The sixth edition of the Western Journey public welfare poverty alleviation self-driving tour ventures into Tibet

        On this highland where divine light shines, just a few steps take you to paradise. Unless you have set foot on this sacred land yourself, you will never understand why there is such a deep longing for Tibet in life. Here, there is brilliant sunshine, white clouds, pure skies, tranquil lakes, continuous snow-capped mountains, numerous temples, devout believers, and a simple folk culture...

  Following the fifth edition of the "Western Journey" public welfare poverty alleviation self-driving tour along the Sichuan-Tibet National Highway 318 into Tibet, from August 2 to August 9, 2018, the sixth edition, jointly initiated by Beijing Xing Tianxia Auto Club, China Traffic Radio of China National Radio, MiXing Network, and Zhihui, and sponsored by Danfu Lubricants, continued its journey deep into Tibet, advancing toward Everest Base Camp and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.

  Along the way, we visited Tibet’s two sacred lakes, Namtso and Yamdrok, witnessed the majestic beauty of Mount Everest, experienced route adjustments due to mudslide blockages, crossed the vast Hoh Xil uninhabited area (on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway), and made high-altitude book donations at the foot of Everest while learning about the challenges and progress of local poverty alleviation efforts. In short, this edition was packed with highlights, and as usual, let’s first take a look at our overall routes for the fifth and sixth editions.

  The sixth edition started from Lhasa, headed straight for Everest Base Camp, then retraced its steps along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway all the way back to Beijing.

  As with previous travelogues, special thanks go to our sponsor Danfu Lubricants and the book donation partner Fude Public Welfare Foundation.

  Day 1

  August 2, Location: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Shigatse | Event: Yamdrok Lake

  Today, due to border permit arrangements, we didn’t set off very early, but fortune smiled upon us — not only did we see Yamdrok Lake veiled in mist, but also enjoyed sunny skies.

  Let’s get to the good stuff.

  Even shrouded in mist, it’s still stunning.

  Here’s a clearer shot.

  Time for a jump anyway.

  No jumping? Then we’ll do the group pose.

  At the lakeside, the weather cleared up — truly breathtaking.

  The back view is amazing too — glaciers right before your eyes.

  Want to learn more about the glaciers?

  The reservoir below the glacier is also beautiful.

  Here’s a closer shot.

  Finally, with Han Hong’s “My Hometown Is in Shigatse” playing, we drove back home today along such a beautiful road.

  Day 2

  August 3, Location: Shigatse – Everest Base Camp – Dingri | Event: Reaching the farthest point and seeing Everest

  The altitude was high today, but that wasn’t an issue — everyone had adapted. We arrived at the sacred Everest Base Camp and beheld the majestic beauty of Mount Everest. (For more on the participants of this trip, please refer back to the fifth edition travelogue.)

  Everyone seems in great spirits — even striking poses.

  Mount Everest reflected under cloud cover.

  Nearby peaks.

  Wildlife around Everest — we also spotted rabbits and foxes.

  One of our senior members insisted on staying until the end, allowing us one last unobstructed view of Everest before leaving.

  One more shot.

This one is just for fun.

Finally, we left the park late in the day, had a warm dinner, slept on an electric blanket, and had a great rest. Tomorrow will be even better!

Day 3

August 4 | Location: Dingri — Poverty Alleviation Activity — Tashilhunpo Monastery — Lhasa (Renbu County) | Event: Poverty Alleviation Activity, Route Change

Early in the morning, we arrived at the county poverty alleviation office to donate books that had been transported 5,000 kilometers.

During our visit, we learned about the progress and challenges of local poverty alleviation efforts through exchanges.

We hope the local community can make good use of these books.

Here’s our group photo to wrap it up.

After donating the books, we visited Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama.

The Yarlung Tsangpo River under the sunlight

This needs to be recorded.

But when we reached the G318, Kilometer 4800 marker, the road was closed. We couldn’t go back to Lhasa and were stuck in a dilemma. This tested both our team and the guide. The guide decided to first solve the food problem and think of the best solution. There were a few options: one, wait for the road to reopen (no idea when), two, return to Shigatse (which would make the rest of the journey very tough), or three, cross over and camp in a small town called Renbu County, located about 10 kilometers away on the map (the best option, but unfortunately, there were few hotels in the county and no clear information). So, the guide and Lao Luo formed an exploration team to find a hotel in Renbu County. We were lucky—our hotel that night had plenty of hot water and even underfloor heating. The conditions were great, except the road leading there was a bit rough.

Here’s a picture (maybe this is the thrill of traveling the Tibet route).

Day 4

August 5 | Location: Renbu County — Namtso Lake — Nagqu | Event: Namtso Lake

On the way, we passed by Lhasa again—reminded me of the song “Back to Lhasa.” Although we didn’t return to the Potala Palace, we were headed to the stunning Namtso Lake next.

A distant view of Namtso Lake

A closer view

It’s so beautiful, let’s jump for joy.

Here’s the guide’s back view.

A couple’s photo, scattering some feed

This one’s a bit... (but at least we have our joker, Lao Luo, here)

The snowy mountains in the distance as we said goodbye

Day 5

August 6 | Location: Nagqu — Hoh Xil — Golmud | Event: Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Hoh Xil No-Man’s Land, Low-Altitude Golmud

Today was a real test—800 kilometers of mostly permafrost roads and many mountain passes. But our team is strong.

Once we crossed the Tanggula Mountains, we entered Hoh Xil.

Artistic-looking rock

Snowy mountains by the mountain pass

Trains on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway

The Tibetan antelopes of Hoh Xil, and of course there were other animals we didn’t manage to photograph

Finally, we crossed the Kunlun Pass

After this, it’s all downhill

The Kunlun snow mountains—everyone was getting scenic fatigue, but a luxury hotel hits the spot. We reached the lower-altitude Golmud to enjoy barbecue (mainly the much-anticipated lamb kidney) and a hotel with a luxurious bathtub. So nice!)

D6

August 7, Location: Golmud – Qinghai Lake – Xining Event: Qinghai Lake

Perhaps the ones most moved by arriving at Qinghai Lake were the team leader and poverty alleviation ambassador Wenqing—we had returned here after days of continuous travel...

So let’s write about the beautiful photos instead

Everyone walked with a lighter step, didn’t they?

Qinghai Lake recreational activities

Some stories also unfolded in the evening, but we won’t go into those here...

D7

August 8, Location: Xining – Xi’an Event: Celebrating Success in Xi’an !

There’s a slogan that really fits us—we haven’t had a good night’s sleep in many nights for this celebration dinner !

So, let’s share the photos

Beer and hotpot are a perfect match—drink till we drop, sharing the stories of these 19 days of travel

Though not everyone could make it, our hearts are together !

By this point, the journey has come to a fulfilling end. Just like in this photo, this wasn’t just a self-drive trip to Tibet—it was also a journey of the soul. We gained more tolerance, more unity... I think this is an inner experience you can’t find on other routes. Looking forward to seeing everyone again on our next trip to Tibet !

Our poverty alleviation road trip is still underway, and our “Journey West” Northern Xinjiang road trip continues—stay tuned for more...