Highway Transportation

　　Highway transportation constitutes the lifeline of Tibet's socio-economic development. Handicapped by historical and geographical factors, old Tibet possessed neither a genuine highway, nor an automobile for civilian use. Man power and beasts of burden were the sole means of transport, and this con tributed to slow socio-economic development. In the 40-plus years since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, Tibet has witnessed great development in communication and transportation links due to the loving care of the Central Government and the generous support of people throughout China. The Sichuan-Tibet, Qinghai-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, Xinjiang-Tibet and China-Nepal highways were built, and air and pipeline transportation developed. Highway transport mileage has reached a total of 21,842 km. Transport is comparatively convenient for both people and cargo in the autonomous region, with the existing 27,162 civilian automobiles transporting 700,000 tons of cargo and 450,000 passengers a year. Transportation bureaus have been set up in seven cities and prefectures in Tibe. A total of 18 institutions and companies involved intransport are directly under the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, such as the Highway Engineering Corporation, the Highway Administrative Bureau, the Automobile Transport Corporation, the Automobile Passenger Transport Corporation, the Highway Survey and Designing Institute, the Transport Industrial Corporation, the Automobile Industrial Trade Corporation and the Transport Science Research Institute.
　　 The on-going reform and opening-up program has instilled new vitality into the growth of transport in Tibet. Highway construction is progressing rapidly, and road surface quality is constantly improving. Faster economic development calls for advanced development of communications and transportation. During the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000), Tibet will strive to build up a Lhasa-based highway transport network using the Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet and China-Nepal highways as its arteries, and basing on economic development in the Yarlung Zangbo-Lhasa-Nyang Qu river valley. This transport network will also include local aviation and pipeline transport services.
　　 Prior to Tibet's peaceful liberation in 1951, travel in Tibet was notoriously difficult. In the entire 1.2 million square km area, there was neither a single real highway nor a permanent bridge. The Records of Tibet published in 1930 describes the transport situation in Tibet with such words as "rocks dotting here and there block the way of man and horses.'' An untold number of slaves and serfs died tragic deaths on the long roads while doing corvee labor for the nobles, serf-owners and monasteries. At that time, it took from six months to a year to make the return trip from Lhasa to Xining in Qinghai Province or Ya'an in Sichuan Province. Rope bridges spanning rivers, along with yak hide rafts and dugout canoes, were the only methods of crossing rivers available. A few large horse-headed punts could be found in service at a small number of ferries.
　　 In 1907, Roderick O'Connor, a British commercial charge d'affaires stationed in Gyangze, drove his Chryment motor vehicle across the Himalayan pass into Tibet. He used the car to shuttle along a make-shift road between Gyangze and Pagri, followed by yaks as insurance against being trapped due to a breakdown. It was abandoned after three trips because of vehement opposition from local people and poor road conditions. That was the first car ever to be used in Tibet.
　　 In 1928, the 13th Dalai Lama purchased two cars. They were dismantled in India for shipment to Lhasa. As there was no highway in Lhasa, the cars only traveled back and forth between the Potala Palace and Norbu Lingka, a distance spanning a little over one km. By 1948, four horse-drawn carts appeared in Lhasa. Transport conditions in Tibet before 1951 were indeed poor.
　　 In 1950, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) marched into Tibet, following the order of the late Chairman Mao Zedong to "march while building roads.'' More than 100,000 soldiers and civilians spent five years fighting with the Henduan Mountains, the Nujiang River and the snow-capped Kunlun Mountain area in order to build the Sichuan-Tibet and the Qinghai-Tibet highways. These highways stretch for 4,360 km through this "Life Forbidden Area'' perched on the Roof of the World with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters. On December 25, 1954, the two highways reached Lhasa, putting an end to the history of "man joining beasts of burden toiling along the ancient Tang-Tubo Road, a road featuring plank paths cut into cliffs, rope bridges spanning rivers and dugout boats.'' A new era of modern transportation dawned in Tibet.
　　 The Sichuan-Tibet Highway extends from Chengdu in Sichuan Province in the east to Lhasa in Tibet in the west, with the Tibetan section including 1,304 km of road. The highway plays an important role in developing the economic association between Tibet and various provinces in southwest China. It crosses the Henduan, Nyainqentanglha and Kangdese mountains as well as the Jinshajiang, Langcangjiang, Nujiang and Yarlung Zangbo rivers, passing through Qamdo, Nyingchi and Lhasa in addition to eight remote counties.
　　 The Qinghai-Tibet Highway extends 1,948 km from Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, in the north to Lhasa in the south, with the Golmud-Lhasa Section totalling 1,155 km. The highway winds across highland hilly and perennial permafrost areas, with an average elevation of 4,000 meters. Construction of the highway, which goes across the skyscraping Kunlun and Tangula mountains, the vast Gobi Desert and large extracts of grasslands, was a monumental achievement of engineering.
　　 Construction and opening of the Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet highways represents mankind's triumph over nature. More than 3,000 people died heroic deaths while building the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. During construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, road builders worked with great perseverance to extend the highway to Lhasa via the "Life Forbidden Area'' in only seven months.
　　 Construction of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways displayed the heroic spirit of the PLA men joining hands with the tenacity of the Tibetan people, an enduring symbol of the big family of the motherland.
　　 The State Council of the People's Republic of China attaches great importance to the transport situation in Tibet. In 1955, the Chinese Ministry of Communications set up its Tibet Bureau in Lhasa to provide unified leadership over transportation along the Kangding-Tibet Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, plus road maintenance and management work. The bureau was also put in charge of local transport work in the whole of Tibet. In 1956, the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region set up its Communications Section. Establishment and gradual perfection of this organic leadership structure made it possible for road construction to forge ahead in a well-planned manner.
　　 In October 1955, the Lhasa-Xigaze, Xigaze-Gyangze and Yadong highways were opened to traffic, marking the beginning of trunk highway construction in Tibet. This was followed by construction of the Nagqu-Ngari (Gartog), Lhasa-Zetang, Xigaze-Tingri, Quxu-Gyangze, Lhaze-Burang and Nagqu-Qamdo highways. In April 1956, construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway began. The highway, which was opened to traffic in October 1957, extends 1,179 km from Yecheng County in Xinjiang to Gartog, the capital of the Ngari Prefecture in Tibet. It is the highest road in the world. Construction of the Tingri-Friendship Bridge Section of the China-Nepal Highway began in June 1962, and the part of the highway inside China borders entered service in June 1965.
　　 Beginning in the 1950s, Tibet undertook to design, build and repair permanent bridges. The Qinghai-Tibet Highway saw the construction of the reinforced concrete Tutu River Bridge in September 1958, and the reinforced concrete Tongtianhe River Bridge in September 1964.
　　 In 1964, when the 10th anniversary of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways was celebrated, Tibet announced that 61 counties and 266 townships were now accessible by road. Convenient transport spurred construction of automobile repair, brick, salt, leather and borax factories, along with increases in the number of coal mines and farms, all of which combined to stimulate economic development in Tibet. By 1974, when the 20th anniversary of the two highways was celebrated, highway mileage had registered an increase of 20 percent over the 1964 number and increased close to 800 percent since the early 1950s when the two highways were first opened to traffic. About 97 percent of counties and 75 percent of districts were accessible by road, and 374 permanent bridges of varied size had been constructed, including those spanning the Yarlung Zangbo, Nujiang, Langcangjiang, Shiquanhe, Nyang Qu, Lhasa, Nyang and Nagqu rivers.
　　 By 1984, when the 30th anniversary of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways was celebrated, the transportation situation in Tibet had further improved. Highway mileage added up to 21,611 km and the number of civilian automobiles reached 20,000. From 1974 to 1985, the Central Government invested more than 800 million yuan in renovating the Golmud-Lhasa Section of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Some 20,000 PLA soldiers and Tibetans worked for 12 years to build a second-grade asphalt road, which is the highest and longest in the world. Renovation of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway ushered in a new era of highway construction in China, and provided valuable experience in the construction of asphalt roads in permafrost areas found at high elevations in the lower latitudes. Forty-odd years of road construction has nurtured a great number of highway and bridge companies which are well equipped and composed mainly of Tibetan workers.
　　 The last 10 years have seen faster development of Tibet's transportation infrastructure, with more higher-grade highways being built than ever before. Following the reconstruction of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, in 1991the Central Government invested 800 million yuan in renovating the perennially frozen part of the highway, and in paving with asphalt the Lhasa-Gonggar Highway and the Lhasa-Xigaze Section of the China-Nepal Highway. As a result, 1,500 km of highways have been paved with asphalt; the Zhamog-Medog Highway is open to traffic; and the goal of connecting all counties with highways has been obtained. At present, highway mileage in the Tibet Autonomous Region totals 21,842 km, of which 17,981 km are considered well cared ; and 1,172 km are considered second grade. There are five national highways in the autonomous region, totalling 5,505 km in mileage. The Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, Xinjiang-Tibet and China-Nepal highways link Tibet with China's hinterland as well as with South Asian countries. A highway network centered around Lhasa has thus taken shape.
　　 In the last 40 years or more, highway transport has witnessed constant growth. Nowadays, there are 27,162 civilian automobiles in the Tibet Autonomous Region, a number which basically satisfies needs for local recreation, industrial and agricultural production, and livestock breeding as well.
　　 The development of transport plays a key role in Tibet's economic and social development. All equipment needed for the 105 projects aided by the Central Government departments and various provinces, municipalities directly under the Central Government and autonomous regions, along with relief materials for disaster-stricken areas, materials in aid of agricultural production, and power generators for the Yamzhog Yumco Pump Storage Power Station are transported into Tibet by highway.
　　 Development of highway transport contributes both to the reform efforts and to tourism and cultural exchange within the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet now knows more of the world and vice versa.
　　 Development of highway transport also brings about development of distribution centers skirted by highways, and nurtures the rising of new towns. Some towns have emerged as local political, economic and cultural centers. They include Nagqu Town by the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Qamdo and Bayi towns by the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Zetang Town by the Lhasa-Zetang Highway, and Xigaze and Zham towns by the China-Nepal Highway. Township enterprises mushroom near areas with good transportation links. Easy accessibility by highway makes it possible for Tibet to introduce advanced technology and equipment to China's hinterland for local economic and social development.
　　 The past 40-plus years have also witnessed the formation of large transport companies and administrative institutions in response to Tibet's economic and social development.
　　 The Highway Engineering Corporation possesses a formidable ability to independently build highways and bridges. Thus far, it has built more than 30 large and medium-sized bridges spanning the Yarlung Zangbo, Quxu, Gangga, Toxa and some other rivers. The corporation has also been involved in the renovation of the Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet and China-Nepal highways, and major trunk roads within the autonomous region. The corporation has under it five engineering companies and one engineering and transport company. Its 305 large engineering machines and 261 construction vehicles place the corporation's mechanization rate at over 75 percent. The corporation boasts fixed assets amounting to 93 million yuan and is in a position to complete more than 100 million yuan of construction investment. It has been designated by the Chinese Ministry of Communications as a Top Quality Enterprise. It is also one of the 66 state key enterprises in Tibet. The Chinese Ministry of Construction and the China State Statistical Bureau rated it one of the Top 100 Construction Companies in China in 1992. Also in 1992, the corporation became one of the Top 500 Construction Companies With Best Economic Returns in China, and one of the Top 25 Construction Enterprises With Best Economic Returns in China's Transport Field.
　　 The Highway Administrative Bureau has a total payroll of 4,386, including 228 technical personnel. It administers transport bureaus in six prefectures and one city, which are altogether responsible for the maintenance of 5,505 km of national highways, 3,231.9 km of provincial highways, and 245.6 km of county- and township-level highways. As Tibet is the only region in China which is inaccessible by railway, most materials are transported into Tibet by highway, a fact which clearly demonstrates the importance of highways in Tibet's economic construction. This bureau therefore shoulders the heavy task of ensuring the smooth transport of materials by highway.
　　 Highway survey and designing institutes experienced expansion in the last 40-odd years. The Survey Team which was active in the early 1950s when the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways were first opened to traffic has grown in strength, emerging as the Survey and Designing Institute, which boasts three survey teams and one drilling team. Since its inception, the institute has completed the survey and design of 632 km of second-grade highways, 635 km of third-grade highways and 1,505 km of fourth-grade highways. In addition, it has designed 15 extra-large bridges with a total length of 4,397 meters, and 70 large and medium-size bridges with a total length of 5,536 meters. The Dagze Suspension Bridge, the Toxa Bridge and the Nyemo Bridge, all of which were designed by the institute, have received prizes from the Chinese Ministry of Communications. During the on-going reform program, the institute has taken the lead in following enterprise management with great success.
　　 Scientific research institutions for highway transport have contributed vastly to the investigation, prevention and treatment of pests plaguing materials to be used for highway construction, the testing and management of highway bridges, the introduction and application of new technology, the test driving of automobiles, and the efficient use of energy. They joined hands with the Lanzhou Glaciers and Permafrost Research Institute and the Desert Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chengdu Mountains Institute to investigate and treat such natural disasters as mud-rock flow, permafrost, landslides, snowstorms and drift sand. They have also worked hard to promote the use of cation emulsified asphalt in Tibet.
　　 Spurred on by the market economy, the Tibetan transport industry has branched out into many comprehensive enterprises engaged in automobile repair, automobile transport, mining, the chemical industry and the production of building materials. The Lhasa Communications Industrial Corporation is one of the Top 250 Enterprises in Terms of Materials Consumed for the Production of a Given Amount of Output Value and first among the 50 Industrial Enterprises With Best Economic Returns.
　　 The Automobile Industrial and Trade Corporation has grown from an auto parts supplier to a large commercial company which sells varieties of heavy-duty automobiles, luxury passenger cars, auto parts and components, building materials, and road building and maintenance machinery. Its annual sales top 100 million yuan.
　　 Transport education has developed equally fast. Thus far, Tibet has started TV secondary schools, built one ordinary middle school and over 10 primary schools, all of which specialize in training people for the transport field.
　　 The Communications Commission of the Tibet Autonomous Region has set a long-term goal for the transport industry in Tibet: Increasing the handling capacity of the three south-north and two east-west trunk highways in or after the early 21st century; building six outlets at Zayu, Cona, Yadong, Nyalam, Burang and Sibgyi.
　　 The three south-north and two east-west trunk highways will bisect major economic zones in Tibet, link up with Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan, and connect with Burma, India, Sikkim, Bhuttan, Nepal and Kashmir through the six outlets. They form a short-cut allowing Tibet entry to South and Central Asia, and also opens a route from west China to South and Central Asia. Tibet will go all out to achieve this goal.