Highway Guardian
The Qinghai-Tibet Highway starts in Xining, the provincial seat of Qinghai, and ends in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Open to traffic in 1954, it is the highest, longest asphalt highway in the world, with its highest point at Tanggula Pass, 5,231 meters above sea level. In winter, its surface can get as cold as minus 40 degrees centigrade.
Such a thoroughfare would not stay smooth without extensive care. Mar Dim is one of its caretakers. As head of Maintenance Squad 109, or MS109, for the 14th section in Amdo County, Mar’s mission is checking and maintaining a total length of over 40 kilometers.
Born in 1961, Mar follows the footsteps of his mother, a firstgeneration highway guardian. Since his childhood, he has learned to mend permafrost-cracked pavement. Traffic has been busy because the road is the best-kept, safest highway on the roof of the world. “When I was a child, I often counted 500 trucks, each carrying tons of cement or food, passing, daily," recalls Mar.
In 1977, at the age of 16, Mar joined MS109, when the team had 40 members. They started work at 5 o’clock in the morning, with shovels on their shoulders. They usually trekked two hours to their work area. Everyone was assigned a one-kilometer section.
After some time, most of the first-generation members retired. The crew shrank to a few more than 10, so each of them had to take care of three to four kilometers – in extreme cold, with little oxygen. Even with his physical strength and local background, Mar had to recharge himself with oxygen after a long day. “Actually, I didn’t feel sick until after I turned 40,” he clarifies.
1953: Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army build the Sichuan-Tibet Highway on sheer cliffs. On December 25, 1954, the Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet highways opened to traffic, ending Tibet’s glaring lack of a central highway. Locals along the way bid farewell to the days of primitive transportation that had persisted for centuries.
Mar Dim (left) with his coworkers. As head of Maintenance Squad 109, or MS109, serving Qinghai-Tibet Highway’s 14th section in Amdo County, Mar’s mission is to check and maintain a stretch of road of over 40 kilometers long, with its highest point, Tanggula Pass, at 5,231 meters above sea level. by Tang ZhaomingIn 1985, the entire highway was repaved with asphalt, and mechanization represented by small loaders made maintenance easier. They started going to work in minivans, which cut travel time to an hour.
In 2001, because of construction of the Gadla section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the part of the highway under the care of MS109 saw a sudden growth in traffic for transporting building materials: As many as 10,000 vehicles passed over MS109’s charge in just 24 hours. Mar and his colleagues camped along the highway and observed the road conditions around the clock.
Tibet has opened its door wider to the outside world thanks to the improvement of its transportation from highways to railways. During the construction of the Gadla section, Mar learned to speak some Mandarin and learned more about the outside world thanks to contact with construction workers, with whom he frequently chatted over his buttered tea.
On July 1, 2006, the 1,956-kilometer-long Qinghai-Tibet Railway began operation, greatly reducing the strain on the highway. “Many visitors have turned to trains,” notes Mar. “Today, most of the vehicles I see are transporting cargo. The lighter traffic flow has eased damage to the highway.”
Mar was so excited that he took his daughter on a trip by train soon after it opened. “It was really beautiful!” he exclaimed. “I know how difficult it is to build a railway like this.” The father and daughter traveled for three days. “It was a lot of fun and only cost 60 yuan for a one-way ticket,” he adds.
“Today, most of my team is over 40,” explains Mar. “And the job isn’t that laborious thanks to mechanical assistance.” He retired this year, and his first daughter will work for a company devoted to road and bridge construction. “It’s tough trade for a girl, but I’m glad to see her carrying on my legacy.”
60-Year Road: Deep Chasm to Thoroughfare
Weak transportation infrastructure was a major problem plaguing Tibet before its peaceful liberation in 1951, at which time the central government began investing in its improvement. Today, a dynamic, sophisticated transportation network has been woven with highways, railways, and airports. Road: On December 25, 1954, the Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet highways opened to traffic, ending the region’s glaring lack of a central highway. Locals along the way bid farewell to the days of primitive transportation that had persisted for centuries. Now, the total length of the region’s highways exceeds 70,000 kilometers, with traffic lines radiating in every direction: towards the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan to the east, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the west, Qinghai Province to the north, and India and Nepal to the south. Air: On March 1, 1965, air traffic between Beijing, Chengdu and Lhasa began with the founding of Tibet Airlines. Today, Tibet has five airports: Lhasa Gonggar Airport at the center, Bengda in Qamdo County, Mainling in Nyingchi County, Gunsa in Ngari Prefecture, and Xigaze Peace Airport. Rail: On July 1, 2006, the 1,956-kilometer-long railway began operation, connecting Qinghai and Tibet as the highest, longest railway on the planet. Safely running for more than 10 years, it has contributed tremendously to local economic development, injecting annual average growth rate of over 10 percent.
June 26, 2007: The replacement of bridges for roads and rails has greatly improved the ecological system on the northern Tibetan grassland. On July 1, 2006, the 1,956-kilometer-long railway began operation, connecting Qinghai and Tibet as the highest, longest railway on the planet. by Phurbu Tashi
September 29, 2014: The Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Amdo County, Nagqu Prefecture. Today, the total length of Tibet’s highways exceeds 70,000 kilometers. by Wang Song
June 21, 2016: A Tibetan mother from Qinghai Province plays with her baby on Train No. Z917, shuttling between Qinghai and Tibet. The rail has safely operated without incident for more than 10 years. by Wu Gang
June 10, 2016: Part of the new district on the eastern outskirts of Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has fueled urban development along the way on the Tibet Plateau. by Liu Dongjun