TheQinghai-TibetHighwaystartsinXining,theprovincialseatofQinghai,andendsinLhasa,capitaloftheTibetAutonomousRegion.Opentotrafficin1954,itisthehighest,longestasphalthighwayintheworld,withitshighestpointatTanggulaPass,5,231metersabovesealevel.Inwinter,itssurfacecangetascoldasminus40degreescentigrade.
Suchathoroughfarewouldnotstaysmoothwithoutextensivecare.MarDimisoneofitscaretakers.AsheadofMaintenanceSquad109,orMS109,forthe14thsectioninAmdoCounty,Mar’smissionischeckingandmaintainingatotallengthofover40kilometers.
Bornin1961,Marfollowsthefootstepsofhismother,afirstgenerationhighwayguardian.Sincehischildhood,hehaslearnedtomendpermafrost-crackedpavement.Traffichasbeenbusybecausetheroadisthebest-kept,safesthighwayontheroofoftheworld.“WhenIwasachild,Ioftencounted500trucks,eachcarryingtonsofcementorfood,passing,daily,"recallsMar.
In1977,attheageof16,MarjoinedMS109,whentheteamhad40members.Theystartedworkat5o’clockinthemorning,withshovelsontheirshoulders.Theyusuallytrekkedtwohourstotheirworkarea.Everyonewasassignedaone-kilometersection.
Aftersometime,mostofthefirst-generationmembersretired.Thecrewshranktoafewmorethan10,soeachofthemhadtotakecareofthreetofourkilometers–inextremecold,withlittleoxygen.Evenwithhisphysicalstrengthandlocalbackground,Marhadtorechargehimselfwithoxygenafteralongday.“Actually,Ididn’tfeelsickuntilafterIturned40,”heclarifies.
1953:SoldiersofthePeople’sLiberationArmybuildtheSichuan-TibetHighwayonsheercliffs.OnDecember25,1954,theQinghai-TibetandSichuan-Tibethighwaysopenedtotraffic,endingTibet’sglaringlackofacentralhighway.Localsalongthewaybidfarewelltothedaysofprimitivetransportationthathadpersistedforcenturies.
MarDim(left)withhiscoworkers.AsheadofMaintenanceSquad109,orMS109,servingQinghai-TibetHighway’s14thsectioninAmdoCounty,Mar’smissionistocheckandmaintainastretchofroadofover40kilometerslong,withitshighestpoint,TanggulaPass,at5,231metersabovesealevel.byTangZhaomingIn1985,theentirehighwaywasrepavedwithasphalt,andmechanizationrepresentedbysmallloadersmademaintenanceeasier.Theystartedgoingtoworkinminivans,whichcuttraveltimetoanhour.
In2001,becauseofconstructionoftheGadlasectionoftheQinghai-TibetRailway,thepartofthehighwayunderthecareofMS109sawasuddengrowthintrafficfortransportingbuildingmaterials:Asmanyas10,000vehiclespassedoverMS109’schargeinjust24hours.Marandhiscolleaguescampedalongthehighwayandobservedtheroadconditionsaroundtheclock.
Tibethasopeneditsdoorwidertotheoutsideworldthankstotheimprovementofitstransportationfromhighwaystorailways.DuringtheconstructionoftheGadlasection,MarlearnedtospeaksomeMandarinandlearnedmoreabouttheoutsideworldthankstocontactwithconstructionworkers,withwhomhefrequentlychattedoverhisbutteredtea.
OnJuly1,2006,the1,956-kilometer-longQinghai-TibetRailwaybeganoperation,greatlyreducingthestrainonthehighway.“Manyvisitorshaveturnedtotrains,”notesMar.“Today,mostofthevehiclesIseearetransportingcargo.Thelightertrafficflowhaseaseddamagetothehighway.”
Marwassoexcitedthathetookhisdaughteronatripbytrainsoonafteritopened.“Itwasreallybeautiful!”heexclaimed.“Iknowhowdifficultitistobuildarailwaylikethis.”Thefatheranddaughtertraveledforthreedays.“Itwasalotoffunandonlycost60yuanforaone-wayticket,”headds.
“Today,mostofmyteamisover40,”explainsMar.“Andthejobisn’tthatlaboriousthankstomechanicalassistance.”Heretiredthisyear,andhisfirstdaughterwillworkforacompanydevotedtoroadandbridgeconstruction.“It’stoughtradeforagirl,butI’mgladtoseehercarryingonmylegacy.”
60-YearRoad:DeepChasmtoThoroughfare
WeaktransportationinfrastructurewasamajorproblemplaguingTibetbeforeitspeacefulliberationin1951,atwhichtimethecentralgovernmentbeganinvestinginitsimprovement.Today,adynamic,sophisticatedtransportationnetworkhasbeenwovenwithhighways,railways,andairports.Road:OnDecember25,1954,theQinghai-TibetandSichuan-Tibethighwaysopenedtotraffic,endingtheregion’sglaringlackofacentralhighway.Localsalongthewaybidfarewelltothedaysofprimitivetransportationthathadpersistedforcenturies.Now,thetotallengthoftheregion’shighwaysexceeds70,000kilometers,withtrafficlinesradiatingineverydirection:towardstheprovincesofSichuanandYunnantotheeast,XinjiangUygurAutonomousRegiontothewest,QinghaiProvincetothenorth,andIndiaandNepaltothesouth.Air:OnMarch1,1965,airtrafficbetweenBeijing,ChengduandLhasabeganwiththefoundingofTibetAirlines.Today,Tibethasfiveairports:LhasaGonggarAirportatthecenter,BengdainQamdoCounty,MainlinginNyingchiCounty,GunsainNgariPrefecture,andXigazePeaceAirport.Rail:OnJuly1,2006,the1,956-kilometer-longrailwaybeganoperation,connectingQinghaiandTibetasthehighest,longestrailwayontheplanet.Safelyrunningformorethan10years,ithascontributedtremendouslytolocaleconomicdevelopment,injectingannualaveragegrowthrateofover10percent.
June26,2007:ThereplacementofbridgesforroadsandrailshasgreatlyimprovedtheecologicalsystemonthenorthernTibetangrassland.OnJuly1,2006,the1,956-kilometer-longrailwaybeganoperation,connectingQinghaiandTibetasthehighest,longestrailwayontheplanet.byPhurbuTashi
September29,2014:TheQinghai-TibetHighwayinAmdoCounty,NagquPrefecture.Today,thetotallengthofTibet’shighwaysexceeds70,000kilometers.byWangSong
June21,2016:ATibetanmotherfromQinghaiProvinceplayswithherbabyonTrainNo.Z917,shuttlingbetweenQinghaiandTibet.Therailhassafelyoperatedwithoutincidentformorethan10years.byWuGang
June10,2016:PartofthenewdistrictontheeasternoutskirtsofLhasa,capitaloftheTibetAutonomousRegion.TheopeningoftheQinghai-TibetRailwayhasfueledurbandevelopmentalongthewayontheTibetPlateau.byLiuDongjun