On January 17, according to Xinhua News Agency, Motuo County in the Tibet Autonomous Region—China’s only county without a graded highway—is set to open to traffic in June 2012, bidding farewell to its title as a "plateau island."
Though isolated like an island, Motuo is surrounded by verdant forests and misty bamboo groves, resembling a hidden paradise—remote, quiet, and even without a proper road. Yet, somehow, it is world-renowned: peaks like Namcha Barwa and Jialabailei… the Yarlung Tsangpo River takes a casual turn and captivates the whole world.
A user on a popular community website asked in a group: Why do so many people go to Motuo? Is it just because there’s no road?
This simple question prompted quick replies from travelers: Those born in the '80s and '90s might know Motuo from Annie Baby’s novel *Lotus*, while those from the '60s and '70s might know it because of the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
Actually, vehicles have passed through Motuo many times, but even when the road is open, very few vehicles can actually get through. More people trek there to experience the high-altitude forests, snow-capped mountains, rainforests, and the Monba culture. Why go to Motuo? When you’ve struggled for four days over mountain ridges and finally see that rainbow-shrouded place shaped like a lotus, you might understand for yourself whether the trip was worth it.
Such a mysterious place attracts many hiking enthusiasts. But is opening the road a good thing or a bad thing? Will it make Motuo the next Lijiang?
The news of the road opening hasn’t caused much of a stir on Weibo yet, and the few comments and reposts express concerns about Motuo after the road opens:
@Doomed Scorpio: Motuo will lose one of its unique features.
@MyOnTheRoad: Motuo is about to be ruined.
@ShuiShuiShuiZi: Motuo is getting a road? Is this good or bad?
@ShuiPingHuPan: Once the road opens, the tranquility will be gone...
Building a road will connect the plateau island with the outside world, but whether it will bring negative impacts to Motuo remains to be seen.
Will Motuo become the next Lijiang?
Lijiang has become synonymous with commercialization. Will Motuo become the next Lijiang? Will the opening of the road lead to an influx of hikers? Will commercialization dilute its unique character?
Calling it the "next Lijiang" is not meant to belittle Lijiang: commercialized Lijiang has become a model for tourist destinations, though some may interpret the term "next Lijiang" differently.
The first interpretation is that commercialization has diluted Lijiang’s original charm, erasing its former landscape.
But the second view sees Lijiang as a beautifully made-up woman, where natural beauty and cosmetics complement each other, enhancing one another beautifully.
Under its fame, Lijiang boasts a dazzling scale of tourism-driven commerce, developed to the extreme. Yet, factors that would be devastating to other destinations have, paradoxically, turned into positive forces here—not harming the ancient town’s atmosphere but instead enriching its charm.
When culture and commerce coexist peacefully and support each other, a traveler’s paradise is born. Commerce is fierce, whereas culture often appears timid and yielding in comparison. Lijiang’s approach is to let traditional culture nurture commerce, whereas many failed partnerships stem from attempts to use commerce to save culture—like asking the U.S. to safeguard peace in the Middle East.
That said, among China’s many tourist destinations, very few have successfully integrated culture and commerce. Most end up ruining both.
Let’s hope that Motuo, after the road opens, finds a path that suits it best.
