The 318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway: A 20-Year Dream Journey (Part One)
A 20-year-awaited Tibet journey finally began on the 318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
For my first foray into Tibet, I played it safe and conservative, booking a small-group premium self-driving tour via Ctrip. It came with a Tibetan driver named Silang Enzhao (the proper polite address is simply Enzhao, as Tibetans don't distinguish between first and last names; all names are bestowed by a living Buddha). We affectionately called him Brother Enzhao. The entire trip was supported with oxygen canisters, raw Rhodiola rosea ingredients, glucose powder, headache powder, and other altitude sickness remedies on board; almost all hotels along the way offered oxygen supply. With all these precautions, I felt at ease.
National Highway 318 starts at People's Square in Huangpu District, Shanghai, and ends at the China-Nepal Friendship Bridge in Nyalam County, Shigatse, covering a total of 5,476 kilometers. It passes through Shanghai – Suzhou – Huzhou – Xuancheng – Wuhu – Chizhou – Anqing – Huanggang – Wuhan – Jingzhou – Yichang – Enshi – Chongqing – Dazhou – Guang'an – Nanchong – Suining – Ziyang – Chengdu – Ya'an – Garzê – Qamdo – Nyingchi – Lhasa – Shigatse.
Our trip started in Chengdu with Lhasa as the destination, taking the route Chengdu – Ya'an – Hailuogou – Kangding – Xinduqiao – Litang – Daocheng Yading – Batang – Markam – Baxoi – Bomi – Lulang – Nyingchi – Lhasa over 12 days, approximately 2,680 kilometers. The itinerary was scientifically designed to gradually acclimatize to altitude, with the elevation rising step by step. So I experienced no physical discomfort.
September 24 – On the plane
A night flight from Shanghai to Chengdu (so I didn't need to take a day off work), and checked into the Chengdu Xizang Hotel. A five-star hotel couldn't be faulted: vivid Tibetan character hit us the moment we walked in, the air of our destination already tangible at the start, making Miss E and me too excited to sleep.
September 25 – On the road
Chengdu (alt. 500m) – Luding Bridge (alt. 1,300m) – Hailuogou (alt. 1,600m)
A beautiful day began with sweet butter tea and very authentic hand-kneaded tsampa. Brother Enzhao picked us up, loaded our luggage, and we set off from Chengdu, heading all the way towards Lhasa.
Essentially the whole day was spent on the road, covering over 260 kilometers. Along the way we passed Luding Bridge, also known as Dadu Bridge, built in 1706 – an iron chain bridge spanning the Dadu River, 103.67 meters long and 3 meters wide, composed of 13 chains. The bridge is famous worldwide for the battle "Flying Seizure of Luding Bridge."
Continuing in the afternoon, we drove through Erlang Mountain Tunnel and wound around all sorts of mountain roads, arriving at Moxi Town after 6 p.m. Moxi Town was quite lively. Taking a stroll while it was still light, we stumbled upon the Red Army Long March Memorial Hall – the site of the Fourth District Soviet established by the Fourth Front Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1935, which lasted for over half a year. It is also Moxi Catholic Church, where Chairman Mao stayed during the Long March. Following in the Chairman's footsteps, deep inside the church we found the "Zang Jia Yan" restaurant for dinner.
The first night we stayed at a cliffside hot spring hotel in Moxi Town. There really was a natural hot spring, really on the edge of a cliff, where you could soak while looking up at the alpine peaks. But we had a more important task: steeping our Rhodiola rosea.
September 26 – Hiking
Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park (alt. 3,600m) – Kangding (alt. 2,560m) – Xinduqiao (alt. 3,500m)
Hailuogou is located in Moxi Town, Luding County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga, a high mountain region on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Nestled at the foot of Gongga's snowy peak, it's renowned worldwide for its low-altitude modern glacier. It's only a 5-minute drive from Moxi Town. We arrived at the Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park around 9 a.m., transferred to a shuttle bus for over an hour to Grass Sea, then switched to battery cars directly to Camp 3.
*Suggestion: definitely take the downhill trail – we met people hiking up the opposite way who could barely catch their breath.
From Camp 3 to Camp 4 requires a cable car plus a hike uphill, which gives the closest view of the glacier. Whether you see the glacier depends entirely on the clouds; heavy fog reveals nothing. When we reached Camp 3, there was a drizzle and swirling mist, so we had to give up Camp 4 and missed seeing the glacier up close. Walking 1.8 km upward to the old viewing platform was just as foggy – in short, we weren't meant to see the snow mountain's true face.
We then continued downward from Camp 3 towards Camp 2, traversing through the glacier forest park. The average altitude here is around 3,500 meters. The downhill trail was easy going and we could breathe. Any slope requiring even a slight climb left us gasping after three steps and taking a break after five.
Hailuogou's forest spans 70 square kilometers, mostly virgin forest, with extremely strong biodiversity and abundant ornamental plants. Within the valley, 38 rare plant species have been identified, including one under national first-level protection, seven under second-level protection, and thirteen under third-level protection; 150 species of wild vertebrates, including six under national first-level protection and 22 under second-level protection. Most of these rare species are monotypic genera, relicts, or endemic. The Mount Gongga area, including Hailuogou, is one of the areas preserving the most ancient and primitive biological species in China, described by botanists and zoologists as a "refuge" for flora and fauna during the Quaternary glaciation. The valley boasts hundreds of ornamental plant species, including magnolia, rhododendron, orchid, primula, gentian, lily, snow lotus, wild osmanthus, and yew, among over a hundred flowering plants; dozens of epiphytic species such as tree rhododendrons and epiphytic trees; over a hundred type formations like giant plants and trees growing on boulders; and dozens of communities like altitudinal vegetation zones and interlocking evergreen and seasonal plant communities.
Walking through the glacier forest park, we felt the magic of nature's flora. Here there were glaciers, hot springs, alpine rhododendrons, Chinese tulip trees, yews, all sorts of wild mushrooms, hanging "noodle" lichen, and many red pandas and raccoons (though we only saw their tree hollows and not the animals themselves). Filled with curiosity and excitement, we just kept walking for 5 hours, mostly downhill, and we survived. We walked back to Grass Sea to wait for the shuttle bus to return to the main entrance.
A full day is recommended for Hailuogou; we entered at 9 a.m. and left after 4 p.m. Carry dry rations for lunch. You can buy things like corn and beef jerky inside, but I'd still suggest bringing portable, filling snacks like energy bars. If your jacket isn't waterproof, pack a light rain poncho – there's heavy mist and frequent rain.
An 800-year-old alpine rhododendron, blooming pink.
After 4 p.m., we ate a meal in Moxi Town that was neither lunch nor dinner, then continued west. What should have been a two-hour drive turned longer because G318 was jammed, so we chose to go over the mountain (alt. 4,400m) – farther and higher but faster, though it got dark. For over an hour we raced along pitch-black, winding mountain roads. Finally, well past 9 p.m., we reached Kangding and stayed at the Kangding Yangzongling Art Hotel in Xinduqiao. The hotel was so stunning we kept snapping photos – or maybe we were just hyper from too much Rhodiola rosea!
September 27 – On the road
Heaven's Road Eighteen Bends – Kazila Mountain (alt. 4,700m) – Litang (alt. 4,104m) – Tuer (Rabbit) Mountain (alt. 4,696m) – Haizi Mountain (alt. 4,500m) – Daocheng Yading (alt. 3,764m)
Humming the Kangding Love Song, we headed out early to continue west. Brother Enzhao said that after passing that tunnel ahead, the sun would come out. Sure enough.
We passed the Heaven's Road Eighteen Bends, Kazila Mountain, and golden sunrise on snowy peaks, then turned south at Litang off G318, heading to Shangri-La Town at Daocheng Yading – over 400 kilometers.
Tuer Mountain is really just a tiny speck of a rock.
Haizi Mountain was the impressive one – I'd never seen such vast, unending stone fields. Situated in the northern plateau region of Daocheng County, covering 3,287 square kilometers with an average altitude of 4,500 meters, it is the largest ancient glacial relic on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, renowned as the "Daocheng Ancient Ice Cap." Its highest point, "Guoyinrize," stands at 5,020 meters, and there are 1,145 lakes of various sizes – a density unique in China. Tibetans call alpine lakes "haizi," hence the name Haizi Mountain.
Along the way, we passed many Mani piles, called "Doban" in Tibetan, meaning piled-up stones. They can be seen almost everywhere in Tibet – on mountain passes, at crossroads, by lakes, and along riverbanks – stone and slab altars. Mani piles are also known as "spirit piles." Most of these stones and slabs are carved with the six-syllable mantra, wisdom eyes, deity images, and various auspicious patterns, masterpieces of Tibetan folk artists.
The sky was so high and the clouds so low they felt within reach – or perhaps we ourselves were higher in altitude? All day we averaged above 4,000 meters. We also realized that high altitude means lower air pressure, making the air even thinner. Shanghai is at 4 meters with pressure over 100 Pa, while places above 4,000 meters hover around 50 Pa. But we didn't open the oxygen canisters!
That night we stayed in Shangri-La Town at Daocheng Yading, for two nights. Rhodiola rosea steeping continued.
September 28 – In Heaven (or Hell)
Daocheng Yading (avg. altitude 4,500m)
Daocheng Yading is mainly composed of three sacred mountains: Xiannairi, Jambeyang, and Chanadorje, along with surrounding rivers, lakes, and alpine meadows. The north peak Xiannairi is 6,032 meters, the south peak Jambeyang is 5,958 meters, and the east peak Chanadorje is 5,958 meters. As of October 2019, it is one of China's best-preserved and most pristine high-altitude natural ecosystems.
From Shangri-La Town to the scenic area entrance is a 5-minute drive, and just like Hailuogou, we had to transfer to a park bus for about an hour, crossing mountains and ridges. Every bend in the mountain road revealed distant glimpses of Xiannairi's snowy crown, drawing collective gasps and the frantic clicking of phone cameras.
We got off the bus at Zhaguanbeng. There's a short trail and a long trail. The short trail goes to Chonggu Temple and Zhuomalacuo ("cuo" means lake), circling around Xiannairi – 1.5 km each way, about 2–3 hours of walking. The long trail goes to Milk Sea (Niunaihai) and Five-Color Sea, circling Jambeyang and Chanadorje – 5 km each way, 3–4 hours of uphill climbing. Average altitude is around 4,500 meters. We switched to a battery car for 20+ minutes to reach Luorong Cattle Farm, and we took the long trail.
Luorong Cattle Farm was stunning, and the weather was absolutely perfect. We geared up for this hard battle, going lightweight – nothing but water and energy bars in our packs, not an ounce of extra weight. We didn't even carry a power bank; once in Daocheng Yading, I switched to airplane mode to conserve battery. Anyway, iPhone + China Unicom = zero signal.
Ecological protection in Daocheng Yading is excellent. Small animals were everywhere, unafraid of humans, all wild: blue sheep, squirrels, Tibetan snowcocks, and unseen national first- and second-level protected species like takin, red panda, sambar, white-rumped deer, forest musk deer, golden leopard cat, serow, goral, black bear, and stump-tailed macaque.
Our pace was mostly uniform: three steps – a small pant, five steps – a big pant. On steep slopes or many stairs, we'd halt, catch our breath, and then push on. After nearly three and a half hours of walking, near our breaking point, we discovered there was still one last kilometer to go – stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Finally, after 2 p.m., we reached the final junction: 400 meters to Five-Color Sea but a near-vertical 75-degree climb, versus 600 meters of flat, gentle slope to Milk Sea. Without hesitation, we headed to Milk Sea first. The moment I saw Milk Sea and the glacier, I genuinely wanted to cry – not from the beauty, but from sheer exhaustion. It was a release of triumph and joy; my body clearly couldn't keep up, so emotions took over.
In that moment, Miss E grabbed me to head up the slope toward Five-Color Sea. After a couple of dozen steps, I decided to give up. Miss E, without looking back, pushed on toward Five-Color Sea with a resolve brimming with the fearless courage of the Red Army's Long March. Before I had even descended a couple of dozen steps, the "little motor" had vanished into the crowd.
The body has limits, but limits can be broken. We spent 4 hours climbing to the top, then practically jogged down for 1.5 hours back to Luorong Cattle Farm, worried we'd miss the last bus out – because it was already 3:30 p.m. when we started down. Every turn and every glance backward revealed new angles of snowy peaks and stunning scenery. Did we already snap this view? Take another. This angle is even better, take one more. Oh, the magnificent landscapes of our motherland!
Because the sunset is very late, around 8 p.m., the sunlight between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. is the softest and most beautiful, casting a golden glow on the snow mountains – the gentlest light of the entire day.
September 29 – On the road
Litang (alt. 4,014m) – Maoya Grassland (alt. 3,800m) – Sister Lakes – Batang (alt. 2,575m)
By the fifth day at an average altitude of 4,500 meters, I was pretty well acclimatized. Rhodiola rosea was just a mental crutch; whether drinking it actually helped or not, I didn't know – but drinking it was the right thing to do. With blue skies and white clouds, any mental ailment could be cured; I felt invigorated and in top form.
Friends who've self-driven G318 all say the national highway is in great shape now. True enough, except for the stretch from Batang to Markam, which was under repair, all the other sections were excellent.
Near Batang, there was a natural hot spring. We could roll up our pants and soak our feet – the warm spring water reached our calves, unbelievably comfortable.
September 30 – On the road
Markam (alt. 3,869m) – Dongda Mountain (alt. 5,130m) – Nu River 72 Turns – Baxoi (alt. 3,280m)
We got an early start. Brother Enzhao said today's drive would be very difficult, with some road sections under repair making jams even worse. The early morning was misty and dreamlike.
In a bleary daze, I don't know how many more great mountains we crossed. Finally, we entered Tibet from Sichuan's Garzê. Nothing but mountains and more mountains. Today we'd drive over 500 kilometers of mountain roads. At moments like this, I felt unbelievably grateful for Brother Enzhao.
There was no need to check the altitude; my body could feel the extreme thinness of the air at Dongda Mountain. The air pressure was even lower, breathing heavier – like the crisp, frosty air of a Shanghai winter morning. Dongda Mountain lies in Zogang County, Tibet. The newest survey puts Dongda Mountain Pass at 5,130 meters, a height approaching Everest Base Camp, making it the highest pass on the entire Sichuan-Tibet Highway. This area is typical alpine shrub meadow, home to alpine willows, gentians, shrubby cinquefoil, and rhododendrons. Trickles of snowmelt from Dongda weave into tiny mountain streams, spinning into crystal rivulets that wind down to join big rivers. Clad in silver, the Dongda Mountain Gorge is layer upon layer of peaks, sparkling white snow, and colorful prayer flags accentuating the pass's beautiful scenery against the snow and ice.
The Nu River 72 Turns are best seen, not just heard about. They refer to the Yela Mountain winding road on the Sichuan-Tibet line, where the pass is at 4,618 meters (on the section from Bangda Town to Baxoi County on the southern route, 16 km). The route passes the Nu River, with steep, precipitous bends, earning nicknames like "Ninety-Nine Bends," Yela Mountain's "108 Turns," and "99 Curves on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway." There were definitely more than 72 hairpin bends – we counted over 130.
After descending for more than an hour, Brother Enzhao pulled over and turned off the engine – the brake pads needed to find some quiet.
Beneath stars and moonlight, we finally arrived at Ranwu Lake in Baxoi. For the sake of a starry-sky room, we drove an extra 100+ kilometers (nearly 2 hours) and stayed at the Ranwu Lake International RV Camp. Tonight was Mid-Autumn Festival. Miss E's friend had once seen the Milky Way at Ranwu Lake! With our bare eyes and mediocre equipment, the Milky Way was probably not in the cards.
The camp is built along the lakeside, all standalone wooden cabins with skylights – star rooms. We'd communicated with the camp in advance and had an electric heater added to the room, worried the air conditioner wouldn't heat well and we'd get cold. The room had a full bathroom with shower, wet and dry separated. With the heater, the little cabin was extra cozy. The camp also provides standard RV water and power hookups – truly worthy of the word "international."
Unfortunately, we arrived too late to catch the gorgeous sunset. But the moon, nearly full, was already huge and round, with a reddish-yellowish halo. We dined at the lakeside restaurant, and to celebrate National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, the camp organized a bonfire party and let off fireworks – twice.
