The Lhasa-Xigaze Railway is a railway that runs on the “roof of the world”. With a total length of only 251 kilometers, it has an average altitude of about 4,000 meters, which is why netizens call it the “railway nearest to the sky”. August this year marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway. Let’s focus on Xigaze, the southwestern border of China, and explore this most beautiful railway in the hometown of Mount Qomolangma.

In the past, it took 6 hours by bus from Lhasa to Xigaze. After the opening of the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway, it only takes less than 2.5 hours by train. Trains have become the first choice of travelling for the local people.

Despite the alpine and anoxic environment, the warmth of service shall not be compromised. Combined with the regional features of the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway, the administrative department creates the service brand “Galsang Flower on the Way” and provides many handy services for the public such as specialty catering, and prevention and treatment of high-altitude sickness, which are liked by passengers.

Along the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway, there are Mount Qomolangma, “the highest peak in the world”, the six famous rifts of the Himalayas Mountains and other scenic spots. It is a world-class golden route for tourists to visit. According to statistics, Xigaze received nearly 10.04 million person-times of tourists in 2023, an increase of 126 percent year-on-year and exceeded 10 million tourist visits for the first time. It also achieved tourism revenue of RMB5.8 billion yuan, up 112% year on year.

As a nationally famous historic and cultural city, Xigaze has a rich and colorful cultural and folk custom. The ancient castle of Gyantse Dzong on Zongshan Mountain, the eye-catching Tibetan opera performance, the fabulous intangible cultural heritage exhibition, and the charming Guozhuang circle dance—all these classical tourist, cultural and artistic products of Xizang gathers along the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway, together create a unique Xigaze brand of “Cultural Tourism Festival of Mount Qomolangma”.

The Lhasa-Xigaze Railway is like a golden khada, and the “Fuxing” bullet train is like a green dragon running along the way. The railway and the train run on the plateau, bringing the beautiful natural landscape and colorful folk culture of Xizang to the public’s attention. At the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway, this railway on the plateau shows to the world Xizang’s vitality and high-quality development in the new era with its new appearance and services.

“Discovering the most beautiful railway” is actually discovering the most beautiful China. Let’s meet in Xigaze, Xizang, and enjoy China’s beautiful rivers, mountains as well as the unique charm of its thousands of years of history and culture!