At 56 years old, Liu Dongde, a senior driver at Liuzhou Ruitong Transport Company, had driven continuously from 1976 to 2011 for a total of 35 years. By 2007, his safe driving mileage had reached 2 million kilometers. Last September, he was awarded the title of “Million-Kilometer Safe and Civilized Driver” (for 2 million kilometers) jointly by the Autonomous Region’s Department of Transportation, Public Security Department, Work Safety Supervision Bureau, and Guangxi Road Transport Association.
After retirement, he joined the Liuzhou Giant Bicycle Club and became a rookie cycling enthusiast. Since then, his passion for travel has been unstoppable. In just over a year, he has cycled to places such as Yunnan and Hainan in China, and Vietnam abroad. In June this year, he traveled along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway to see the Potala Palace. Even now, he hasn’t stopped exploring.
Arriving at “Jiapigou”
In May this year, Liu Dongde and five other cycling enthusiasts planned a bike trip to Tibet. After discussion, they decided to take the Qinghai-Tibet Highway to Lhasa. On May 31, they took trains and finally arrived in Xining, where they began their cycling journey after lunch. Liu specially prepared a diary for the Tibet trip, with the first page reading: “After decades of dreaming, I have set foot on the journey to Tibet…”
The ever-changing weather on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the biggest “enemy” for cyclists: one moment the sun is shining brightly, the next there’s a sudden gale force six or seven storm or heavy snow. On the way from Chaka in Qinghai to Golmud, they encountered their first snowstorm. Unable to cycle, they had to push their bikes step by step. Fortunately, they met a convoy delivering new vehicles, which gave them a lift to Golmud. On June 8, Liu Dongde and his team successfully crossed the Kunlun Pass. Since entering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, some of his companions had experienced varying degrees of altitude sickness, with one even suffering from full-body swelling—but Liu felt no discomfort at all.
On the road from Budiquan to Wudaoliang, Liu Dongde saw the Hoh Xil grasslands: hundreds of kilometers with no sign of human habitation, and in the distance, groups of Tibetan antelopes and wild asses grazing. These wild animals are extremely alert—if anyone comes within about 30 meters, they quickly run away.
When they reached Erdaogou, they stayed at the Hoh Xil Protection Station. Soon after, a blizzard hit outside. The snow fell all night. By the next morning, the outside world was a vast expanse of white, with about 10 centimeters of snow on the ground. “It reminded me of the ‘Jiapigou’ in the movie ‘Forest Sea and Snowfield’ that I watched as a child,” Liu said excitedly. Like a child, he struck various poses in the snow and asked his companions to take photos of him.
A “party” by candlelight
On the way to Nagqu in Tibet, while resting at the top of a slope, Liu Dongde and the others encountered a stray Tibetan mastiff. Despite its large size, the mastiff looked gentle and seemed to regard Liu as its master—following him step by step. “When I was about to leave, it looked at me with pleading eyes, as if asking me to take it with me. When I started riding, it even chased after me for several kilometers. If it hadn’t been inconvenient, I really would have taken it with me.” Even now, Liu still feels a bit regretful when he thinks back.
Along the way, Liu Dongde met a 12-year-old Tibetan shepherd boy who was taking care of hundreds of sheep on the mountain alone. The boy’s bright red face and hands were especially endearing. Liu gave him a few candies, and the boy cooperatively let Liu take his photo. To find out how one person could manage so many sheep, Liu later found a young shepherd to learn the secret: “The key is to control the lead sheep well.” The young man’s whip cracked loudly as he swung it, and he also used it to flick small stones to drive the sheep. Liu begged the young man to perform for him and take photos, and the young man obliged.
On the way from Nagqu to Damxung, the group encountered strong winds again, and everyone had to push their bikes slowly forward. Three of them took a vehicle straight to Damxung, while Liu Dongde and two companions continued cycling against the wind. That evening, the three arrived in Gulu Town, where there were no hotels. A Tibetan family warmly hosted them. With no electricity, the family relied on candles for light. To keep their guests entertained, the host’s two young daughters sang and danced by candlelight, performing many acts. With no beds available, everyone slept on the sofa that night, with Liu Dongde sharing a room with the hosts and the two sisters.
The next day, Liu Dongde and the others caught up with their companions in Damxung and went together to Namtso Lake. There, they joined hundreds of tourists to admire the sunset and sunrise over the “sacred lake.” On June 20, after cycling 160 kilometers in one go, they finally arrived in Lhasa at 6 p.m. Their cycling journey had lasted 20 days by then. Four days later, due to a landslide on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, they switched to a car and returned via the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.