Every driver on this road lights a cigarette and then tosses it out the car window for the wind to carry away. This action may seem odd, but it carries a significant meaning.
This main artery winds through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, connecting the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan Plateau in western China. The primary purpose of constructing this road was political and economic, aimed at enhancing communication and the central government’s control over border regions.
In 1950, the mission to build the Sichuan-Tibet Highway was initiated, with a starting point in Ya’an, Sichuan, and an endpoint in Lhasa, Tibet. This nearly 2,000 km road took eight years to complete. Simultaneously, another highway starting from Chengdu, Sichuan, was constructed, totaling 2,146 km in both northern and southern routes, which was also completed in 1958.
The connection of the northern and southern routes of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway marked a significant milestone in the history of road transportation in China. Lhasa was finally able to connect more conveniently with other regions of China, opening new business and living opportunities for the Tibetan people.
This road connects the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan Plateau in western China.
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway is one of the modern engineering marvels and is considered one of the most beautiful yet dangerous highways in China. The construction of this highway was an engineering feat that required modern technologies and construction techniques to navigate treacherous and harsh terrains.
Challenges in Construction
The elevation of the Sichuan-Tibet route reaches a maximum of 5,014 meters, necessitating the crossing of more than ten snow-capped mountains year-round. Physiological issues such as altitude sickness and oxygen deficiency severely impacted the stamina of the workers. Ice and melting snow posed significant challenges, requiring geologists to conduct careful surveys and avoid hazardous areas.
The climate on the plateau changes rapidly, often bringing rain and snow, which poses a great threat to construction safety. Advanced meteorological monitoring equipment has provided timely warnings, but the complex terrain and geological disasters still frequently occur, necessitating a scientific and reasonable road design.
The greatest challenge they faced was the lack of precedents to draw experience from. The complex geological terrain in Tibet posed significant uncertainties for surveying and mapping. Engineers could only gradually determine the route through on-site surveys.
This is one of the most beautiful highways in China.
This road is situated at a very high altitude above sea level, traversing the majestic mountains and vast plateaus of Tibet. The significant elevation difference makes travel on this route very difficult and dangerous.
They traveled day and night, sometimes hiking up steep peaks to verify a turning point, and at other times venturing deep into uninhabited canyons to avoid geologically sensitive areas. At Everest Base Camp, they measured the highest road sign in the world at that time—5,200 meters above sea level.
The Significance of the Road
After much hardship, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway was fully connected in 1958, establishing a bridge between the eastern and western parts of inland China. This vital road has revitalized the economic and social development of Tibet, opening a new chapter in the lives of the local people.
Every year, during the Lunar New Year, a large number of migrant workers from other regions book tickets in advance to return home, creating long traffic scenes on this road. Whether happy or sad, people rush back to their hometowns, reflecting on the ups and downs of the past year, with car headlights illuminating the road ahead.
This route is known to be very dangerous due to steep terrain, harsh weather, the risk of landslides, and altitude sickness. However, it also offers travelers breathtaking natural scenery, with snow-covered mountains, glaciers, crystal-clear lakes, and lush green valleys.
Cigarettes are often discarded to honor the contributions and sacrifices of the construction workers.
A Cigarette on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway stretches thousands of kilometers, connecting regions in the eastern and western parts of China. However, this road was built on the sacrifices of countless individuals. Every time one drives on the steep and dangerous mountain roads, they often toss cigarettes out to remember the contributions and sacrifices of the construction workers.
During the construction of the northern route, more than 2,000 people lost their lives, primarily due to natural disasters such as landslides.
The practice of lighting a cigarette and letting it fly in the wind has become a unique cultural landscape along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, passed down from generation to generation. With the development of Tibetan tourism, this custom has also become a phenomenon for many tourists to imitate. This is not only an expression of external culture but also contains profound historical memories of the Chinese people.
