Sichuan-Tibet Highway Brings Prosperity to Tibetans

By LI XIAODONG

SIXTY-EIGHT years ago， the Song of the Erlang Mountain was a smash hit all over China. It is an ode to the heroic builders of the highway between Sichuan and Tibet， which cuts through towering mountains and spans billowy rivers.

Starting in 1950， the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army （PLA） built two roads from Chengdu， capital of Sichuan Province， into Tibet， known as State Highway 318 and 317 today and also called the southern and northern lines of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. This highway is a lifeline and a path for economic and tourism development for local residents， boosting social and economic progress in Tibetan regions.

A Lifeline

The Sichuan-Tibet Highway has borne witness to the development of the transport sector in western China.

The road， built by the 18th Corps of the PLA in 1950 across the Erlang Mountain is still in use today， but only by local herders， rangers， and some hikers. Being the demarcation line between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Chengdu Plain， the mountain consists of towering peaks and unfathomable valleys. Rains and snow are frequent in the region， which makes the passage over the mountain even more treacherous. In the old days， travelers lamented that crossing the Erlang Mountain was as dreadful as passing through a gate of hell. Even if they were lucky enough to avoid vehicular problems and accidents， they still could not escape the cold spells that might last several days.

Li Xianhong， a truck driver， has been commuting along the route of todays Sichuan-Tibet Highway since 1994. It normally took him a fortnight or even longer to go one way. In one trip， he spent 48 days on the road， because a landslide on Erlang cut off traffic. Still， Li felt grateful for having this road， for it is a lifeline that connects many remote areas inhabited primarily by Tibetans and also other ethnic minority groups with the outside world.

It is difficult for people who have never lived in isolation and desolation to understand the significance of this lifeline. Chubarong Township in Batang County in western Sichuan neighbors Tibet across the Jinsha River. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway allows for necessities of life and means of production to be brought to the region， sends out local produce that earns its residents extra cash， and gives rise to transport， truck repair， and other businesses.

In December 2018， floodwater from a barrier lake in the region created by landslides brought down two bridges over the Jinsha River and destroyed the local part of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. People in Chubarong had no access to Tibet on the other side of the river or other parts of Sichuan. Local authorities started repair work immediately， erecting a makeshift steel bridge that allowed the passage of 30-ton trucks， and began rebuilding the damaged section of the highway. Life thus soon returned to normal for the local residents.

Gerong Chuzhag， a 66-year-old resident of the township， has personally experienced the changes the highway has brought into local life. “The road passing our village is our life. Without it we would not have been what we are today，” he said. To his delight， two new bridges will be built over the Jiansha River. Hence， trucks too heavy for the makeshift bridge will also be able to go through.

Boikarxi， a village of 200 in Batang County， formerly sat at an elevation of 4，600 meters， and was locked in by layers of mountains. To buy salt and other necessities， villagers had to walk on foot for three days and spend the night in the wilderness. In winter， even such treks became impossible. After China launched the targeted poverty alleviation policy， the people of Boikarxi decided to move their village to a flat piece of land by the Sichuan-Tibet Highway close to the county seat. Cenai， a member of the village， rented a car and became a taxi driver， earning a handsome RMB 3，000 per month. More importantly， he can now be with his children everyday， who formerly lived in school on the other side of the mountains and only came home every one or two weeks.

Transport infrastructure is changing remote rural areas including those inhabited by Tibetans. Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949， governments at all levels have been making incessant efforts to improve the transport conditions in Tibetan areas. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway for instance is repaired and upgraded every year， and has so far undergone three major expansions and reconstructions.

In 2001， the Erlan Mountain tunnel opened to traffic， significantly cutting the time to cross the mountain. It was followed by more tunnels through mountains along the route， making driving safer and faster in winter. At present， reconstruction is under way in the section through Mangkam in Tibet and the southern line of the highway to widen it and to reduce twists and turns.

After an expressway was extended to Kangding， the drive from this mountainous county to the provincial capital Chengdu has been shortened from a whole day to just three hours. Newlyconstructed airports in Kangding and other Tibetan-inhabited regions such as Qamdo provide people more options for travel.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway is also in the works， with its key control engineering project to be launched later this year. An extensive transport network involving roads， railways， and aviation will bring Tibet closer to the rest of the country.

A Path to Wealth

Riji Village in Nyagqu County by the Yalong River sits next to the SichuanTibet Highway. Due to its advantageous position， it was chosen as the site for an industrial park to grow Tricholoma matsutake and other edible mushrooms. More than 40 households in the village are now engaged in the plantation， producing three million or more bags of mushrooms every year. Nyima， who lives in the neighboring Pagmoling Village， also works in the park. He can make RMB 200 everyday sorting and packing pickled mushrooms.

The industrial park is funded by Garze Riji Agricultural Development Co.， Ltd. According to its general manager Li Hu， the company has increased its investment in the park over the past five years since its founding， because of the rich mushroom resources and convenient transport infrastructure in the region. “The canned and dry mushrooms we produce are exported as far as Russia，” he said proudly.

A Path of Stunning Views

The Sichuan-Tibet Highway runs through mountains， rivers， valleys， grasslands， glaciers， and regions with large ethnic minority populations， exposing those traveling along it to a number of sites of natural and cultural wonders. It is hence dubbed the road with the most beautiful views in China. As millions of tourists flock to the region every year， tourism flourishes， boosting the local economy.

Xagag Dzong， another village in Nyagqu County， sits by the southern line of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. As early as 10 years ago， many hikers and cyclists stopped here for the night. Buzhub always welcomed them into his house， and regaled them with buttered tea， tales of local folklore， and the dances of his three daughters. Some visitors encouraged him to open a homestay business. Taking their advice， Buzhub renovated his home into a guest house. At the beginning， he received 20 to 30 customers every day in the peak season. Gradually his homestay became known nationwide thanks to the Internet. After business grew， he built two more houses next to the old one.

In the rooms hang banners of different cycling teams， and the walls are covered with messages left by visitors， with more to be found in the visitors books– so far nearly 30 have been filled. These comments are expressions of gratitude toward the host as well as thoughts and sentiments during the journey.

Booming tourism has transformed far-flung rural communities like Xagag Dzong along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway， and brought formerly little known snowy mountains， alpine grasslands， and icy glaciers into the national and even international spotlight.

Local authorities have taken various measures to ensure travelers have a great experience along the highway of more than 2，000 kilometers. At the Garze section of the highway for instance， sightseeing platforms， parking lots， and toilets are available at every mountain pass. To many people， the drive along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is a once-in-a-life experience that one cannot miss.