During the just-concluded summer vacation, four young people accomplished an extraordinary feat—cycling from Chengdu to Lhasa.
Each day of the journey was long and arduous, but hard work always brought rewards.
From Chengdu to Lhasa, the four young men spent 20 days cycling 2,236 kilometers, crossing two mountains over 5,000 meters and ten over 4,000 meters along National Highway 318, traversing turbulent rivers such as the Dadu, Jinsha, Lancang, and Nujiang, and finally reaching their destination.
Among the four, three are current students at the City Institute of Dalian University of Technology, and the other is also a high school classmate. This life-experience journey won praise from many teachers, students, and netizens.
Departure
The four agreed to cycle to Lhasa together
Dong Wenjia is a student majoring in Software Engineering (Japanese Intensive) at the City Institute of Dalian University of Technology. He will be entering his fifth year in September, his final year of university.
During the just-concluded summer vacation, he and three other young people accomplished an extraordinary feat—cycling from Chengdu to Lhasa. Chen Chen and Dong Wenjia are both cycling enthusiasts. During the summer vacation of 2011, they cycled from Dalian to Shenyang. “Every cycling enthusiast has their own dream of the Sichuan-Tibet route. It’s not only a challenge to oneself but also to youth,” said Chen Chen. After returning from Shenyang, they came up with the idea of cycling the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Through regular conversations, their college classmate Feng Changjian and Dong Wenjia’s high school classmate Liu Tianhao also joined. Among the four, Liu Tianhao had already graduated and started working.
They named their team “SKYLINE”—the skyline—symbolizing their desire to travel through the horizon and fulfill youthful dreams. From then on, the four began intensive preparations. They researched routes, bought gear, trained physically, and set July 11 as their departure date. They flew to Chengdu, rested for three days, and officially began their cycling journey on July 15.
Touching Moment: Singing by the Stove with a Tibetan Brother
On the fourteenth day of their trip, they encountered the first rainy day since entering Tibet. They set off from Rumei in the morning with light rain falling. By the time they reached the top of Jueba Mountain, the rain had intensified. Due to the descent, they were completely soaked, and the four shivered from the cold on their bikes.
At the foot of the mountain, they faced the over-5,000-meter-high Dongda Mountain. By 5 p.m., cold and hungry, they arrived at Rongyu. It was too late to cross the mountain, so they stayed at a Tibetan family’s home. The Tibetan brother warmly welcomed them. In the evening, they made tsampa together with the Tibetan brother, who also prepared butter tea for them. To keep them warm, he gave them several quilts. Everyone sat by the stove singing, and the brother’s fiery enthusiasm deeply moved them.
Reward: Travel Experience Is the Most Valuable Wealth in Life
Each day of the journey was long and arduous, but hard work always brought rewards. Thirty kilometers past the pass, they arrived at Xinzhaiqiao. The group was stunned by the scenery before them. The air was moist, flowers and grass were lush, yaks roamed in herds, and the mountains were green, the water blue, and the sky azure. A small river stretched into the distance. Looking back at the distant high mountains, thinking about how they had descended from the clouds, they felt both joy and pride—an incredible sensation.
On August 8, after more than 20 days of tough cycling, the four finally reached their destination—Lhasa. Throughout the journey, they crossed two mountains over 5,000 meters and ten over 4,000 meters along National Highway 318, traversed turbulent rivers such as the Dadu, Jinsha, Lancang, and Nujiang, passed through Ya’an, Kangding, Yajiang, Litang, and Batang, entered Mangkang in Tibet, continued through Baxoi, Bomi, and Nyingchi, and finally arrived in Lhasa, covering a total distance of 2,236 kilometers. “The mountains, lakes, snow peaks, and grasslands along the way are deeply etched in everyone’s minds and will be memories for a lifetime,” the four said. Their cycling journey also earned praise from their university teachers, classmates, and many netizens.