The Sichuan-Tibet Highway that connects the lowland basin of Chengdu, as well as the rest of southern China, with the high-altitude plateau land of Tibet is more than 2,000 kilometers of tarmac road which runs from Chengdu in Sichuan Province to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. And this route is one of the most adventurous journeys in the world because it crosses more than a dozen mountains over elevation of 4,000 meters, high mountain passes, dozens of famous rivers and primeval forests, and passes by numerous lakes, villages and monasteries.
The highest and longest part of this legendary highway is the Sichuan-Tibet Highway Northern Line which takes a more dangerous and roundabout route to Lhasa from Chengdu than the Southern Route. It takes around two weeks to to traverse the Northern Line which is around 2,412 kilometers. For people who are keen to explore more culture and history of Tibetan and Kham, travelling to Lhasa via Northern Line and with a fine four-wheel vehicle is the best option.
You can enjoy the vast and open landscapes with majestic peaks soaring into clouds while driving on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, which is originally called the Kangding-Tibet Highway. The castellated Tibetan homes and an infinite number of contentedly munching yaks adorn the plateau areas and present a beautiful scenery. Except for this, travelers can enjoy the magnificent and changeable scenery ranging from warm spring to cold and snowing winter because the climate can change in front of your eyes, which makes you think you are on a different planet.
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway is noted as one of the most dangerous roads in the world by many organizations and news articles and publicly known for its bad road surface and sharp turn in the mountain road. What’s more, many sections of the road are only single track way which is a great challenge for the less experienced drivers, especially in bad weather. And landslides and rock avalanches occur frequently along the route. Besides many dangerous road sections along the route, altitude stress also accounts for the challenge faced by tourists.
Compared with the normal dangers of the route, many more dangerous factors also challenge your driving skill, for instance, the 99-turns section, which makes an extended series of switchbacks as the road swings down the mountainside. Weather factors such as rain, ice, snow and a host of other chilly winter which totally last for about ten months also make driving along this route a dangerous journey even for most experienced driver. Because the road is not paved and becomes a mud trap during the rainy season, the thousand-car traffic jam stretching for miles frequently happens.
However, along the route, you can enjoy some of the most beautiful countryside scenery and enter ancient towns and villages with many local people still living in the same way as they did in the days of Songtsen Gampo, and explore the more ancient Tibetan monasteries, most notably Larung Gar Buddhist Academy and Derge Parkhang there. And, the road is not only dangerous but also intensely beautiful with scenery that will constantly leave you in awe and take your breath away every time you crest a mountain pass and view the scenery below.
Period during May and June is one of the best time points to drive along the Northern Line to Lhasa. Because the roads start to dry up a little and the previously muddy sections turn to dusty sections after the thaws of spring, which make the trip less dangerous. The weather is also brighter so that you can enjoy clear skies and great views as you traverse this long and winding road.
July and August are traditionally the rainy season for the Southeastern areas of Tibet because it is in lower terrain compared with the rest of the plateau, which causes frequent raining in the monsoon season. Landslides and mudslides often occur, which causes the debris loosened by the heavy downpours to spill across the road. The dirt sections of the road also become mud traps which can drag down a vehicle to be stuck with no way out. Nevertheless, the local festivals are popular during this period, for example, several horse racing festivals are held in the high pastures around Nagqu along the route
Autumn season with the drier and clearer weather comes with the end of the rainy season, which makes the road less prone to rock slides and more open to travel again. Autumn with the clearest skies of the year is an ideal time to adventure along the road and enjoy the sight of the high and snow-capped mountain peaks spearing the clear blue sky. There are certain mountains along this route that we shall definitely visit.
Winter is coming fast in this area. By mid-November, snow usually begins to fall in the higher areas of the route. A dozen high mountains over elevation of 4,000 meters along the road generates a lot of snowdrifts that frequently block the road and can last until February even later. It is very risky to drive at this season because of the freezing temperatures, icy tracts of road and very few places to stay overnight along the route.
Mount Siguniang which locates in the bordering area of Xiaojin County and Wenchuan County in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province is the highest peak of Eastern Hengduan Range. Mount Siguniang, which is well-known for its grandness, straightness and forcefulness, is also called the Chinese Alps for its similar layout of the South European scenery. And it is a natural forest area rich in abundant forest, thick green grass and clear flowing rivers.
Jiaju Tibetan Village, known as the "Tibetan Fairyland", is a great tourist destination for photography. It is not only an ancient village with beautiful scenery, but also a place with a graceful idyllic life hiding among the mountains. This village is about 13 hours’ car way from Chengdu, and a lot of beautiful natural landscapes present on the way. In the village, there are about 140 Tibetan-style houses distinctively featured with their crown-shaped roofs, red eaves and white walls. The smoke curling up from kitchen chimneys at times, the liquid brooks, the pure white snow peaks and the valley filled up with mist, all together forms an Arcadian picture scroll.
Tagong Grassland, located in Tagong Town, Kangding at an elevation of 3730 meters, is about 113 kilometers away from Kangding. Back against to the famous Haizi Shan Mountain, Tagong Grassland is a very flat terrain with plenty water and lush grass, as well as flocks and herds of wild and domestic animals. Besides, there are also some great scenic sports such as Tagong Temple, Muya Gold Tower and Yala Snow Mountain.
Kandze Monastery, a 17th century monastery built by the Mongols, which was once the largest monastery in Kham, is located at 2 km north of Garzê Town on a hilltop overlooking the town. Owing to the extensive renovation in 1981, the monastery now houses about 700 monks, including three tulkus - one of whom returned from Switzerland and established a girl’s' school.
Along the route, Larung Gar Buddhist Academy is one of the top sights spreading among the hills in Serta County in Kardze, eastern Tibet, and also is the largest and one of the most significant sites in Tibetan Buddhism. Since its establishment in 1980, it has developed over the years to become home of about 10,000 and 40,000 residents which include monks, nuns and visiting students who come from Tibet, China and other countries to learn.
The monastery of Derge Parkhang, which was established in 1729 by King Tenpa Tsering, is a unique sight along the route. It supplies printing blocks for Kangyur of Derge edition edited by Situ Paṅchen Chokyi Jungne and Tengyur edited by Zhuchen Tsultrim Rinchen and under the patronage of King Lhachen Puntsok Tenpa , as well as a vast collection of other texts about every religious tradition of Tibet.
Galden Jampaling Monastery locates at the intersection point of the Angqu River and the Zaqu River in Chamdo, which is also known as Qambaling Monastery, Changbalin Monastery or Qiangbalin Monastery. The monastery was built by Tsongkhapa’s disciple between 1436 and 1444. Jampaling Monastery was named from the main Buddha in the monastery, Byams-pa. Jampaling Monastery, which had more than 5000 monks and administrated 70 smaller monasteries around it during its heyday, houses five living Buddha lineages and 12 dratsangs now.
Zizhu Temple, as one of the highest temples in Tibet at elevation of 4,850 meters and one of the oldest and most important temples of Bonism, is also the largest prehistory religion temple with the most religious and cultural conventions being reserved and still keeps the complete Bon classics and the practice method of the mysterious Bon yoga. Insider Tips: Unfortunately, Zizhu Temple is currently closed to foreign tourists.
Namtso Lake, located on the northwest of Lhasa, is the highest saltwater lake in the world with an elevation of 4718 meters. In Tibetan, Namtso means Heavenly Lake, which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet, together with Yamdrok Lake and Lake Manasarovar. Composed by over 1,500 lakes and five big islands, Namtso, which used to be spiritual retreats for monks, is a paradise of nature and a wonderful place for photography.
The famous Yangpachen Hot Springs, which have been harnessed to produce much of the electricity for the capital Lhasa, lies in a lush green highland valley which is surrounded by the tents of nomads with grazing yak and sheep populating the hillside. A thermoelectric power plant covering 20–30 square kilometers was set up on the edge of the Yangpachen hot springs field in 1976, which is the first development of geothermal power in China. Bathing into the steamy hot springs will expel your tiredness and exhaustion.
Tibet in China has formulated strict policies for foreigners who travel unaccompanied. Foreign traveler shall book Tibet tour through a registered tour operator such as Tibetcn.com and travel with accompany of the local guide if they plan to take the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to Lhasa. The benefit of this is that the guides is familiar with the road condition and can better cope with any incidents that may occur.
And certain permits that are needed for the trip to Lhasa can only be obtained by the tour operator before you leave Chengdu. The first permit,the Tibet Travel Permit, which is is needed for all foreign travelers to enter Tibet, is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa. The second permit, the Alien’s Travel Permit, is required for all travel outside Lhasa city, the capital of Tibet. Because you will enter Tibet along the highway much earlier than you reach Lhasa, you need to obtain the permit through the tour operator before leaving Chengdu instead of processing it in Lhasa with the help of guide. The third permit needed, the Military Permit, is required for travel to certain military-sensitive areas of Tibet.
Warm clothing is a must for all tours to Tibet, because it is very cold at night, especially in case of camping along the route though it can be warmer in the peak seasons. Not only plenty of warm clothes are needed, but also thick socks and strong, sturdy walking boots are necessary because the road you take to some scenic spots can be a little rough.
You shall take medicines with you, especially for the regular medication you need to take. And talk to your doctor before you leave and confirm with him whether you can take the altitude sickness medication or not. You’d better prepare a small first aid kit containing a hat, sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm to prevent from chap lips and being burned by sun and chap lips because the sun can still burn even under the colder climate, and the wind is strong enough to chap lips very quickly in the cold air. Another good tip is that taking spare batteries for your cameras and cellphones, etc.in case that there is no place for you to recharge on the road when you want to take a photograph of the beautiful scenery.
The snows on the ground will thaw in sunny day. And the hotels, hostels, and lodges along the Northern Line can well cater to foreign and local travelers. Since it is most commonly used highway to Tibet, the accommodation is well kept,clean and with reasonable price. There are also some other accommodation along the highway that are usually provided for the truckers plying the route to Lhasa and not open to foreign tourists.
Food with a mixed style of Sichuan dishes and Tibetan cuisine prevails in most places along the highway. A few of the old favorites of tourists such as pasta, pizza and so on are only available in some of the diners and lodge, yet the food is all local in most cases.
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