After four years' construction, Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been completed
and tourist traffic will be operational from July 1, 2006. Starting
from Golmud in Qinghai, the railway will pass through Nachitai,
Wudaoliang, Tuotuohe and Yanshiping before climbing over Tanggula
Mountain to get to Amdo, Nagqu, Damxung, Yangbajain and leading
to its final destination in Lhasa, Tibet. The railway is the world's
highest and longest plateau railway and is expected to make visiting
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (world's most famous plateau) as "golden"
tourist routes.
Nine world-class tourist attractions, twenty-three national tourism
resources, 6 national nature reserves, and 193 first- and second-class
tourism resources distributed along the road. Behind the natural
heritage, there are many places of interests that have a distinct
Tibetan culture, which has lasted for thousands of years.
When touring here, you can feel the profound culture that is strongly
influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan history, culture, and
religion are just so enchanting and colorful. Numerours tourists
are attracted by its peculiar geological features, magnificent natural
scenery, splendid ethnic culture and characteristic local customs
and practices.
Tourist Train
The train running on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the most advanced
one in China. In order to deal with the terrible environment, the
trains are equipped with unique state of the art technology as they
will be operated with enriched oxygen systems and special UV protection.
The toilet is designed to adopt the vacuum waste collection system.
There are Tight-lock Couplers closely connecting the two compartments
preventing the train from chilling wind.
The train from Beijing to Lhasa is designed in pressurized aircraft-like
carriages. Each of their compartments has two sets of oxygen systems.
One is the "mass style" oxygen providing system, which
will provide oxygen through mixing the oxygen in the air conditioning
system. It will help to maintain the oxygen contents in the air
staying at 23%, which will make passengers feel like being in an
oxygen bar. Another system is oxygen mask, if needed, the passenger
can wear the oxygen mask any time in case of high altitude reaction.
If the train is running at the altitude of more than 4000 meters,
you will feel like being at the altitude of about 3000 meters, 1000
meters lower than the actual altitude. It will relieve the uncomfortable
feeling at high altitude. These measures will make it easier for
passengers to endure the thinner-air on the so-called "roof
of the world".
Moreover, the tourist train will ensure an unique experience with
stunning scenery. It will also carry doctors on board to ensure
the safety of any travelers affected by the high altitude. The various
entertainment activities including Tibetan dancing and Karaoke,
will be possibly provided during the journey.
World Records of Qinghai-Tibet Railway
1. Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the world's highest railway. 960 kilometers'
tracks are located at more than 4,000 meters above sea level and
the highest point is 5,072 meters, at least 200 meters higher than
the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly the world's
most elevated track.
2. The railway is the world's longest plateau railroad. The newly
completed Golmud-Lhasa section zigzags 1,142 kilometers across the
Kunlun and Tanggula mountain ranges.
3. About 550 kilometers of the tracks run on frozen earth, which
is the longest one in the world's.
4. Tanggula Railway Station, 5,068 meters above sea level, is the
highest railway station in the world.
5. Fenghuoshan Tunnel, 4,905 meters above sea level, is the highest
tunnel through frozen earth in the world.
6. Kunlun Mountain Tunnel, running 1,686 meters, is the world's
longest plateau tunnel built on frozen earth.
7. Anduo track-laying base at an altitude of 4704 meters in Tibet
is the highest track laying base in the world.
8. Qingshuihe River Bridge (11.7 kilometers long) is the longest
plateau bridge on frozen earth.
9. Upon its completion, the maximum train speed is designed to
reach 100 kilometers per hour in the frozen earth area and 120 kilometers
per hour in non-frozen earth area.
The Qinghai Lake Scenic Belt
Qinghai lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China and is
also the biggest lake in the country. The lake has an abundant supply
of fish, which in turn attracts large flocks of birds including
many migratory breeds.
Major sights on or around the lake are: Bird Island, Haixin Hill,
Haixi Hill, Sankuaishi (Three Stones), and Sand Island. Every April,
thousands of birds come to the Bird Island to lay eggs and before
winter, they fly south. There was a beautiful legend about Tang
princess on the way to marry in Tibet. This is a place with natural
grassland and where the horses are being bred.
There is an archeological site in West China's Qinghai Province
on the bank of a lake that has been dubbed "lover lake"
that is between 50 to 60 meters high. The site, known by local people
as "the ET relics," is on Mount Baigong, about 40 kilometres
to the southwest of Delingha. On the north of the mountain are twin
lakes dubbed the "Lover Lakes,"( Keluke Lake and Tuosu
Lake) one with fresh water and the other with salty water. The "Lover
Lakes" and the ET relics formed the most fascinating scenic
spots here.
Keluke Lake(fresh lake) is fringed by a large area of reedbed and
flooded grassland which is used for grazing, and the lake itself
has a rich growth of freshwater macrophytes. In the lake were families
of Great Crested and Black-necked Grebe, whilst the surrounding
flooded grasslands held 15 species of breeding waterbirds including
Little and Common Terns, Red-crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelducks, Gadwalls,
Greylag Geese, Redshanks, and Kentish Plovers. Other species recorded
include Golden Eagle and Henderson's Ground Jay. Keluke Lake is
unique in being one of only a few sites in Qinghai Province that
supports a large area of reedbeds and aquatic plants. The importance
of this does not seem to have been considered before, and it seems
that no botanist has visited or surveyed the site.
Even though Tuosu Lake(salt lake) was only some 3 km away, it is
a complete contrast to Keluke Lake. The surrounding landscape was
desert-like with sandstone pinnacles. Although the lake supported
a large number of birds - mainly Brown-headed Gulls (440) and Ruddy
Shelducks (124) - the diversity was much lower. The only signs of
breeding activity, were 3 - 4 broods of Ruddy Shelducks, and a family
of Black-necked Grebes. Apart from a pair of Desert Wheatears, no
nests were found on the island in the centre of the lake, possibly
explained by the number of fox scats and footprints in the sand.
The lake freezes over in winter, allowing terrestrial predators
to get across to the island.
There is a beautiful story about the two lakes. A perfect couple
once lived here. The husband went out to do business on salt but
did not come back for a long time. His wife looked for him all the
way and found him died by the lake. Striken by the sadness, she
died beside her husband too several days later. The husband turned
into the Tuosu Lake and his wife turned into Keluke Lake.
The so-called ET relics structure is located on the south bank
of the salty lake. It looks like a pyramid and is between 50 to
60 metres high. At the front of the pyramid are three caves with
triangular openings. The cave in the middle is the biggest, with
its floor standing 2 metres above the ground and its top 8 metres
above the ground. This cave is about 6 metres in depth and inside
there is a half-pipe about 40 centimetres in diameter tilting from
the top to the inner end of the cave.
Another pipe of the same diameter goes into the earth with only
its top visible above the ground. Above the cave are a dozen pipes
of various diameters which run into the mountain. All the pipes
are red brownish, the same color as that of surrounding rocks. The
two smaller caves have collapsed and are inaccessible. Scattered
about the caves and on the bank of the salty lake are a large number
of rusty scraps, pipes of various diameters and strangely shaped
stones. Some of the pipes run into the lake.
The result shows that they are made up of 30 per cent ferric oxide
with a large amount of silicon dioxide and calcium oxide. Eight per
cent of the content could not be identified. The large content of
silicon dioxide and calcium oxide is a result of long interaction
between iron and sandstone, which means the pipes must be very old.
This result has made the site even more mysterious. Nature is harsh
here. There are no residents, let alone modern industry, in the area,
only a few migrant herdsmen to the north of the mountain."
Someone has suggested that the site might have been a launch tower
left by ET.
Kunlun Mountain Scenic Belt
After traversing through Golmud, the train will enter the Kunlun
Mountain Scenic Belt.
Kunlun Mountain lies in Qinghai Province and the mountains inside
Qinghai all belong to the Kunlun Mountain Range, which used to be
respected as the origin of all mountains or the mountain of dragon
in ancient times. Many fairy tales have something to do with Kunlun
Mountain, such as Chang'e (the goddess of the moon), Xi You Ji (Pilgrim
to the West), and Bai She Zhuan (Legend of the White Snake). The
Kunlun mountains are well known in Chinese mythology and are believed
to be Taoist paradise. The first to visit this paradise was, according
to the legends, King Mu (1001-947 BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty. He supposedly
discovered there the Jade Palace of Huang-Di, the mythical Yellow
Emperor and originator of Chinese culture, and met Hsi Wang Mu,
the Royal Mother of the West, who also had her mythical abode in
these mountains.
Kunlun is not only famous for its grandeur but also the color jade
it produces, and the jade is called Kunlun Jade. Among the snow
and the grassland, rare animals are leaping and skipping, presenting
a beautiful picture of nature. The desert or, at best, steppe conditions
prevailing throughout the Kunluns inhibit development of vegetation.
Much of the terrain consists of rock deserts. Occasional stagnant
water pools provide browsing and water for several wild ungulates,
such as the Tibetan gazelle and Tibetan goat antelope (chiru), along
with large herds of wild asses (kiang) and clusters of wild yaks.
In the more humid western mountains, argali sheep (nayaur and Marco
Polo) graze on the high grasslands. On the upper crags blue sheep,
Ladakh urials, and ibex range sporadically throughout the western
reaches. Willow thickets near watercourses frequently contain brown
bears; wolves are endemic, but the snow leopard is rare. Many migratory
waterfowl visit the lakes during seasonal migration. These highest
peaks are in the Arkatag range of the range complex.
If it is rainy, you may miss the chance to catch the sight of Tibetan
goat antelope (chiru), you may also see fabulous colorful lightning
and experience the thrill of being driven by lightning on a running
train. Of course there is no need to worry about your safety for
the train which is well equipped with Lightning Protection Systems.
The Yangtze River Source Scenic Belt
Neighbouring Kekexili is the Yangtze River Source Scenic Belt. The
source of the Yangtze River is called "Changjiangyuan"
in Chinese. Lying at an altitude of over 5,000 meters it is located
far from the sea in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Mekong River originate in Qinghai,
from which the name of "the source of the rivers" derives.
Snow mountains, ice peaks, deserts, vast pastures and lakes dotted
like stars in the sky and flocks of rare birds and animals weave
its unique, fascinating and colorful natural landscapes.
Tanggula Railway Station, 5,068 meters above sea level, is the
highest railway station in the world and is also the last scenic
spot of the Yangtze River Source Scenic Belt.
Scenic Belt of Qiangtang Grassland
Qiangtang, the meaning of "northern highland", refers
to the north Tibetan plateau. Located in among kunlung mountains,
Tanggula mountains and Ganddis mountains, its land area covers 2/3
of the whole Tibet. Its total area is over 600 thousand square kilometers
averaging about 4000 meters above sea level. Cold, Windy and snowy
for 8 or 9 months in a year and frozen land can be seen everywhere.
An old folk song sings like this: "The mysterious Qiangtang,
it is so wild and desolate when you are here the first time; it
becomes your lovely hometown when you get to know more."
The north of Qiangtang Plateau is even called "No People Area",thus
the place becomes the ideal living area of rare animals,including
the north of the Gangdisi Mountains and Nyainqen-tanggula Mountains
and the wide area south of Kunlun Mountains. Qiang Tang Grasssland
breeds thousands of wild animals,and 40 of them are specially protected
by the state or regional government.Such rare animals as Wild yaks,Bharals,Tibetan
wild donkeys,White-lipped deer,etc.are being well preserved in the
area.Also it is the best preserved area in which rare animals researches
are being carried out.
In Qiangtang Nature Reserve,there are vast prairies and glaciers,numerous
mountains and lakes,hot springs,terrestrial heats.The golden season
is the period from June to September,during which the temperature
can reach 7-12 centigrade degree and the north of Tibetan plateau
will take on a spectacular view before you with gentle wind,mild
sunshine,lush grazing and large number of castles and sheep.
It is also the main base for animal husbandry, having a large range
of pasture land and grass of high quality. The famous "plateau
boat" Yak and Tibetan antelope just live in this area. The
herdsmen's homes "dong wozi" are mostly located by the
foot mountains and the sides of lakes. When summer comes, they put
their simple packing on horseback, wandering and herding around
the boundless prairie, the melodious songs accompanying with their
changing footsteps. The herdsmen shake away the long loneliness
by hardworking and singing in the harsh nature, creating their beautiful
and colorful life.
The Scenic Belt from Nagqu to Lhasa
Holy lakes, holy mountains and mysterious no-man lands in western
Nagqu combine to attract an endless flow of visitors and worshippers.
Of the many skyscraping peaks on the North Tibet Plateau, Sangdainkangsang
is very famous. As one of the five highest peaks in all of Tibet,
the peak is believed to be the powerful protector of Buddhist doctrines.
The peak also changes its dress along with the seasons: it is the
color of milk in the summer, silver in the winter, and bright in
spring and autumn. The peak is skirted by the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.
By the road from Damshung to Nagqu one may meet Eight Pagodas.
It is said that once King Gesar had led his troop here and one of
his generals died in battle. In memory of this brave general, King
Gesar ordered his subjects to build eight pagodas.
Nyainaentanglha is believed by many religious followers to be a
Buddhist guardian. lt is also the major deity in the grasslands
to the north. At the foot of Nyainaentanglha is the Nam Co Lake,
which, with an elevation of 4,718 meters, covers 1,920 square km.
In the shape of a reclining Diamond Tara, the lake has 18 ridges
to the south (including the Tortoise Ridge and the peacock Ridge),
19 islets to the north (including the Ducklslet and the Roc Islet),
and four monasteries surrounding it. Legend has it that Namco is
the daughter of the heavenly king and mother of Nyainqentanglha.
You will also have the chance to catch the view of the famous Yanbajain
Geothermal Power Station and the beautiful Lhasa river. All the beautiful
scenery will accompany you all the way into Lhasa.
In addition to this, Qinghai-Tibet railway provides you an opportunity to
witness this world-beating project: you will view the Sanchahe extra-large
bridge, the highest bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet railway; the
Qingshuihe bridge, one of the longest Bridge-substitute-Road, like
a rainbow across the no man's land zone of Kekexili; Kunlun Mountain
Tunnel, the world's longest plateau tunnel built on frozen earth;
Fenghuoshan Tunnel, the world's most elevated tunnel on frozen earth.
And Yangbajain tunnels. All these architecture miracles in the human
history will provide you a breathtaking scenery.
|
