The highlands shimmering with the light of Buddha, where heaven is just three steps away—unless you’ve set foot on this sacred land yourself, you’ll never truly understand why there exists a deep longing in life called Tibet. Here, you’ll find brilliant sunshine, white clouds, pure blue skies, tranquil lakes, continuous snow-capped mountains, numerous temples, devout pilgrims, and a simple, unspoiled local culture....
When it comes to traveling to Tibet, over the years Xing Tian Xia (Travel the World) has always recommended the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. For any self-driving enthusiast, entering Tibet from Sichuan not only helps overcome altitude sickness caused by high elevations but also allows you to experience the wonder and magic of being "on the road."
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway encompasses nearly all the scenery you can see in the Tibetan region. From the fertility of the southern Tibetan valleys and the lush forests of Nyingchi, to the area around Ranwu known as the "Alps of the East," highland lakes backed by snow-capped peaks, the rugged terrain of the Three Rivers (Nujiang, Lancang River, and Jinsha River) confluence, the strong religious atmosphere of the Kham Tibetan area in Chamdo, the pastoral landscapes of Bangda Grassland, and the charming elderly ladies strolling around Mount Pao Ma in the small city of Kangding—this journey is simply breathtaking.
From July 22 to August 1, 2018, the fifth edition of the "Journey to the West" Public Welfare Poverty Alleviation Self-driving Tour, jointly organized by Beijing Xing Tian Xia Auto Club, China Traffic Radio, MiXing Network, and ZhiHui, and sponsored by Delvan Lubricants, arrived as scheduled. We joyfully traveled together, experiencing the physical and spiritual journey and baptism that Tibet—the Roof of the World and Source of All Waters—offers. At the same time, incorporating elements of public welfare self-driving made the trip even more meaningful.
Before departure, many were deterred by concerns such as mudslides or altitude sickness, and indeed, the Sichuan-Tibet route changes daily during summer. But it’s precisely these changes that test the willpower and unity of the convoy. When our team finally arrived in Lhasa, a small incident moved the team leader: due to a communication issue, the hotel hadn’t held our rooms. Yet everyone felt that a little hiccup along the journey was actually quite an interesting story. And this travelogue was written in a cozy café right by the Jokhang Temple.
As usual, I’ll first take a look at the overall route of our fifth "Journey to the West" Public Welfare Poverty Alleviation Self-driving Tour.
The fifth edition started from Beijing, passed through Xi’an and Chengdu, followed the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and arrived in Lhasa.
As with previous travelogues, we’d like to extend our special thanks to our sponsor, Delvan Lubricants, and our book donation partner, Fude Public Welfare Foundation.
D1
July 22 – Location: Xi’an – Event: Team Gathering
This time, we had quite a bit of help with transporting the books.
Soon, the books were loaded into the vehicles.
Back to our favorite spot—we enjoyed some authentic Xi’an cuisine.
D2
July 23 – Location: Xi’an → Chengdu – Event: Start of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway Self-driving Trip
Earlier, we quietly discovered that both Chengdu and Xi’an have traffic restrictions for vehicles. Coincidentally, four out of our six cars were restricted, so we simply rose early and headed straight for Chengdu to kick off a day of culinary adventures.
Thanks to the thoughtfully prepared road breakfast from Yado Hotel.
Wasn’t it worth getting up early?
Once again, thanks to Chengdu Tibet Hotel for their strong support of our event.
Finally, here’s the team leader’s impression: Vehicle 1 is a Touran (team leader: Brother Ding, the "eternal youth" from Nanjing, and Sister Shan, the low-key cool girl from Beijing); Vehicle 2 is a Lincoln MKC (a Beijing couple, especially the husband whose online alias "Watermelon Little Monkey" boasts remarkable literary talent); Vehicle 3 is a Toyota RAV4 (the "chief" couple traveling with their sister—low-key, yet passionate about photography); Vehicle 5 is a Honda CR-V (Mr. Zhao, the oldest and most determined member of the fleet coming to Tibet, a true Beijinger, accompanied by a cheerful young man from Inner Mongolia who’s the joker of the group); Vehicle 6 is a Patrol (a family of three, our convoy’s strongest support and relay hub, and also the vehicle with the most storage—no misunderstanding intended); Vehicle 11 is a Touran (our sweep vehicle, including our old friend Wenqing and our Fangshan brother Meng, who brought up the rear).
D3
July 24 – Location: Chengdu → Kangding – Event: Luding Bridge & Kangding
The Luding Bridge over the Dadu River
Had some delicious Sichuan wontons near Luding Bridge—pretty awesome.
Finally, we smoothly arrived in Kangding—the City of Love Songs.
D4
July 25 – Location: Kangding → Tagong Monastery → Yajiang – Event: Tagong Grassland / Tagong Monastery / Scenic Views Along the Way
Today, we officially entered the scenic landscapes of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
We passed by "Kangding Love Song."
Here’s a shot from a distance.
And one up close.
And here’s a standard group photo.
Family photo of the caravan
Beer travels the world, a perfect match with beautiful scenery
Flowers blooming on the grassland
Beautiful roads
Of course, there’s also delicious food
At Tagong Temple, we also encountered an annual temple event