The Tailing Electric Vehicle “Dream Chasers” are like a moving scenery, having completed 9 days of cycling. From Markam, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and the Yunnan-Tibet Highway converge. The route features glaciers, snow-capped mountains, forests, rivers, canyons, and waterfalls, all incredibly beautiful. Although the scenery along the Sichuan-Tibet Road is magnificent, it cannot compare to the spiritual beauty of the riders’ relentless pursuit of their dreams.
The 158-kilometer stretch from Markam to Zogang is notoriously treacherous, with the route crossing high mountains such as the Jiaba Mountain and Dongda Mountain. It’s an unforgettable road—once you’ve traveled it, you’ll never forget it. Characterized by typical alpine canyon terrain, cyclists ride alongside the raging Jinsha River and Lancang River, on narrow roads flanked by loose mountain slopes and deep valleys that keep everyone on edge. Dongda Mountain stands at an altitude of 5,008 meters, the highest elevation the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers have reached in nine days, causing some to experience altitude sickness symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. The uphill path has many sharp turns, and the vegetation at the top consists of alpine meadows, still lush in green. Small streams trickle down the mountainside, with clouds wreathing the hills, and scattered herders’ tents and livestock dotting the landscape. From the Dongda Mountain pass, one can even glimpse the Lancang River far below at the foot of the Jueba Mountain. At 5,008 meters, the Dongda Mountain Pass is the highest mountain pass on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and riders didn’t dare stay too long due to concerns about altitude sickness.
Along the journey from Markam to Zogang, the beautiful scenery along both banks of the Lancang River not only showcases the diverse landscapes of the Hengduan Mountains but also offers a glimpse into the historical vicissitudes of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. This time, the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers retraced the Ancient Tea Horse Road along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway Route 318, enjoying vistas that look like they’re straight out of oil paintings. The red dust, golden leaves, azure skies, white clouds, simple villagers—all paint a series of uniquely picturesque scenes. Here, one discovers not just the beauty of nature, but also the beauty of history. Reliving the prosperity of the past and the blending of civilizations, one uncovers the beauty of time from ancient history and senses the evolution of eras through past civilizations. Though the hustle and bustle of old caravan routes and bustling trade no longer exist on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the flat asphalt roads of Route 318 on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, now teeming daily with convoys of vehicles and cyclists from across the country, seem to echo the distant sounds of camel bells and the fragrance of tea from history. Perhaps this is the resonance of history, and the meaning of discovery.
Before they could fully immerse themselves in the cultural richness of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers had completed another day of cycling on their public welfare journey along Route 318 of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, arriving in Zogang County as the sun set. Zogang, located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, has historically been a key passage for merchants traveling the Ancient Tea Horse Road into and out of Tibet. In Tibetan, “Zogang” means “the back of a dzo (a hybrid ox),” named for the area’s resemblance to the back of such an animal.
Exhausted, the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers found lodging and gathered in a guesthouse run by local Tibetans. Under dim lighting, the “high-altitude red” on the riders’ faces told the story of their arduous journey. No one knows how many cycling dreams have been carried on those hard, damp beds. For every traveler on the Sichuan-Tibet route, each Tibetan tent is a warm home. Escaping the noise of the city and the glitz of nightlife, finding peaceful sleep after a day’s toil in this unfamiliar yet comforting place is truly a blessed feeling. On the roof of the world, cyclists create touching stories with the ticking of steel frames and gears. These stories, like short acts of life, unfold with a mix of emotions, scene after scene.
Among the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers is Chen Wenfu, a highly educated individual who also enjoys using Weibo. In his post, Elder Chen wrote: “Before setting out on the Sichuan-Tibet route, my biggest worries were mudslides, landslides, and falling rocks. National Highway 318 either cuts through deep mountain canyons or is carved into cliffs along the mountainside. During the rainy season, mudslides and landslides are common. Before we even departed, CCTV reported a landslide, and we encountered several more along the way. Falling rocks? That’s just part of the daily routine—who among us Sichuan-Tibet cyclists hasn’t seen them? As long as they don’t land on your head, you’re fine. Thankfully, I’m safe and sound!”
After a meal, I asked the Tailing Electric Vehicle Dream Chasers what they thought was most important for cycling to Tibet alone. Some said physical strength, perseverance, and endurance; others mentioned preparation, gear, and teamwork. Indeed, these are all essential—they are the basic prerequisites for tackling the Sichuan-Tibet route. But in my view, the most crucial thing about cycling is seeing reality clearly. Only with a clear understanding of one’s own condition, combined with a rational allocation of physical and mental energy, timely rest adjustments, proper diet, can one successfully meet the various challenges of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway as planned.