudi Daban is perilous, akin to the gates of hell," photographer @Xiaoqiang Xiansen
It is the most treacherous section of the entire highway.
The Mazha Daban and Heika Daban, both over 4,900 meters high,
▼"The Mazha Daban is sharp, rising steeply to 5,300; the Heika Daban winds, with ninety-nine turns," photographer @Team Leader
The Qitai Daban and Jieshan Daban, both over 5,000 meters,
▼"The Jieshan Daban curves, where one can reach the sky by stretching a hand," photographer @Liu Yedao
as well as the Hongtu Daban, towering at 5,378 meters, are all concentrated here.
Each is enough to send chills down one's spine.
▼The Hongtu Daban is the highest national highway mountain pass in China, photographer @Xiaoqiang Xiansen
The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway continues to traverse between the Gangdise and Himalayan mountain ranges,
connecting valleys of all sizes.
▼Mount Kailash, photographer @Yan Hai
Crossing 12 mountains and 8 rivers along the way,
it finally arrives at Lhaze County in Shigatse.
▼The highway passes near Lake La'ang, with the image below showing a provincial road connected to the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, and the distant 7,694-meter-high Mount Namcha Barwa, photographer @Liu Zhaoming
It also blocks the moist air from the ocean,
making the regions beyond the mountains exceptionally arid.
The lowest annual precipitation averages only about 50 millimeters,
comparable to that of the Badain Jaran Desert.
▼Near Zanda County in Ngari, the cold and dry climate results in sparse vegetation, photographer @Xiaoqiang Xiansen
Drought has formed dry and loose silt
Combined with thawing permafrost and slope collapses
Making the construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway particularly difficult
The Xinjiang-Ali section, completed in 1957
After over 40 years of renovations
Finally reached the Class IV highway standard
▼The once simple and narrow road surface of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, photographer @A Du
The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway completed its asphalt pavement upgrade
Becoming a veritable national highway
▼The upgraded Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, photographer @Zhang Yang's Xiao Qiang
Neighboring provinces of Tibet—Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Sichuan
Have all built national highways connecting to Tibet
The last neighboring province still has a long way to go
Slowly ascending from south to north along the Hengduan Mountains
Passing through Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La along the way
Each bustling with popularity and swarms of tourists
▼The highway passing through a village in Dali, photographer @A Du
But it also has a "cold and lofty" side
▼The Yunnan-Tibet Highway passing beneath the Meili Snow Mountain, photographer @Shan Feng
▼The Great Bend of the Jinsha River, photographer @Li Guiyun
After crossing the Mangkang-Yunling mountain range near Deqen
one enters a canyon with steep slopes, deep valleys, and frequent landslides
▼The Yunnan-Tibet Highway advancing through the Lancang River Gorge, photographer @Gao Cheng (please view horizontally)
The actual construction period of the Yunnan-Tibet Highway lasted as long as 11 and a half years
Finally, it merges with the southern Sichuan-Tibet line in Mangkang
becoming part of National Highway 214
▼The section south of Mangkang belongs to the Yunnan-Tibet line, mapped by @Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
When the five major national highway arteries were successively completed
along with the Hei'a Highway traversing numerous plateau lakes
▼The Hei'a Highway runs from Nagqu (formerly called Heihe) to Ali Gar, with a southern route leading to Namtso Lake, photographer @Jiang Xi
and multiple provincial highways extending to the border
▼The section from Chawalong to Chayu on the Bingchacha Highway, photographer @Deng Fei
the highway transportation network in the Tibet region
officially formed a pattern of "two horizontal, three vertical, and six passageways"
▼Mapped by @Zhao Yunpeng/Planet Research Institute
Since the first roadstone was chiseled for the Kang-Tibet Highway
transportation projects nationwide have advanced triumphantly
especially in the densely populated central and eastern regions
From national highways to expressways, from bullet trains to high-speed rails
almost every route had to traverse mountains and rivers, overcoming countless obstacles
The construction process was exceptionally slow and arduous
▼The convoy passing through the Nujiang Gorge, with the road seemingly embedded in the cliff face. Image credit @Land Rover China
Yet it is precisely these "roads built in the sky"
That have completely ended Tibet's era of human and animal transportation
Connecting Tibet closely with the rest of the country
In the history of road construction in China and even the world
▼Leading to Pangong Tso, photographer @Xiang Wenjun
Tibet's road mileage has reached 89,343 kilometers
All are worthy of discovery and exploration
A benchmark brand experience initiative launched by Land Rover
"Discovery Never Stops - Autumn Equinox Journey"
▼Maps by @Zhang Jing & Zhao Yunpeng/Institute of Planetology
Along National Highway 318 and National Highway 214
Snow-capped mountains, gorges, and rivers are all in view
Land Rover has carefully selected from China's 24 solar terms
Combining cultural customs and biological species along the way
Compiled into a [2019 Discovery Species Calendar]
Following the solar term routes in this calendar
Under the protection of Land Rover's all-terrain capabilities
Land Rover 2019 Discovery Species Calendar
【￥b9EubLV4Hif￥】
P.S. Editorial Team: Wang Kun, Yu Kuan, Zhang Tianyao; Proofreading: Feng Chenyu
P.P.S. Main references for this article: "Tibet Highway Transportation Records" by the Tibet Local Chronicles Compilation Committee, "Tibet Highway Transportation Guide" by the Tibet Department of Transportation, "Remote Sensing Survey of Geological Environment Along Highways and Railways Entering Tibet from Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan" by Wang Zhihua et al.