First Tibet Ride Photo
How far can a bicycle go?
The answer depends on the rider. Zhang Qinwen, a 64-year-old from Chengguan District, told us, “As high as your heart soars, so far the road extends. As strong as your will, so long the journey!” Giving up a comfortable retirement life and setting a firm goal, over the course of three years from 2011 to 2013, he rode alone to Tibet three times with astonishing courage, choosing different routes each time. On his final trip, he even dared to take the feared “Road of Death” — the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. After enduring hardships and narrowly escaping death several times, he became the oldest cyclist to ride to Tibet, covering the longest distance and taking the most varied routes — a senior from Lanzhou.
First Tibet Ride in 2011
“Starting from Lanzhou, I rode along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to Lhasa, covering over 2,600 kilometers; from Lanzhou, I rode along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway to Lhasa, covering over 2,200 kilometers; and from Kashgar in Xinjiang, I rode along the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway to Lhasa, covering 3,100 kilometers.” The one who completed these journeys was not a robust young man, but a senior in his sixties. The one who measured the “Sky Road” was not a high-speed off-road vehicle, but an ordinary bicycle.
This seemingly crazy senior is Zhang Qinwen, a retired official living in Xiaoxihu, Chengguan District. Since retiring in 2008, he began his dream journey, riding solo to more than ten provinces and cities including Shaanxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Henan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, covering a total of over 10,000 kilometers. Until he heard a certain phrase by chance, he changed his gentle cycling route and embarked on a series of adventurous trips — three rides to Tibet, each more challenging than the last.
In the cycling community, there is a group of people who command great respect: “There are two types of people who reach Tibet — those who ride bicycles and those who don’t.” Those who ride bicycles are the respected ones. One day in 2011, at the age of 63, Zhang Qinwen was moved upon hearing this. He had ridden solo across the country — why could others cycle to Tibet, but not him? Just as he hesitated, another event made him resolute: the country began strongly advocating for “low-carbon and eco-friendly travel.” With that signal, he quickly made a bold decision — to cycle to Tibet. Old Zhang is the type who follows through once he says something. His wife and son were initially shocked, then angry, and finally resigned when they learned their sixty-something father still wanted to cycle to Tibet. After much struggle, the family couldn’t stop Old Zhang’s determination.
On July 6, 2011, with minimal luggage, wearing an ordinary coat, a straw hat, and riding a bicycle, filled with longing for Tibet, Old Zhang, then 63, officially began what many saw as a “crazy journey” to Tibet.
Writing a Will to Go to Tibet
For his first Tibet ride, Old Zhang didn’t know just how perilous the road would be, relying only on sheer determination. Just as he was progressing smoothly, an unexpected disaster struck. In late July 2011, while cycling on the southern Sichuan-Tibet Highway between Bangda and Baxoi — known as the “108 turns” (or “72 turns”) — it drizzled continuously. On a nearly 45-degree downhill slope, Old Zhang gripped the brakes tightly. The slope was long and slippery, and his hands soon went numb. Suddenly, the wheel slipped, causing a side flip, and both man and bike tumbled into a deep ditch nearby. He lost consciousness on the spot. When he woke up, passing drivers were guarding him and had bandaged his wounds. Seeing he had regained consciousness, the drivers were astonished: “Old man, do you know? People die here every year. Just a few days ago, a car flipped down here, and none of the four passengers survived.”
Surprisingly, after returning from Tibet the first time, Old Zhang wasn’t deterred by the difficulties he faced. In 2012, he planned another Tibet route, choosing the Qinghai-Tibet Highway for his second trip. On May 1st, he set off for Tibet again. But the most thrilling, heart-wrenching, and difficult of all his Tibet rides was the third. This time, he chose the feared “Road of Death” — the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. Driving there is extremely tough, yet Old Zhang fearlessly pressed on. “For my third trip to Tibet, fearing I might not return, I wrote a will for my wife. Wherever you die, you’re buried — I have no regrets dying in Tibet.”
On April 3, 2013, Old Zhang set off from Kashgar, Xinjiang, beginning a 41-day, 3,100-kilometer journey along the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway to Tibet.
During this trip, Old Zhang once again had a near-death experience. While riding halfway up Mount Gang Rinpoche near Ali Sacred Mountain, he heard there was the largest sky burial site in China not far away. Out of curiosity, he walked along a footpath to see it. On his way back, a small waterfall caught his eye. “Such beautiful scenery — I should take a photo.” Just as he turned toward the waterfall, several dogs darted out from a nearby cave and pounced on him. He hadn’t run far when one of them...
bit his left leg, while another sank its teeth into his arm, and a third leaped onto his shoulder, aiming for his neck. In panic, he grabbed a rock and threw it at the dogs, shouting “Help!” At the critical moment, three sharp gunshots rang out nearby, and the dogs immediately stopped attacking and ran back into the cave.
The rescuer was a Tibetan man — a forest ranger. When he brought the bloodied Old Zhang home, the ranger revealed the truth. The dogs had lived near the sky burial site for years, surviving on human flesh. Recently starving, they had targeted Old Zhang for food. Hearing this, Old Zhang broke out in a cold sweat — if not for the rescue, the will really would have come into effect.
No Regrets After Three Tibet Rides
From full family opposition at first to support later. Worried about her husband suffering, his wife voluntarily gave him 10,000 yuan to buy the best bicycle. His son and daughter-in-law bought him sunglasses worth over 2,000 yuan in Wuhan. After three Tibet rides, Old Zhang’s spirit had transformed dramatically. When reporters met him, he was sharp-minded, glowing with health, and vividly remembered every event and place from the three trips.
Reflecting on the gains from the three Tibet rides, Old Zhang said emotionally, “If I hadn’t gone to Tibet, I wouldn’t have known I could overcome so many challenges — ride to Everest Base Camp, cross eight mountains over 5,000 meters like the Tanggula Mountains. With determination and perseverance, there’s no difficulty a person can’t overcome!”