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Tibet Journey | Youth Has No Price, Train Direct to Lhasa!

2024-02-16

I had a dream in Tibet…

On 2024.1.24, I boarded the Z264 train from Guangzhou to Lhasa, starting my journey to Tibet.

Z264

1.24

On the morning of the 24th, I encountered some minor troubles, but fortunately, I didn’t miss the train.

Following the crowded flow of people into the carriage, I hurriedly settled my luggage. Soon, the attendant handed out the “life and death statement” - the passenger health registration card.

After registering my personal information, I went to bed. When I woke up, the train had already arrived in Chenzhou, Hunan.

Xiao Luo

Xiao Luo, who sleeps in the bunk below me, is nineteen years old this year. Coincidentally, we both use the same phone and wristband.

When asked why he was going to Tibet, he replied:

“Two years ago, by chance, I joined a chat group similar to ‘hiking buddies’. As I got more familiar with the group members, I developed the idea of traveling to Tibet. After nearly a year of planning, the train finally set off today.”

Time on the train is long, we looked at the snow scene outside the window and talked about our own stories…

Bing Jie

Unknowingly, the train arrived at Changsha Station, and we welcomed a new friend - Bing Jie.

Because tickets from the starting station are relatively easier to buy, she bought two extra stops and boarded at Changsha Station.

When asked why she was going to Tibet, Bing Jie excitedly said:

“Because Tibet is my obsession!!! I happened to be in a bad mood recently, so I set off.”

Around eight o’clock in the evening, we passed the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. The dazzling lights flashed outside the window, and the scene was so beautiful at this moment…

The signal on the train was poor, and the night was hard to endure.

So…

Bing Jie took out a deck of cards, and Xiao Luo took out the flag he had prepared in advance.

1.25

The next morning, the train arrived at Xi’an Station.

Most passengers were awakened by the sound of people getting off the train, got up, washed, ate, and were full of anticipation, ready to welcome the second day’s journey.

Xi’an is located on the second step of China’s terrain. After Xi’an, the next stop is the Loess Plateau.

It was my first time coming to this land, and I felt a sense of admiration for the people living here.

“The barren land cannot grow roses, but the strong liquor of the northwest is enough to water long-lasting feelings.”

Lanzhou Station

Traveling alone, but the road is full of friends. At Lanzhou Station, we created a group chat and took a group photo, and the atmosphere instantly heated up.

Xining Station

Around six o’clock in the evening, we arrived at Xining Station to transfer to the oxygen train.

At this time, the altitude was about two thousand meters, and the little potato chips had already experienced altitude sickness.

Most of the people traveling with us were entering Tibet for the first time, and no one knew if their bodies could adapt to altitudes above three thousand meters.

1.26

Tanggula Pass

The next morning, we arrived at the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Tanggula Pass.

The altitude had reached over five thousand meters, and both Xiao Luo and Bing Jie experienced discomfort.

As for me, except for severe dry eyes, everything else was fine.

The sun slowly rose, the sky gradually brightened, and the scenery along the way began to become dreamy.

Potala Palace Square

On the afternoon of January 26th, the train finally arrived at Lhasa Station.

Bing Jie and I took a car to the city center, and like a dream, we arrived at the foot of the Potala Palace.

Lhasa

Lhasa is located in a small basin surrounded by mountains, with an average altitude of 3663.5 meters. It is the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism and the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire Tibet region.

1.27

On the first night in Lhasa, I unexpectedly slept very soundly.

But Bing Jie didn’t seem to be so lucky.

To gradually adapt to the plateau environment, Bing Jie and I planned to first explore around Jokhang Temple today, and then go to Yaowang Mountain and Potala Palace Square.

Jokhang Temple

First, there was Jokhang Temple, then there was Lhasa City.

Jokhang Temple was built in the seventh century during the peak of the Tubo Dynasty, enshrining the eight-year-old statue of Sakyamuni. It is the most sacred temple in Tibet and the “spiritual center” of Lhasa.

We didn’t make a reservation, so unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the temple.

Barkhor Street

Tibet lacks oxygen, but it never lacks faith.

Barkhor Street, also known as Bajiao Street, is located in the old city of Lhasa and is the most prosperous commercial street built around Jokhang Temple.

In Tibetan, “Barkhor” means “middle circumambulation path”. Pilgrims usually turn the prayer wheel with their right hand, hold the rosary with their left hand, recite the six-syllable mantra, and walk clockwise along the circumambulation path, repeating the process endlessly.

When we went, it happened to be snowing, so…

Yaowang Mountain

After visiting Barkhor Street, we planned to walk to Yaowang Mountain.

The Yaowang Mountain viewing platform is located on the west side of the Potala Palace and is the location of the 50 yuan RMB scene.

However, a friendly reminder: the picture above is likely to be post-processed.

Heavenly Tibet

After checking in at Yaowang Mountain, we went to Potala Palace Square.

After taking a few photos of Bing Jie, we decided to go to the Heavenly Tibet Post Office to send letters.

As soon as we bought the postcards, Bing Jie was ready to go back because… altitude sickness.

There were really a lot of people in the post office. It took me about half an hour to pick out all the postcards and stamp them.

It took me another half an hour to write down my blessings, then pack, fill in the address information, and mail them.

1.28

Potala Palace

According to the original plan, I should have visited the Potala Palace on the 27th. But because I wanted to go to Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street first yesterday, I gave up (the Potala Palace only allows one reservation within seven days).

Coincidentally, because it snowed yesterday, the Potala Palace was temporarily closed. The regulations allowed me to climb the Potala Palace today.

The Potala Palace is divided into two main parts: the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is mainly a place for political and religious activities, while the Red Palace is a Buddhist hall.

The exterior of the palace is magnificent, and the interior is luxuriously decorated, with a large number of murals, Buddha statues, and precious cultural relics, showcasing the cultural connotations and artistic style of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Potala Palace contains rich culture and history. To make the most of my visit, I even spent 50 yuan to hire a guide and learned a lot.

Xingyue Bodhi

Xingyue Bodhi Cafe has a great spot for taking photos of the Potala Palace.

It happened to be lunchtime. So, after leaving the Potala Palace, I navigated to the cafe.

As I wished, I took satisfactory photos.

Zaki Temple

Bing Jie said she wanted to go to Zaki Temple, and I planned to continue being her companion, so I temporarily added this trip.

Who knew, things don’t always go as planned. After climbing the Potala Palace in the morning, she experienced altitude sickness again.

Stubbornly, I walked three kilometers alone from the cafe to Zaki Temple.

Zaki Temple is located on Zaki Road in the northern suburbs of Lhasa and is the only wealth god temple in Tibet.

Although the temple is small, it is very popular. I bought Tibetan incense, khata, white wine, and butter at the entrance and offered them to Zaki Lhamo.

Nanshan Park

After leaving Zaki Temple, I took a Didi and planned to climb Nanshan Park.

Climbing a mountain in a high-altitude area is really exhausting.

I pushed my body to the limit, gasping for breath with each step, and just as I was about to reach the top…

Because of the snow, Nanshan Park was closed.

Helpless, I had to sit down at the thousand-meter platform.

Although I couldn’t reach the top of Nanshan, the scenery halfway up the mountain was also very beautiful.

As the sky gradually darkened, the thousand-meter platform was no longer allowed to stay. I had to hurry down the mountain and stay at the first platform, waiting for the night lights to illuminate the entire city of Lhasa.

Although I couldn’t reach the top of Nanshan Park, the scenery halfway up the mountain was very beautiful.

Altitude sickness will conquer every stubborn person.

After leaving Nanshan Park, I could have taken a bus or a ride-hailing car back to the city, but for some reason, I decided to walk back.

So…

A short 6.6 km took me nearly an hour and a half.

With a severe headache, I rested for a long time after returning before I felt better.

Shannan

At the youth hostel, I signed up for a small group tour of “Yanghu + Karola Glacier Day Tour” and planned to set off for Shannan tomorrow.

Shannan, as the name suggests, is south of the mountains, named because it is located south of the Gangdise Mountains and the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains. Shannan is the birthplace of Tibetan culture and the place where the soul of Tibet begins.

1.29

But before setting off, I decided to take a risk…

Setting off at seven o’clock, getting up at six o’clock. After packing my things, I took a hot shower (taking a shower can cause the capillaries on the skin surface to dilate, increasing blood volume, lowering blood pressure, and worsening altitude sickness).

If you haven’t fully adapted to the plateau environment, it’s best not to take a shower easily, as it can become unfortunate.

The road conditions to Shannan were very winding and bumpy. Sitting in the last row of the car, I soon had a severe headache.

I really experienced the feeling of “the body is in hell, but the eyes are in heaven.”

Karola Glacier

Karola Glacier is a glacier in Tibet that can be viewed up close, located next to Provincial Highway 307, which connects the sacred lake Yamdrok Yumtso and Shigatse City.

In the past, the glacier extended to the roadside, but now, with global warming, the glacier has retreated to the mountainside.

Perhaps one day in the future, it will no longer exist.

Yamdrok Yumtso

Yamdrok Yumtso, referred to as “Yanghu”, means “jade lake” in Tibetan. It is located in Langkazi County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, and is one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet, along with Namtso and Mapam Yumtso.

There is a kind of blue called Yanghu blue. The beauty of Yanghu is indescribable. In the hearts of Tibetans, it is regarded as “the turquoise earring dropped by the goddess.”

Nyingchi

On the 30th, I took the Lalin Railway to Nyingchi.

Nyingchi is located in the southeast of the Tibet Autonomous Region, with an average altitude of 3100 meters. It is famous for the world’s deepest canyon - the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.

1.30

Lalin Railway

Crossing the Yarlung Zangbo River 16 times, more than 90% of the Lalin Railway’s route is above an altitude of 3000 meters. The route is characterized by high mountains and deep valleys, with a relative height difference of 2500 meters. Since construction began in March 2015, 47 tunnels and 121 bridges have been built by June 25, 2021.

The scenery along the way was breathtaking.

1.31

In Nyingchi, I also signed up for a one-day tour. Surprisingly, besides the driver, there was only one other tourist on this trip.

Niyang River

The next morning at nine o’clock, we set off on time, and the first stop was the Niyang River Scenic Area.

The Niyang River originates from the west side of Mila Mountain and flows from west to east, merging into the Yarlung Zangbo River near Zemen in Nyingchi County.

The riverbanks are planted with peach trees, creating a beautiful and distinct landscape.

Buddha Palm Sand Dune

Soon, we arrived at the Buddha Palm Sand Dune.

The Buddha Palm Sand Dune is located on the north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River in Danniang Township, Milin County. The shape of the sand dune and its reflection in the river resemble a praying Buddha’s palm, hence the name.

Located in the strong wind area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the sand dune has been formed by the annual accumulation of river sand blown and transported by the strong winds from late autumn to late spring.

Yarlung Zangbo

On the “roof of the world” - the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, there are two world records: the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest, and the longest and deepest river canyon in the world - the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.

The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is located in Milin County and Motuo County in Nyingchi, Tibet. It is 504.9 kilometers long and 6009 meters deep, making it the longest and deepest canyon in the world. The entire canyon area is a mix of glaciers, cliffs, steep slopes, mudslides, and a raging river, making it “the last secret place on earth.”

United in strength, flowing endlessly.

Namcha Barwa

Looking down is the Yarlung Zangbo, looking up is Namcha Barwa.

Namcha Barwa, ranked as the most beautiful snow mountain in China, has an altitude of 7782 meters, making it the 28th highest peak in the world. Its massive triangular peak is covered with snow all year round and shrouded in clouds, rarely revealing its true face, earning it the nicknames “Shy Girl Peak” and “Heaven in the Clouds.”

Namcha Barwa, ten people see it, nine do not. We didn’t see its true face on this trip either.

The following image is from Xiaohongshu, user ID: so_wdy

Conclusion

Perhaps, regret is for a better reunion next time. The week-long trip has come to an end.

Why must one go to Tibet at least once in their lifetime?

Nineteen-year-old Xiao Luo is searching for himself, Bing Jie, trapped by emotions, is seeking answers.

As for me? I am experiencing the mountains and rivers. Seeing the world, seeing all beings, and seeing myself.

So… what about you?