Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Qinghai-Tibet Railway Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

This railway is the first to connect China proper with the Tibet Autonomous Region, which due to its altitude and terrain is the last province-level entity in the People's Republic of China to have a conventional railway. The line includes the Tanggula Pass, at 5,072 m (16,640 feet) above sea level the world's highest rail track. The 1,338 m Fenghuoshan tunnel is the highest rail tunnel in the world, at 4,905 m above sea level. The 3,345-m Yangbajing tunnel is the longest tunnel on the line. It is 4,264 m above sea level, 80 kilometres north-west of Lhasa. More than 960 km, or over 80% of the Golmud-Lhasa section, is at an altitude of more than 4,000 m. There are 675 bridges, totalling 159.88 km, and about 550 km of the railway is laid on permafrost.

Construction

The construction of the railway was part of the China Western Development strategy, an attempt to develop the western provinces of China, which are much less developed than eastern China. The railway will be extended to Zhangmu via Shigatse to the west, and Dali via Nyingchi to the east. A further extension is planned to link Shigatse with Yadong near the China-India border. The railway is considered one of the greatest feats achieved in modern Chinese history by the government, and as a result is often mentioned on regular TV programs. Chinese-Tibetan folk singer Han Hong has a song called Tianlu (Road to Heaven;) praising and glorifying the Qingzang Railway.

Stations and Trains

Stations

Forty-four railway stations are to be built, among them Tanggula Mountain railway station, at 5,068 m the world's highest (Condor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosi line, Bolivia, and La Galera station at 4,781 m, in Peru, being the next highest). The Qingzang Railway project involved more than 20,000 workers and over 6,000 pieces of industrial equipment, and is considered one of China's major accomplishments of the 21st century.

Trains

Refer to Travel By Train for details about regular trains. Qinghai-Tibet trains are special express trains with some special equipments. Each train has 14 cars including 2 cushioned berths cars for a total of 64 persons, 8 semi-cushioned berths cars for a total of 480 persons, and 4 ordinary seats cars of a total of 392 persons. So the total capacity of the train is 936 persons.

Section from Xining, Qinghai to Golmud

The 815 km section from Xining, Qinghai to Golmud, Qinghai opened to traffic in 1984. Construction of the remaining 1,142 km section from Golmud to Lhasa could not be started until the recent economic growth of China. This section was formally started on 29 June 2001. This section was finished on October 12, 2005, and signalling work and track testing took another eight months. It was completed in five years at a cost of $3.68 billion.

Track-laying to Tanggula Mountain and Lhasa

Track-laying in Tibet was launched from both directions, towards Tanggula Mountain and Lhasa, from Anduo Railway Station on 22 June 2004. On 24 August 2005, track was laid at the railway's highest point, the Tanggula Pass, 5,072 m (16,640 feet) above sea level.

Future Extensions

In a meeting between Chinese and Nepalese officials on April 25, 2008, the Chinese delegation announced that country's intention to extend the Qingzang railway from Lhasa to Khasha on the Nepalese border. Nepal had requested that the railway be extended to enable trade and tourism between the two nations. Construction of the extension is planned to be completed by 2013.

Challenges

There were and are many technical difficulties for such a railway. About half of the second section was built on barely permanent permafrost. In the summer, the uppermost layer thaws, and the ground becomes muddy. Chinese engineers dealt with this problem by building elevated tracks with foundations sunk deep into the ground, building hollow concrete pipes beneath the tracks to keep the rail bed frozen, and using metal sun shades.

Impact

Economic impact

With limited industrial capacity in Tibet, the Tibetan economy heavily relies on industrial products from more developed parts of China. Transport of goods in and out of Tibet was mostly through the Qingzang Highway connecting Tibet to the adjacent Qinghai province, which was built in the early 1950's.

The length and terrain have limited the capacity of the highway, with less than 1 million tons of goods transported each year. With the construction of the Qingzang railway, the cost of transportation of both passengers and goods should be greatly reduced, allowing for an increase in volumethe cost per tonne-kilometer will be reduced from 0.38 RMB to 0.12 RMB. It is projected that by 2010 2.8 million tons will be carried to and from Tibet, with over 75% carried by the railway. This is expected to boost and transform the Tibetan economy.

Environmental impact

The environmental impact of the new railway is an ongoing concern. The increase in passenger traffic will result in greater tourism and economic activity on the Tibetan Plateau. Wood is the main fuel source for rural inhabitants in certain regions of Tibet. The damage to the ecosystem caused by cutting trees for fuel takes years to recover due to slow growth caused by Tibet's harsh environmental conditions.

The railway would make coal, which is not produced in Tibet, an affordable replacement. However, the increase in fuel combustion due to increased human activity in an already-thin atmosphere may affect the long term health of the local population. The effects of this railway on wild animals such as Tibetan antelope and plants are currently unknown. Thirty-three overpasses were constructed specifically to allow continued animal migration.

Evaluation

Tibetans independence supporters have also expressed concerns that the Chinese government will use the railway to strengthen its military presence in the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as to further exploit Tibet's natural resources and damage its environment. As a result, Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian company, has faced international criticism from some pro-independence organizations for its involvement in constructing rail cars for the project.

What to see

There are numerous attractions along the railway waiting for you to explore.

• The Engineering feat - Qinghai-Tibet Railway Experiencing the railway on the roof of the world, and take the train and see them by your own eyes: Qingshuihe, the Grand Qingshuihe Bridge, Kunlun Mount Tunnel, Fenghuo Mount Tunnel, Changjiangyuan Bridge, Tanggula Mount Station, Yanpachen Tunnels, Liuwu Tunnel, the Grand Lhasa River Bridge, Lhasa Railway Station;
• Culture: There are many legends in the area where Qinghai-Tibet railway line goes through. The legendary Princess Wencheng's route into Tibet when she married the first Tibetan King, Songzanganbu, the legend of Kunlun Mountain, Tea-House ancient path, etc;
• Tibetan folk custom: You can experience the life of herdsman in grassland of north Tibet. And there are many festivals for Tibetans, Horse-racing Festival, Tibetan New Year, Shoton Festival with Tibetan operas and gala parties;
• The wild animals: Qinghai-Tibet railway passed through some animal reserves centered around Kekexili for Tibetan Antelopes, Tibetan wild asses, wild yaks, Tibetan sheeps, black bears;
• Adventure tours: Mountain climbing of Yuzhu Peak; Adventure tour to the headstream of Yangtze River; Rafting along the headstream of Yangtze River;
• Ancient relics and historical sites: Qinghai and Tibet boast many historical sites like Ta'er Monastery, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Norbulingka Palace, etc;

Qinghai-Tibet Railway Highlights

Qinghai-Tibet Railway Highlights Related

Qinghai-Tibet Railway FAQ & Travelers's Tips

1. What are most traditional Chinese architectures made of?
2. Which Chinese architecture shouldn't I miss?
3. What are the functions of ancient Chinese city walls?
4. What are the three famous grottos in China?
5. What is Hutong and who live there?
6. Which is the most famous Hutong in Beijing?
7. What is archway? What is archway used for?
8. How did the Chinese architecture develop?
9. What are the most famous gardens in China?
10. What are the little statues on each roof of a traditional Chinese architecture and why some have 11 or 9, and some have 7, 5 or even 3?
11. What should I notice when visiting traditional Chinese architectures or gardens?

1. What are most traditional Chinese architectures made of?

   Due to an undeveloped building skill in the ancient China, there was no architecture that was made of concrete. All the traditional Chinese architectures were made of wood or stone.

   Wood was a kind of material that was easy to find and get. Workers built a building by combining different sizes of wood and after the main construction was completed, the workers would paint the wood with beautiful patterns. The most famous wooden architecture area in China is the Forbidden City which is located in the center of Beijing.

   Stone was also a main kind of material that was used for Chinese architectures. Carving and painting are the main skills. The advantage of stone architectures is that it prevents from fire. Stone can not catch fire so if the inside was on fire, the structure would still remain after the fire is put out. The most famous stone architecture is the Ming Tomb which is located in Beijing.




2. Which Chinese architecture shouldn't I miss?

   Chinese architecture, together with Western and Islamic architecture, is three famous architectural styles. It is generally accepted that traditional Chinese architectural style can be classified into several categories: royal palaces, residential houses, and religious temples and pagodas and tombs.

   Forbidden City is the most famous one of royal palaces. In term of residential houses, Local Resident House of Huizhou is a must-see. There are many religious temples and pagodas in China, such as Temple of Heaven and White Pagoda in Beihai Park. The Ming Tomb is the best-preserved imperial mausoleum structure where buries most emperors. Thirteen of the sixteen Ming emperors are buried in this picturesque valley with orchards and rolling hills.




3. What are the functions of ancient Chinese city walls?

   Chinese city walls refer to civic defensive systems which were used to protect towns and cities in China in pre-modern times. The system consisted of walls, towers, and gates, which were often built to a uniform standard throughout the Empire.

   Extant city walls: City wall of Xi'an, City wall of Pingyao, City Wall of Nanjing, Gate of China, Nanjing; Parts of the city walls of Beijing: Wall of the Forbidden City;and Gates, including Qianmen, Tiananmen, Deshengmen; Walled city of Wanping, and the one near Marco Polo Bridge Gates of Suzhou: Panmen Gate.




4. What are the three famous grottos in China?

   They are Yungang Grottoes in Datong city, Shanxi Province, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province and Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu Province.

   • The 53 grottoes in Yungang Grottos include some 1,000 niches with about 51,000 statues - a treasure-trove of cave art that combines traditional Chinese art forms with foreign influence, particularly Greek and Indian. Sculptures here are noted for their vigorous features and rich variety.
   • Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province is a treasure house of ancient Buddhist cave art. Altogether there are 1,352 caves, 785 niches, more than 97,000 statues of the Buddha, Bodhisativas, and Arhats, and 3,680 inscribed stone tablets along the 1-km-long cliff of Mt. Longmen on the west and Mt. Xiangshan on the east of the Yihe River south of Luoyang.
   • Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu Province is the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world. Today, 492 caves still stand, containing some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals.



5. What is Hutong and who live there?

   Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China.

   In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighbourhoods.Since the mid-20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history.

   Many people think that only poor people live in the hutongs. That's not right. Many of them have their own business, jobs. There are all kinds of electrical appliances in their home. People there have a modernized residential environment. People who live in Hutongs are mostly elder people, sometimes with their children and grandchildren. Hutong represents an important culture element of Beijing city. The hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history. Some people even think that living in Hutong is a luxury way of life.




6. Which is the most famous Hutong in Beijing?

   Hutongs located in Rear Lake Area are very popular among foreigners. Hutong's history is longer than Beijing. Hutong is one of the unique special features in Beijing. There are thousands of Hutongs here surrounding the Forbidden City, most of which came into being in the dynasties Yuan, Ming, Qing. Old local residents have a saying "There are 360 large Hutongs and as many small Hutongs as there are hairs on an ox." And with the development of the economy and city constructions, there are mainly 4000 Hutongs in Beijing at present.

   Hutong Tour is very popular among foreigners these days. You can visit their homes in Hutong. The most interesting thing is that you can learn to make dumplings on your own if you like and I will be a very interesting experience for you.




7. What is archway? What is archway used for?

   Chinese Archway is a special branch of Chinese ancient architecture. Chinese Archways symbolize honor, showing glory and achievements, and memorializing important people or events. Memorial Archways are an outcome of Chinese feudal society. One of very fancying archway is TangYue Memorial Arches Complex in Shexian, Anhui Province.




8. How did the Chinese architecture develop?

   During the slave society of the Xia and Shang dynasties (21st-11th century BC), houses varied according to the caste of the inhabitants. Most slaves still lived in pit-style houses. The slave owners lived in much better, on-the-ground houses with rammed earth walls. Their houses had one or more rooms, and the earth floors were hard and smooth after being heated by fire. Some slave owners not only demanded human sacrifices for burials but also buried the slaves as sacrifices below their houses. Unearthed so far, the grandest structure of the slave period is a palace built in the early Shang Dynasty at Erlitou, Yanshi County, Henan Province. The buildings stood on a 10,000-square-metre terrace of rammed earth. In the middle was an eight-bay wide, three-bay deep palatial hall with a hipped roof and double eaves. The main gate was on the southern side of the terrace encircled by galleries.

   The Western Zhou Dynasty (1066-771 BC) saw a marked development in architecture in ancient China. Members of the royal family and aristocrats were granted land on which they could set up their feudal states. As a result, building activities increased. Excavation of early Zhou palace sites in Qishan, Shaanxi, indicates that a pattern had evolved with main buildings, porches, the front and back courtyards all on a single axis. Roofing material also improved with the advent of earth tiles, which were used to cover the ridge and gutters. People plastered the rammed walls and floors with a mixture of soil, lime and sand, which gives a hard and smooth surface. They also learned to make the north walls of their houses thicker than the rest to resist the strong and cold winds. But a significant architectural development of theis period was the invention of corbel brackets, called dougong in Chinese, which are inserted on column heads to support the projecting eaves. These later became a unique feature of classical Chinese architecture.

   In the next few hundred years the economy and commerce thrived. The construction of elevated terraces became popular as the rulers of each feudal state used "lofty terraces and magnificent palaces" to flaunt their wealth and power. This craze for architectural grandeur culminated during the reign of Emperor Qinshihuang, the first emperor of ancient China who unified the country in 221 BC.

   The Qin ruler, who was also associated with the building of the Great Wall, and the massive terracotta army in Xi'an. It was so gigantic and extravagant that when the peasant rebels burned it, the fire ragged for three weeks. The erecting imperial palaces on elevated terraces continued in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), as seen in the Forbidden City.

   Architects of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) demonstrated very sophisticated techniques. Corbel brackets were widely used. Meanwhile multi-storied buildings appeared and many different roof styles evolved, such as the gabled roof, hipped roof, and double-eaved roof, all featuring sweeping slopes with upturned eaves and tilted corners. The large overhangs were merely for artistic effect but functional, keeping out the rain and sunlight. The making of bricks as a building material also occurred in the Han Dynasty some 2,000 years ago. One engraved tomb brick found in Sichuan Province illustrates the residence of an aristocrat which consisted of several courtyards separated by galleries.

   The Tang Dynasty was a period of great prosperity. Construction of palaces, Buddhist temples and pagodas flourished. The ancient people began to use glazed tiles and carved stones in bulding. Brick walls were common in Tang structure, but this did not change the unique and prominent feature of the classical Chinese architecture-the timber framework composed of columns, beams, purlins and a multitude of corbel brackets. There is an old saying: "The walls may topple down but the roof won't collapse", meaning the function of a wall is not to support the weight of the roof but to separate the space. Because of this, windows and doors could be made in the walls freely without causing the building to collapse.

   Another advantage of the structures lies in the fact that the buildings are earthquake-resistant. This accounted for the preservation of many centuried-old structure in quake-proof areas such as the Foguang (Buddha Light) Temple in the Wutai Mountains, built in 857; and the 67.31-metre high wooden pagoda of Yingxian in Shanxi. Built in 1056, it is the oldest surviving timber pagoda in China and the tallest timber building in the world. The thriving economy of the Tang Dynasty also led to a building rivalry among aristocrats and wealthy officials. The imperial court finally had to stipulate standards of residential construction according to social status. For instance, it ruled that officials under the rank of duke were not entitled to houses with double-arched ceilings;officials below the third class (ancient officials were divided roughly into nine classes) were confined to five-bay houses; the common people could only build three-bay houses. Private households were not allowed to construct towers overlooking other people's residences. But the Tang emperors themselves indulged in building a gigantic and magnificent capital, and Chang'an (now Xi'an) was constructed according to an ambitious layout that was copied in varying degrees by late dynasties, even spreading its influence to the ancient Japanese capitals of Kyoto and Nara.

   Architectural art reached an advanced level in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when more and more elegant flexible designs were created, featuring polygonal, multi-eaved roofs, intricate ceiling structures, finely carved doors, windows, colunms and brackets. Lattices on windows and doors also became popular in the period. These are more than ornamental for they facilitate the mounting of paper to admit light. Glass was not introduced to China until very late.

   The building techniques of stone and brick structures grew very sophisticated in the Song period, as it manifested by the appearance of a number of vaulted beamless structures built entirely of bricks and stones. The most well-known beamless hall is Wuliangdian in Nanjing's Linggu Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

   In the Ming and Qing dynasties timber shortages gave birth to jointing and paneling techniqies, by which huge columns and beams could be made out of small fragments of wood. Meanwhile, beams and columns were connected directly, thus simplifying the superstructure and relegating brackets to ornamental adjuncts on the eaves. However, the simple timber structure did not prevent the architects of the time from making their builings opulent. In face, the Ming and Qing palaces represented the culmination of architectural extravagance, mainly through the extensive use of yellow glazed tiles, purple-red walls, while marble balustrades, ornate wood, stone and metal carvings, gilding, lacquering, painting and inlaying.




9. What are the most famous gardens in China?

   Classic Chinese gardens are a special aspect in traditional Chinese culture and art. A Chinese garden mixes man-made landscape with natural scenery, architecture, painting, literature, calligraphy, and horticulture.

   They can be classified into imperial gardens and private gardens. The imperial gardens in Beijing are the most famous, such as Summer Palace; while the most famous private gardens are the gardens in Suzhou and Hangzhou.




10. What are the little statues on each roof of a traditional Chinese architecture and why some have 11 or 9, and some have 7, 5 or even 3?

    Those little statues are holly animals in the ancient China. They are used for warding off evil spirits and disasters. The number of the statues symbolizes which class the own of the building belongs to. The highest number is 11, which are usually seen in imperial buildings like the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Forbidden City. The lowest number is 3 and they are used on the roof of common people.

11. What should I notice when visiting traditional Chinese architectures or gardens?

    Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. Most gardens or traditional architecture areas, like the Forbidden City, usually take up large size of land. It takes a long time to see all the important sightseeing of one area. So, comfortable clothes and shoes are strongly recommended.

    Do not smoke. A lot of traditional Chinese architectures were made of woods which are easy to catch fire. Smoking may cause fire and burn down one of the most precious Chinese treasure. Furthermore, many trees are planted in side the areas or gardens, which are easy to catch fire too.

    Be gentle with all the architectures. Although wood and stone are much stronger than your body, still be gentle with all of them. Most traditional Chinese architectures have a long history, and have been suffering from bad weathers, so they are all delicate.