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Two motorcycle enthusiasts from Chongqing ride to Tibet, covering 8,000 km in 25 days

Published: 2026-09-25 👁 100 views

Last updated 2026-09-25 — The photo shows Pan Bo taking a picture at a crossroad upon entering Tibet. The photo shows Pan Bo and Ran Chaoqun in Lhasa. The photo shows Pan Bo at the Mila Pass. Two motorcycle enthusiasts from Youyang, Chongqing, rode to Tibet, covering over 8,000 km in 25 days. On the 20th, a reporter interviewed motorcyclist Pan Bo and relived this unforgettable Tibetan journey through his account...

Two motorcycle enthusiasts from Youyang, Chongqing, rode to Tibet, covering over 8,000 km in 25 days. On the 20th, a reporter interviewed motorcyclist Pan Bo and relived this unforgettable Tibetan riding trip through his story.

The most unforgettable were the warmth of the Tibetan people and the beauty of Tibet

White hada scarves, azure skies, the majestic Potala Palace… Recalling everything they saw, Pan Bo, a resident of Chengbei Community, Taohuayuan Town, Youyang County, was still thrilled.

The person who rode to Tibet with Pan Bo was Ran Chaoqun. The two set off from Youyang on July 27 and didn’t return home until 9 pm on August 20. In a full 25 days, the two rode over 8,300 km round trip, visiting more than 50 places in Tibet including Nyingchi, Hoh Xil, and Lhasa.

“The road condition from Xindu to Batang was particularly bad,” Pan Bo recalled. It was raining during that stretch, with landslides in some areas and roads washed out by floods, making them nearly impassable. Ran Chaoqun’s motorcycle clutch broke in this section, so they had to tow it with Pan Bo’s bike. The two spent the night in an abandoned house.

What Pan Bo found most memorable was meeting a kind Tibetan the next morning, who fixed their broken motorcycle for free. Pan Bo said that area was sparsely populated, and they would have had to spend a whole day towing the broken bike to the market if not for the Tibetan’s help.

“The Tibetans are very warm-hearted,” Pan Bo said. They stayed in Tibetan homes along the way, and many didn’t even charge them for lodging. Most young Tibetans spoke Mandarin, which made communication easy.

He also recommended two sights to the reporter: the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. “It’s completely different from seeing pictures,” Pan Bo said. The tallest Buddha statue was about as high as the two-story building he lived in—pictures could never capture the awe of seeing it in person.

During the interview, the reporter learned that Pan Bo had started a QQ group called “Motorcycle Travel Enthusiasts,” made up entirely of motorcycle lovers from Youyang, mostly youths over 20, including one over 50.

Asked why he chose to ride to Tibet, Pan Bo smiled. “Mostly to challenge myself. I’ve loved riding bikes since I was a kid, and when I got a motorcycle as an adult, I fell even more in love with the sport. I also wanted to see Tibet’s scenery and local culture, and especially ride through Tibet’s vast, uninhabited plateau.”

Planning to cross the Taklamakan Desert

“Our challenge isn’t much. Along the way, we met many cyclists who were also challenging themselves to travel to Tibet. One was a cyclist from Shanghai who rode with his daughter all the way from Shanghai to Lhasa.” On this special journey, Pan Bo encountered many cycling enthusiasts, and was especially moved seeing Tibetans walking for months to reach the Potala Palace in Lhasa for pilgrimage.

Pan Bo revealed that inspired by this trip, he wants to take on a new challenge. His next plan is to ride his motorcycle across the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, and then visit Nepal, Vietnam, and Laos to see the sights there.

Family supports Tibet ride as self-challenge

“As long as you stay safe and don’t speed, young people should go out and explore,” said Pan Bo’s mother, Luo Juhua, and his wife, Chen Xiufeng, who fully supported his riding journey.

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