Tibet, because of its mystery, many people talk about how difficult, dangerous and unattainable it is to enter Tibet. In my opinion: Going to Tibet is just an ordinary trip, a trip with a long distance.

Tibet - that is a place that many people yearn for. If you don't go to Tibet in your life, your life will become imperfect. As for how to go as a post-50s, with a group, self-help or self-driving. Back from Dunhuang by bicycle, there is an idea that has been lingering in my mind, that is to drive Tibet by myself. After struggling for a while, I finally chose self-driving. This is my sixth long-distance self-driving, and it is a more challenging self-driving, entering Sichuan and Tibet and exiting Qinghai-Tibet. Before that, I drove 8,200 kilometers by bicycle in Inner Mongolia, and this time the challenge is even farther than 10,000 kilometers.

My partner is a friend who can't drive. I drive a Southeast V5 sedan with a displacement of 1.5L and a chassis of 14CM. It is a test for such a small-displacement, low-chassis car to go on the Sichuan-Tibet line, so come on, love your car!

Then I started to be busy with strategy, way out, travel date, preparation of supplies, etc. Considering that autumn is the most beautiful season in Tibet, we chose to depart from Shanghai on August 30, take China's landscape avenue G318 to Lhasa, and leave Tibet and return to Shanghai via Tianlu G109.

G318 has always been considered the most beautiful self-driving landscape avenue in China, especially the 2,140-kilometer Sichuan-Tibet line from Chengdu to Lhasa. It would be a pity not to drive it yourself. The significance of travel is to see some unseen scenery, whether it is natural or cultural, and to know some unknown people and things.

Design itinerary: Shanghai - Wuhan - Guang'an - Langzhong - Anren - Ya'an - Luding - Dadu River Canyon - Xindu Bridge - Tagong Grassland - Litang - Daocheng - Yading - Batang - Mangkang - Basu - Ranwu Lake - Bomi - Lulang - Bayi - Lhasa - Yamdrok Co - Karola Glacier - Gyantse - Namtso - Nagqu - Golmud - Xining - Xi'an - Shanghai

D1 Shanghai-850km-Wuhan Suhanting Wuhan Donghu Store Standard room 228 yuan Wuhan 100 meters above sea level

Departure at 5:00 in the morning, after 11 hours of running around, arrived in Wuhan at 16:00, the whole journey was at high speed.

Drinking the water of the Yangtze River and eating Wuchang fish, watching turtles and snakes on the Yellow Crane Tower is better than strolling in the garden...

D2 Wuhan-870km-Guang'an Su 7 Days Guang'an Passenger Transport Center Store Standard room 177 yuan Guang'an 366 meters above sea level

Start the road at 7:00 in the morning, and arrive at Guang'an, the hometown of Deng Xiaoping, at 18:30 in the evening.

D3 Guang'an-190km-Langzhong Suzhong Holiday Hotel Standard room 158 yuan Langzhong 464 meters above sea level

Sichuan is named after four major rivers, the Yangtze River, the Minjiang River, the Tuojiang River and the Fujiang River.

Langzhong Ancient City is located on the banks of the Jialing River in Nanchong, Sichuan. It is now one of the four ancient cities in China and has a history of more than 2,300 years. The four ancient cities in China are Lijiang in Yunnan, Pingyao in Shanxi, Langzhong in Sichuan and Shexian in Anhui. Langzhong has been an important military town of the Bayu-Shu Kingdom since ancient times. The folk houses in the ancient city have a unique style, a chessboard-like pattern, and integrate the architectural styles of the north and the south. It is a model of the "unity of man and nature" in ancient Chinese cities.

Zhongtian Building

Thatched Cottage

The tallest building in the ancient city, Huaguang Tower, also known as South Tower and Zhenjiang Tower, was first built in the Tang Dynasty. The existing Huaguang Tower was rebuilt in the sixth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1867 A.D.) and is a landmark building in Langzhong. Ascending the tower, you can have a panoramic view of the ancient city, the outline of the city, and the landscape of Jialing. Three sides of the river embrace the outline of the city, and the surrounding mountains are surrounded by hazy clouds...

Brothers in the same industry in a corner of Huaguang Building

D4 Langzhong-340km-Anren Ancient Town-100km-Ya'an Su Ya'an Shangji Anya Hotel Standard room 189 yuan Ya'an altitude 641 meters

Depart at 8:00 a.m., go to Anren Ancient Town, and get stuck in traffic on the Chengdu Ring Expressway for nearly 2 hours. Arrive at the ancient town at 13:00 in the afternoon, play for about 2 hours, and arrive at Ya'an Hotel at 17:30.

Anren is named after "the meaning of the benevolent Anren". The ancient town was first built in the Tang Dynasty, and the existing old-style neighborhoods were built in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. There are 27 ancient mansions such as Liu's Manor and Liuxiang Mansion; there are three ancient streets such as Hongxing Street, Shuren Street, and Yumin Street; ancient buildings such as Xiaoyang Building, Anren Middle School, and Bell Tower.

wine shop

tram station

Most of the buildings in the heyday of the Liu family during the period of the Republic of China were a combination of Chinese and Western, solemn and elegant, which created the special architectural style of Anren and the cultural essence of western Sichuan architecture...

Ya'an has three specialties: Yayu, Yanu and Yayu. Yayu refers to Ya'an, which has continuous drizzle all year round and is the area with the most rainfall in Sichuan. Yayu is a unique fish in the Qingyi River. It has a black body and a slender body. The meat is tender and delicious. Legend has it that when Nuwa was mending the sky, she dropped her sword into the river and turned into a fish, so there is a bone spur in the head of the fish that looks like a sword. As for the elegant girl...

Ya'an Covered Bridge

Rainbow bridge

The hotel is just beside the Tsing Yi River, and you will come to the river within a hundred meters. In the evening, the sky in Ya'an was very gloomy, so we still went for a walk along the river and saw the covered bridge and Rainbow Bridge on the Qingyi River from a distance.

When you come to Ya'an, you must taste the Ya fish soup pot. The fish costs 145 yuan per catty. The two of us ordered a smaller one, which costs 260 yuan.

Yaanya fish and sword-shaped fishbone

D5 Ya'an-140km-Luding-130km-Xinduqiao Suobo Zangjiazhuang, Xinduqiao, standard room 120 yuan, Xinduqiao 3450 meters above sea level

Ya'an is truly a city of rain. It started to rain last night and has not stopped. Today we set foot on the Sichuan-Tibet line, the real Chinese landscape avenue G318. After leaving Ya'an City, it was raining all the way, and the two-way National Highway 318 was very slippery, but there were not many cars. Soon after arriving in Tianquan County, the expected bad road finally appeared. Due to the poor foundation conditions, many heavy trucks, and the extreme weather, road construction became a job with only a beginning and no end. Car accidents and traffic jams were common occurrences.

Crash!

When the traffic jam is in progress...

The weather in the plateau area is fickle. After crossing the Erlangshan Tunnel, the sky was clear and it felt like a Tibetan area. The altitude rose suddenly, and the sealed food bags began to swell. After Erlang Mountain, you can overlook the Dadu River, and Tibetan costumes gradually increased. On the way to Luding, we have been driving along the Dadu River Canyon, and can enjoy the scenery of the Dadu River Canyon with thousands of cliffs and geological wonders.

Erlangshan Tunnel and Cyclists

Luding Bridge was built in the forty-fourth year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1705 A.D.). This is a cable suspension bridge, which is composed of east-west abutments made of stone and 13 horizontal iron cables connected by 12,164 iron buckles, weighing about 21 tons. The Luding Bridge is 101.67 meters long and 3 meters wide. To the east of the bridge stands the Luding Bridge Stele made by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, which records the beginning and end of the construction of the bridge.

Dadu bridge cross iron cable cold

A myriad of emotions on the Luding Bridge

Although the asphalt road from Ya'an to Xindu Bridge is rough, it is difficult to walk. Passing through Kangding, the hometown of love songs, all the way is driving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters. I don’t feel any loss of car power, and it can be easily done by climbing a third gear.

I have been driving on National Highway 318 for a few days, but whenever I see the words "Tibet Direction" on the roadside sign, I still can't hold back the excitement in my heart. We are going to Tibet! That kind of mysterious feeling always affects my heart.

After passing Kangding City, you have to cross the pass of Zheduo Mountain (4292 meters above sea level). The highest peak of Zheduo Mountain is 4900 meters above sea level. Zheduo Mountain is the dividing line between Sino-Tibetan culture. After crossing Zheduo Mountain, you will enter the Kangba Tibetan area. "Zheduo" means a bend in Tibetan, and the twisting mountain road in Zheduo Mountain is like a "multi" character, one bend after another, so there is an old saying among the people: "Erlang Mountain, which scares people to death, turns over There are many mountains of the dead." When we arrived at the pass, it was windy and windy, and the visibility was very poor. After clicking a few photos at random, we left. After crossing the pass, we went downhill for 41 kilometers and arrived at Xindu Bridge.

Today's destination is Xinduqiao, which enjoys the reputation of "photographer's paradise". The scenery on the road gradually shows the characteristics of Tibetan areas, and so do the houses.

Here is a picturesque paradise, the best time to take pictures is in the evening and early morning. The magical light, the boundless grassland, the winding stream, the golden cypress poplar, the rolling hills, the Tibetan villages scattered among them, the cattle and sheep grazing peacefully...

We stayed at Sobo Tibetan Village, and the owner is a Tibetan girl named Ram. The Tibetan food for dinner is called "beef quilt". Drinking buttered tea and tasting some highland barley wine, I lived a real Tibetan life. After a short rest after a full meal, I took a bath and turned on the electric blanket on the bed, so I went to bed warm and felt very good. Video chatting day, a glass of milk before going to bed, leisurely leisurely, a good dream.

Ram girl

dinner

D6 Xindu Bridge-360km-Daocheng Stay in Daocheng Yading Nana Youth Hostel Standard room 130 yuan Daocheng 3750 meters above sea level

Today, we have to climb five high mountains over 4,000 meters. Now we don’t need to cross the pass in Gaoersi Mountain, but we can walk through the Gaoersi Tunnel. After the Yajiang River crosses the Yalong River Canyon, climb over the "Eighteen Bends of Tianlu", climb in the scissor-like Jianziwan Mountain, and finally reach the pass of Jianziwan Mountain (4659 meters above sea level), which is a new high. The higher the altitude, the more foggy the mountain, and the car will walk in the clouds and fog. In order to prevent landslides, blocking nets will be installed in some places, but it will not be long before the blocking nets will be crumbling by falling stones, so these places should not stop. Although the mountain road is tortuous, this section of the road is very good, climbing all the way to Kazila Mountain (4718 meters above sea level). The road down the mountain pass is unbelievably good. The only thing you need to do is to control the speed of the car. It must be downhill with gears. Excessive braking will bring danger.

Going to the last piece of pure land on the blue planet...

Over the Rabbit Mountain (4696 meters above sea level) and Haizi Mountain (4602 meters above sea level), the scenery along the way from Litang to Daocheng is pleasant, and the big white clouds in the sky are bigger than cotton candy. The vegetation along the way is not too dense, and some shoals can be seen. The winding mountain road is not fast anyway, and the road construction in some places is still dusty. If you encounter Tibetans driving a herd of yaks while driving, you must slow down, otherwise you will get into trouble.

In one day, I crossed several mountain passes, all of which are above 4,500 meters above sea level. The Daxue Mountain is close at hand, the snow is at the foot, the blue sky is transparent, the white clouds are like flocculents, the sun is shining, and the hail is raiding. The climate is changeable and the scenery is diverse. I have been excited and moved countless times. G318 is really a beautiful landscape avenue.

red grass

After passing Sangdui Town for about 17 kilometers, I saw Sangdui Red Grassland and a row of poplar forests behind it. It is said that only in the ten or so days of autumn, there will be red water plants, yellow poplars, blue sky and white clouds, which can form a colorful landscape painting. I don't know whether it's the wrong time or the climate, but we only saw a small handful of red grass.

Daocheng Baitalin

In the evening, go to Banghe Township to see the poplar forest, and go to Sera to enjoy the famous sunset along the river in Daocheng. The scenery along the way is quite beautiful.

Qing Yanglin

Talking about the buttered tea in Tibetan areas, Tibetans told me that authentic buttered tea can only be found in high-altitude areas. Butter tea: as the name suggests, it is made by blending ghee and brewed tea. It is slightly salty and not unpleasant to drink, and it is very useful for anti-high reaction. Ghee is a product made from yak milk. The remaining milk residue is called milk cake by Tibetans, that is, cheese. It is slightly sour and unaccustomed to eating.

D7 Daocheng-120km-Yading-120km-Daocheng Stay in Daocheng Yading Nana Youth Hostel Standard room 130 yuan Daocheng altitude 3750 meters

Originally planned to stay in Yading Village for one night, but later changed to a one-day tour of Yading and returned to Daocheng on the same day. We didn't go to Milk Sea and Five Color Sea, so we had plenty of time, mainly because we can only go to Riwa Township (that is, Shangri-La Town) by car, and we have to take a scenic car for 40 kilometers into Yading Village, which will be a lot of inconvenience, and Yading The living conditions in the village are also poor.

Yading is located in Ganzi County, Sichuan, adjacent to Tibet and Yunnan, with an average altitude of more than 3,000 meters. The beautiful snow-capped mountains, meadows, lakes, pastures, and rural areas are fascinating. It is the last piece of pure land on the blue planet.

In Aden in autumn, the earth is painted with thick ink and heavy colors. You can not only enjoy the long snow-capped mountains surrounded by clouds and fog, but also have a panoramic view of the blue sky dyed yellow by autumn colors. The weather in Aden is erratic, which may be due to the higher altitude. In Luorong Niuchang (4150 meters above sea level), the snow mountain is always hidden in the clouds and mist, and it is accompanied by bursts of drizzle from time to time. The Maiyangyong Snow Mountain has not been exposed dignity.

Chonggu Temple is a must pass to watch the three sacred mountains. The sunset scenery is very charming. There is a small grassland in front of the temple, namely Chonggu Meadow.

wooden walkway

The Chonggu Temple located at the foot of Xiannairi Snow Peak is a must-see scenery. If you stay for a while, the high and low chanting sounds will bring a mysterious color to the quiet Chonggu Temple...

Chonggu Temple

Tickets for Aden are 150 yuan, 80 yuan for those over 60 years old, and 120 yuan for a round trip by car in the scenic spot. It costs 80 yuan to take a battery car from Chonggu Temple to Luorong Niuchang, and 300 yuan to ride a horse from Luorong Niuchang to Milk Sea. You need to walk up to Wusehai.

D8 Daocheng-420km-Mangkang Sumangkang Huatai Business Hotel Standard room 200 yuan Mangkang 3875 meters above sea level

We set off at 7:00 in the morning, and the S217 Liya Provincial Highway from Daocheng to Litang is the best. Along the way, I saw all kinds of cars, big and small. As long as you drive slowly and courageously, and have some skills, there is no 318 that you can't go. I saw QQ and MINI entering Tibet, so it really doesn't matter what kind of car you drive.

I admire the cyclists very much, seeing them riding on the winding and undulating national roads, and sometimes there are solo travelers. When I see cyclists lying on the ground resting due to fatigue, I always feel that there is a kind of spirit supporting them. What they need to overcome is beyond our understanding.

Near Litang, the highest city in the world, I met a rider from Pingliang, Gansu, and took a group photo with him. He set off from Chengdu and is expected to arrive in Lhasa in 23 days, riding the 2,140 kilometers of the Sichuan-Tibet line. This is his sixth day of the itinerary. Cheers to him and all riders! like!

The world's highest city - Litang (4014 meters above sea level), is the highest county in the world, and its oxygen content is only 48% of the plain area.

Litang West Gate (under maintenance)

In Tibetan, Litang means grass dam as flat as a bronze mirror. The Maoya prairie along the way is above 4,000 meters above sea level, but it doesn’t feel like it’s on a plateau. The endless meadow stretches along both sides of the road. Presumably when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming, the greenery on both sides will make people's hearts beat with joy.

Here I want to talk about altitude sickness: at an altitude of about 4,000 meters, most people will feel short of breath, and always feel that the oxygen they inhale is not enough, so they gasp for breath. My personal experience is that everything has to be in slow motion on the plateau, and you need to keep warm. Drinking some hot glucose water is an effective way. As for taking medicines such as Rhodiola and Gaoyuanan, they may have a certain effect and provide psychological comfort. The most direct way to relieve hyperreflexia is to inhale oxygen, which will have an immediate effect, but it will cause dependence and is not recommended. Fortunately, at an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters, I didn't have any signs of high altitude reaction. I took a shower every day, and everything was similar to that on the plains.

The Pearl on the Sichuan-Tibet Line - Sister Lake

The nearest county to Tibet in western Sichuan - Batang

The dividing line between Sichuan and Tibet - Jinsha River Bridge

We have officially entered Tibet after crossing the Jinsha River. We received speed limit strips at the checkpoints. Tibet is a barren area, and it is not realistic to install cameras to measure speed. This indigenous method invented by them is very effective. Speeding on the way does not matter, as long as you pass the next checkpoint on time, you can only delay and not advance, if you advance, you will be fined or time penalty.

The first speed limit sheet when entering Tibet

Cross the Jinsha River Bridge at 4:00 p.m. and enter Zhubalong Township on the Tibet border, 71 kilometers away from Mangkang County, with a time limit of 2 hours. At this point, the bad road began, and the nightmare also began, because when the traffic police received the ticket, they said: It is very good to reach Mangkang at ten o'clock in the evening. After hearing this, I thought it was impossible. Although the first 30 kilometers of road was bad, it went smoothly. At 17:40, I was blocked in an unknown canyon due to a landslide, and there was no WeChat or mobile phone signal. The drivers spontaneously worked together to clear the blockage, which lasted for more than 2 hours, and it gradually became dark, and it began to rain again.

Landslides, road subsidence, broken bridges, falling rocks, darkness, strong winds, and heavy rain. There are mountains on one side and cliffs on the other, and vehicles must be met and given way. On a dangerous road with a width of one car and deep ruts, my car could only ride on the protruding part and rush up the slope, and the fire was turned off many times, and the bottom was rubbed many times. Dangerous roads and dangers were eliminated again and again, and it was not until 23:00 in the evening that I arrived in Mangkang County. After this thrilling 6 and a half hours, I have a deep understanding.

To be honest, I would have dared not cross many sections of the road during the daytime. At that time, I just broke through when the lights were dark and I didn't know the truth. Here, I am sincerely grateful to my beloved car, which carried me through last night's experience and carried me out of the desperate situation. I am sincerely grateful!

D9 Mangkang-360km-Basu Basu Nujiang Yun Hotel Standard room 300 yuan Basu altitude 3280 meters

After driving on a bad road, I adjusted my mentality very well. The roads in Mangkang County are not good, and there is a section of bad roads out of the city, but the road conditions are very different from yesterday evening. Climb over Mount Lawu (4376 meters above sea level), drive in the Lancang River Canyon, and cross the Lancang River Bridge.

Lancang River Canyon

Crossing Jueba Mountain (3911 meters above sea level) and Dongda Mountain (5008 meters above sea level) are the highlights of this road, one dangerous and one high. Jueba Mountain is one of the famous dangerous roads in Hengduan Mountain. The 30-kilometer winding mountain road and the nearly 2,000-meter drop make Jueba Mountain the most difficult mountain to climb on the Sichuan-Tibet line.

After crossing Jueba Mountain, the mountain began to flatten, the road no longer twisted and twisted, and both sides became open. Soon came to the second highest mountain of G318 - Dongda Mountain, which is the most lingering mountain on the Sichuan-Tibet line, and it takes about two or three hours to walk. Dongda Mountain Pass is the first pass on the G318 with an altitude above 5,000 meters. The pass is very windy and the temperature is close to zero. Strolling outside the car for a while will make you unbearable.

Yela Mountain Pass (4658 meters above sea level), there is a viewing platform to see the 72 turns of the Nujiang River, also known as the Ninety-Nine Turns of Yela Mountain. It is the most spectacular devil road in China. In the natural moat between the Nujiang River, these turns are sharp and steep, and they are all U-shaped turns.

Nujiang Seventy-two Turns

The sky on the plateau is extremely transparent, that kind of purity makes people feel infinitely sacred inexplicably. The sun shines on the white clouds, and the halo inlaid a gorgeous golden edge for the white clouds. Is this the legendary auspicious cloud?

The car is driving among the mountains, the newly built asphalt road has not faded, and the blue sky and white clouds complement each other. If you can bathe in this scene, all the glitz has receded, and you only want to be one with this sacred nature.

Nu River Canyon

Military Station and Nu River Bridge

Arrive at Basu in the evening and stay at Basu Nujiangyun Hotel. I highly recommend this newly built hotel. It may be the most upscale hotel in Basu. It is clean and tidy. You can eat in the hotel's Chinese restaurant and hot pot restaurant.

D10 Basu-90km-Ranwu Lake-130km-Bomi Subomi Hengtai Hotel Standard room 150 yuan Bomi altitude 2725 meters

You often see yaks or sheep wandering on the road, you have to stop to give way, don't rush, the consequences will be very serious.

Ranwu Lake is a glacial barrier lake formed 200 years ago, with an area of ​​22 square kilometers, a length of about 26 kilometers, a width of 1-5 kilometers, and an altitude of 3,850 meters. It is the source of Palong Zangbo River. Ranwu Lake is famous for its blueness and tranquility, and the lake water will show different colors according to the seasons. Ranwu Lake is divided into upper, middle and lower lakes. The upper lake is the most beautiful, the middle lake is the second, and the lower lake is the third.

The ideal plateau lake is like a sapphire embedded in the plateau. When I saw Ranwu Lake, the result was quite different. It may be that I came at the wrong time. The blue of Ranwu Lake disappeared, but the silence was still there.

Sichuan-Tibet line 3888 milestone

The planned trip to Laigu Glacier or Midui Glacier was canceled due to bad weather and bad roads. Ranwu to Bomi is the most beautiful section of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, with lush trees and gurgling water along the way. The tree-lined road in autumn makes it hard to believe that there is such a scenery in the plateau area. All the way into Zhamu Town (2,725 meters above sea level), the beautiful town of Bomi County surrounded by snow-capped mountains and forests. Switzerland".

Fortunately, we didn't go to the glacier, otherwise we would have to fight bad roads in the dark. After crossing Midui and entering Bomi, the nightmare of bad roads reappeared. It took nearly four hours to walk on a washboard bad road of nearly 60 to 70 kilometers, and from time to time, it entered a traffic jam...

D11 Bomi-240km-Bayi Town Suhanting Linzhi Bus Station Store Standard room 219 yuan Bayi Town 2930 meters above sea level

When I left Bomi County, I encountered a bad road, and went to Guxiang about 40 kilometers on a bad road. I drove for more than three hours before arriving at Tongmai Town.

The daunting natural barrier of Tongmai and Pailong is gone forever. Tianzhu has become a thoroughfare, and you can drive quickly through the Tongmai and Pailong sections.

The scenery of Lulang can be described as "beautiful". The unique beauty of the surrounding grasslands, forests, and snow-capped mountains can't see the majesty and magnificence of the Tibetan area. The snow-capped Alps are in the background.

Climbing all the way out of Lulang and crossing Sejila Mountain (4768 meters above sea level), we were fortunate to see the face of Namjagbarwa Peak (7782 meters above sea level) - China's Alps.

Namjagbarwa

The more than 60 kilometers of gravel washboard road from Lulang to Bayi Town is a headache.

Arriving in Bayi Town in the evening, eating stone pot chicken is a must. Authentic stone pot chicken, the pot is handcrafted from Motuo mica stone, the chicken is free-range chickens on the Tibetan plateau, the water is natural streams flowing down from snow-capped mountains, and then add Codonopsis ginseng, palm ginseng and matsutake, and simmer for several hours to get a pot.

Every restaurant in the small town has stone pot chicken. The hotel owner recommended this one. When I entered the store, I saw stone pot chicken being stewed on the fire. It was beautiful.

The two of us ordered a small pot for 298 yuan, which is actually half a chicken, including all side dishes, seasonings and staple foods.

Highland barley rice wine is very delicious, it is brewed with glutinous rice wine.

D12 Bayi Town-410km-Lhasa Overseas Lhasa Haihui Hotel Standard room 380 yuan Lhasa 3650 meters above sea level

On the way, we crossed the Mira Mountain Pass (5013 meters above sea level), which is the highest mountain on National Highway 318.

Afterwards, they traveled west along the Lhasa River Valley and arrived in Lhasa at 16:00 on September 10. It took 12 days to drive 4,835 kilometers, and finally arrived at the pilgrimage site. The Potala Palace against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds is majestic. When the red and white Potala Palace stands in front of my eyes, my dream has come true. I can’t help but burst into tears...

Self-driving the Sichuan-Tibet line, especially driving a car with a small displacement and low chassis, is an experience and test for one's will, physique, perseverance, courage, driving skills and vehicle condition. Thanks again for my car, it is inseparable from me, I want to shout for it!

Car wash waiting...

The old fish restaurant is a restaurant that can see the Potala Palace. We had dinner there and were lucky enough to photograph the sunset of the Potala Palace.

D13 Tour Lhasa Overnight at Lhasa Haihui Hotel Standard room 380 yuan Lhasa 3650 meters above sea level

Yaowang Mountain is on the right side of the Potala Palace, with an altitude of 3725 meters, which is close to the Potala Palace. The viewing platform on the mountainside is the best place to take pictures of the Potala Palace. If you wait until sunset, you can enjoy the night view of the Potala Palace.

The Potala Palace (tickets: 200 yuan), with a history of 1,300 years, a typical Tibetan architectural art style, a large-scale castle-style complex, is the highest and most majestic palace in the world. The Potala Palace extends the splendor of Tibetan culture and houses an extremely rich collection of cultural relics and handicrafts. It is a truly world heritage.

The days in Lhasa are really long! The sun was shining brightly at 8 o'clock in the morning, and it was still dark at 9 o'clock in the evening. It takes only ten minutes to walk from the hotel where we live to Bugong Square.

Kowtow believers

After visiting the Potala Palace, you will know: gold is worthless, gems are priceless!

The Jokhang Temple (ticket 85 yuan) was built in the 21st year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty. It was built by King Songtsen Gampo to commemorate Princess Chizun's entry into Tibet. It is the most glorious Tubo period building in Tibet and the earliest civil structure building in Tibet. In the temple, there are nearly one kilometer long Tibetan-style murals of Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet and the construction of the Jokhang Temple, as well as two embroidered Thangkas of the Dharma Protector in the Ming Dynasty.

Jokhang Temple Square

Every morning before dawn, a large number of Tibetan believers kowtow, and they will kowtow 110,000 in this monastery, which is a challenge for anyone.

There are eight wooden pillars outside the Sakyamuni Hall in the temple. You must knock them with your own hands, and they will make a sound like iron.

Barkhor Street is a turning road around the Jokhang Temple, which is called "Holy Road" by Tibetans. Every day, many Tibetans walk around the temple clockwise along Barkhor Street.

The newcomer is here!

The Guangminggang Qiongtian Teahouse next to the Jokhang Temple Square is a very famous teahouse, full of locals and tourists every day. The sweet tea you drink is actually milk tea. It is very interesting to experience the process of drinking tea in a sweet tea house. There are long tables and benches in the store, so they all sit together. First of all, you have to find an empty seat to sit down, then go to get a clean cup and put it on the table, and put the change. As long as the cup is empty, a waiter will come to pour tea, 80 cents a cup, and if you don't want to drink, just collect the money.

Bright Harbor Qiongtian Tea House

In Lhasa, there are many Tibetan restaurants, Sichuan restaurants, and some Northeast restaurants, and the Decos fast food chain is everywhere. Moreover, the food in Lhasa tastes good in general, and you will never be hungry because you are not used to Tibetan food.

Maggie Ami is a western restaurant with a petty bourgeoisie atmosphere. It is often patronized by foreigners. It is a good place for literary youth and foreigners to spend time.

Lhasa is a clean and small city, without high-rise buildings, and there are a lot of choices for hotel accommodation, which are also very clean.

The plan did not change quickly. The partner who was traveling with me was unwell due to the high reaction, and was afraid of being inadvertent, so he decided to cancel all subsequent trips and return to Shanghai directly. The itinerary is only half completed, and I have not yet felt the sophistication of Lhasa, so I will go back. It is really a pity, and I can only make up for the regret as a reason to come to Tibet in the future. Goodbye, Lhasa!

D14 Lhasa-360km-Naqu Su Naqu Scala Hotel Standard room 260 yuan Naqu altitude 4500 meters

Many things in life need time to settle, too early to see through, too late to get used to it. On the way back, I met worshipers from Yushu, Qinghai. They planned to kowtow to Lhasa for 8 months. I am grateful to meet them at the time when we should meet, let us witness and deeply feel this belief, faith and persistence!

The Qinghai-Tibet line is a road on the plateau platform. The mountains are relatively gentle. There are no high mountains, canyons, and cliffs like the Sichuan-Tibet line, but the average altitude is above 4,000 meters, so this road is called the Road to Heaven.

The Qinghai-Tibet line has a straight asphalt road, which looks quite beautiful. But the actual situation is that many sections of the road look flat from a distance, but you only find ups and downs when you get closer. So keep an eye on the car in front, keep the distance between cars, and control the speed of the car not to go too fast.

After passing Dangxiong, you will come to the endless and rolling Qiangtang Grassland. The Qiangtang Grassland is located between the Tanggula Mountains and the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, with an altitude of over 4,500 meters. It is an alpine grassland and one of the five largest pastures in China.

D15 Nagqu-420km-Tuotuo River-420km-Golmud-810km-Xining-880km-Xi'an-850km-Liu'an-570km-Shanghai

Tanggula Mountain is the boundary mountain between Tibet and Qinghai. When we climbed to the pass of Tanggula Mountain (5231 meters above sea level), it was time to say goodbye to Tibet. The longing and worry about the unknown secret place before departure has become the experience and memory of life at this moment. The blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, high lakes, and grasslands of Tibet are all captured in the photos and imprinted in my mind...

Rain and snow at the pass of Tanggula Mountain

Kunlun Mountains

There are many wild animals along the Qinghai-Tibet line in Hoh Xil, including Tibetan antelope, Tibetan yak, Tibetan wild donkey, etc...

Not sure what animal? It should be the Tibetan antelope!

Hoh Xil

Qaidam Basin

During this trip to Tibet, we climbed more than ten mountains above 4,000 meters above sea level, crossed nearly ten large rivers, and passed the highest road and the most beautiful landscape avenue in China! The scenery along the way is gorgeous and unique, with snow mountains, glaciers, canyons, lakes, rivers, forests, meadows...

During the journey, we experienced the baptism of scorching sun, heavy rain, strong wind, heavy snow and hail, and experienced the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter in one day. The journey was difficult and dangerous. It lasted 21 days and traveled 9,166 kilometers.

The trip to Tibet is a travel experience for me, a slightly more difficult travel experience. This travel note can leave the best memories for myself, and it is also a reference for friends who are about to set off.