Map showing the area around Mount Tanggula (6070 m) on the border between Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region |
Tibetan plateau along the Qinghai-Tibet border |
Tanggula Mountains, Qinghai-Tibet border region |
Tanggula Mountains, Qinghai-Tibet border region |
Tibetan Plateau from the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Snowy and desolate Tibetan Plateau |
Soon after the Qinghai-Tibet border, the clouds partially cleared |
Isolated settlement along the railroad (N32.722/E91.518) near Zhajiazangbu Railway |
A tributary flows to join the Za'gya Zangbo River |
Za'gya Zangbo, a large river in northern Tibet |
Za'gya Zangbo, a large river in northern Tibet |
The railroad crossing a dirt road, northern Tibet |
Crossing the Zhajiazangbu River (Tsagya Tsangpo, Za'gya Zangbo) |
Zhajiazangbu River (Tsagya Tsangpo, Za'gya Zangbo) |
Zhajiazangbu River (Tsagya Tsangpo, Za'gya Zangbo) |
Zhajiazangbu River (Tsagya Tsangpo, Za'gya Zangbo) |
Shallow streams and rivers criss-crossing a desolate snowy plain (N32.512/E91.532) |
A narrow dirt road following the railroad tracks |
Passing Tuoju (U-nyok Chu) Station - km 1499 |
Mountain at N32.381/E91.596, 15 km north of Amdo, but 25 km following the tracks |
Bend in the tracks, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Road bridge between Tuoju and Amdo |
Mountain at N32.381/E91.596 |
Occasionally I spotted wildlife but they were difficult to photograph |
A dusting of snow on the hillside |
Snow covered mountain along the railroad |
Tibetan plateau between Tuoju and Amdo |
Dirt road and drainage gutter beside the tracks |
Looking back at the big bend south of Tuoju Station |
Snow cover increases as the train climbs over higher terrain |
Fences line the railroad tracks for much of the way |
Rugged terrain 10 km outside Amdo |
Nearing Amdo from the north |
Amdo sits on a plain surrounded by mountains |
Amdo sits on a plain surrounded by mountains |
Cuona Lake (4595m - N32.02/E91.51) |
Cuo Na Hu (Cnona Lake) Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Sign in Chinese and Tibetan at Cuo Na Hu Station, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Dark cloud building beyond Cuonaho Lake, Tibet |
Cuonahu Lake, Tibet - km 1553 on the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Prayer flags on the shore of Cuonahu Lake, Tibet |
Cuonaho Lake, Tibet |
Tibet Highway crossing a river (N31.805/E91.546) near Liantonghe Station |
Tributary of the Nu Jiang River which becomes the Salween River in Burma |
Industrial plant near Gang Xiu station |
Communications towers at each of the stations provides near continuous mobile phone coverage |
Gang Xiu Station, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad km 1632 |
Tibetan Plateau between Gangxiu and Nagchu |
Qinghai Tibet Railroad - tracks |
Outskirts of Nagchu, Tibet |
The first large town in Tibet, Nagchu, in the distance |
Nagchu, Tibet |
Arriving at Nagchu, Tibet |
Construction on the outskirts of Nagchu, Tibet |
Warehouses under construction, Nagchu, Tibet |
Freight terminal at Nagchu, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Freight terminal at Nagchu, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Nagchu Tibet |
Nagchu, Tibet |
Chinese soldiers in formation, Nagchu, Tibet |
Na Qu Station (4513m) km 1650 - the highest station on the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Na Qu Station, Nagchu, Tibet |
Imposing building in Nagchu, Tibet |
Nagchu Station |
Qinghai-Tibet Railroad conductor |
Train at the platform at Na Qu Station |
Chinese officer on the platform of Na Qu Station |
Nagchu, Tibet |
Construction yard outside Nagchu, Tibet |
Gu Lu, Tibet km 1735, Qinghai-Tibet Railroad (N30.829/E91.622) |
Tributaries of the Lhasa River which will eventually flow to the Brahmaputra |
Crossing another small river between Gu Lu and Damshung, Tibet |
"Mount Hawk", Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibet |
Nyainqentanglha means "God of the Grassland" in Tibetan |
Vast plain in front of the Nyainqentanglha Range of mountains |
"Mount Hawk", Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibet |
Qinghai-Tibet Highway along the Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibet |
Odd earthen mounds, perhaps a cemetary? |
As the train heads farther south, the land gets greener and more populated |
Tibetan house with a grazing yak |
Qinghai-Tibet Highway, this section still unpaved |
Each traditional Tibetan house in this area has its own enclosure |
Tented camp along the railroad |
Nyainqentanglha Range and grassland, Tibet |
Nyainqentanglha Range and grassland, Tibet |
Tibetan house with grazing livestock on the surrounding grasslands |
The rivers and streams of this valley will eventually end up in the Brahmaputra River |
N30.646/E91.537 |
Nyainqentanglha Range and grassland, Tibet |
Tibetan nomad tents with grazing yaks |
Vast grazing lands at the base of the Nyainqentanglha Range |
Green grass covered hills |
Tibetan nomad tent along the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Nyainqentanglha Range and grassland, Tibet |
Valley between Gulog and Dangxiong, Tibet |
Sturdy rural Tibetan dwelling on the edge of the vast plain |
Tibetan house with enclosure outside Dangxiong |
Tibetan house with enclosure outside Dangxiong |
Tibetan house with enclosure outside Dangxiong |
Qinghai-Tibet Highway, paved in this area |
Tibetan house with the Nyainqentanglha Range and its fertile grasslands |
Herd of yak on the grasslands along the railroad |
Green marking the route of a stream across the vast plain between Wumatang and Dangxiong, Tibet |
Nyainqentanglha - "God of the Grasslands" |
Wetlands outside Dangxiong with the Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibet |
The paved Qinghai-Tibet Highway paralleling the railroad |
The paved Qinghai-Tibet Highway entering Dangxiong |
Entering Dangxiong, Tibet |
Storage tanks built into the mountainside, Dangxiong (N30.479/E91.116) |
Dangxiong (Damshung) Tibet |
Dangxiong (Damshung, Damxung) 4361m (14,310ft) |
Dangxiong (Damshung) km 1808 Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Petro station, Dangxiong (N30.468/E91.088) |
Around 100 miles outside of Lhasa |
Outskirts of Dangxiong, Tibet |
Tributary of the Lhasa River |
Tributary of the Lhasa River south of Dangxiong, Tibet, with the Nyainqentanglha Range |
This valley is around 100 km long, stretching from near Gu Lu well past Dangxiong |
The first Tibetan monastery I've spotted (N30.443/E91.041) |
Hillside monastery above Dangxiong (Damshung) |
Railroad viaduct outside Dangxiong (N30.455/E91.060) Tibet |
Mountains southwest of Dangxiong, Tibet |
Tributary of the Lhasa River |
Village lying in a valley south of the railroad at N30.422/E91.025 |
Between Dangxiong and Daqiongguo |
Tibetan house between the railroad and the highway |
Livestock grazing the fertile grasslands |
River passing through the flat grasslands |
River alongside the railroad tracks |
Nyainqentanghla Shan range |
Road along the Nyainqentanghla Shan |
Snowy mountains in the Nyainqentanghla Shan range |
Clouds rising about the mountains |
Pastureland at the base of the Nyainqentanghla Shan range |
Stone livestock enclosure on the valley floor |
Nyainqentanghla Shan range |
Clouds on the snow covered peak |
Nyainqentanghla Shan mountain range northwest of Lhasa |
Tibetan nomad tent |
Mount Nyainqentanghla (7162m) |
Mount Nyainqentanghla (7162m) |
Mount Nyainqentanghla (7162m) |
Leaving the grassland plain behind us for the final push to Lhasa |
Tibetan pilgrim prostrating himself along the pilgrim route to Lhasa |
The mountains close in from both sides of the railroad now |
Village a short distance outside Yang Ba Jing (Yangpachen) Tibet |
There are large mountains on the other side of the river as well |
Tibetan tents outside Yangpachen |
The ruins of a mudbrick fort outside Yangpachen |
The tower looks small against the mountain |
Qinghai-Tibet Railroad, 24 hours since departing Xining |
Yang Ba Jing (Yangpachen) looking southeast towards Lhasa, less than an hour away |
Yang Ba Jing (Yangpachen, Yangbajain) km 1881 on the Qinghai-Tibet Railroad |
Mount Nyainqentanglha rising 7162m to the north of Yang Ba Jing |
Yang Ba Jing (Yangpachen, Yangbajain) N30.086/E90.549 |
The sun is starting to set casting shadows against the mountains |
Crossing the Lhasa River railway bridge |
Pulling into Lhasa Station 25 hours after departing Xining. Long, but worth while |
Trains serve Lhasa from Beijing West, Guangzhou, and Xian |
Outside Lhasa Station looking for the guide |
Lhasa Railway Station |