The World’s Highest Train Line

In the heart of the Himalayas, where the earth meets the sky, stretches the Qinghai-Tibet railway, a marvel of engineering that defies the harshness of nature to connect Xining in central China to the sacred city of Lhasa in Tibet. This 2,000-kilometer journey unfolds across a mesmerizing tableau of the highest plateau on Earth, revealing the challenges, history, and transformation that this railway has brought to the remote region.

A Desolate Landscape

The train’s path traverses a vast expanse of the Earth’s rooftop savannah, where human presence is scarce and the horizon resembles crocodile teeth on the highest hills. The desolation is evident: yellowed grass, Mao-era military ruins, and skeletons of yaks picked clean by scavengers. Even the prayer flags, once symbols of spirituality, now hang stripped of their prayers, signifying man’s surrender.

Reflecting on the historical quests to reach Lhasa, the Forbidden City, one is reminded of adventurers like Thomas Manning, who sailed from Guangzhou to Calcutta in 1811. These pioneers faced wolves, earthquakes, and smallpox, encountering a mystical citadel atop the “roof of the world.”

Imperial Britain’s Impact

In 1904, Imperial Britain gained access to Lhasa through the Francis Younghusband-led Tibet Frontier Commission. The Battle of Guru and the journey through the Kun Lun Range showcased the resilience of British soldiers. However, the invasion marked a turning point in China’s perception of Tibet, leading to the eventual “liberation” by the Red Army in 1950.

In the decades that followed, China was opened along its coast to aggressive foreign merchants through naval wars and lopsided treaties. But adventurous cartographers, mountaineers, missionaries, gold prospectors, and travel writers still dreamed of infiltrating the mystical citadel atop the “roof of the world.” They approached from all directions. Despite the fact that their motivations varied, what they faced made them all equal: wolves, earthquakes, and smallpox haunted a nation that remained virtually undiscovered and was home to god kings, despotic monks, tenacious border guards, and armed bandits.

Many died in the attempts that followed Manning. It would be Imperial Britain then that eventually brought Lhasa into the worldview when the Tibet Frontier Commission was ordered across the border in India, then part of the British Empire, to rectify trade issues between Britain and Tibet. Francis Younghusband, a military officer who was born in Raj, was in charge of the Commission, which had the nebulous goal of achieving “satisfaction” for the Empire. He would achieve this satisfaction with the Battle (some say massacre) of Guru. The Tibetans hauled up outside this obscure hamlet were armed with aged matchlocks and pictures of the Dalai Lama they believed would protect them—no match for Enfield rifles and Maxim guns that could fire hundreds of bullets a minute. Their ranks were brutally cut down after a rifleman accidentally triggered the British attack when his gun went off. Those who survived simply walked away, unable to fathom what they had just experienced. To their credit, British soldiers set to work rescuing the fallen Tibetans. They then advanced on to Lhasa, fighting skirmishes along the way, including the battle for Karo Pass, noted for being a battle fought at a greater altitude than any other engagement in history.

The British eventually got to the Holy City, and although the Dalai Lama fled to Mongolia, they achieved what they wanted, namely a fresh treaty with Tibet signed in 1904.
The legacy of this invasion would transform Chinese attitudes towards Tibet, however. No longer could it be regarded as a loosely controlled protectorate. Through the chaotic decades that followed the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, Tibet enjoyed de facto independence. But in 1950, the Red Army rolled in to “liberate” it from “serfdom.”.
Tibetans would not be permitted the autonomy they craved, and many, including the Dalai Lama, fled abroad and embarked on a self-imposed exile.

The Birth of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

In 1984, construction began on the Qinghai-Tibet railway, symbolizing a connection between Beijing and its mountainous cousin. Paul Theroux’s mid-’80s journey depicted a steam-powered train taking 30 hours, contrasting with the seven-hour journey in 2018, highlighting the technological advancements.
The challenges faced by engineers were monumental, with 869,000 sq km of permafrost posing significant obstacles. The railway, often referred to as the “Road to the Sky” or “Sky Train,” overcame these challenges with bridges and innovative solutions, marking a monumental feat in China’s history of railway construction.

The Transformation of Golmud and Beyond

Golmud, once a jump-off point for hippies heading to Lhasa, transformed into a modern city after the railway’s completion in 2006. The initial tourist boom led to above-average growth, reshaping Lhasa with hotels, paved roads, and condominiums. Despite economic promises, Tibet remains China’s least-developed region. Beyond economic considerations, the railway holds strategic value for China. It reinforces control over Tibet, preventing potential interference from India. China’s efforts to broaden its influence echo the role of railways in nation-building, which is best exemplified by large nations like the US and Russia.

The Final Leg to Lhasa

As the train approached Lhasa, the landscape unfolded—a brittle valley, black jagged peaks, and the Kyi Chu river, offering a glimpse into the mediaeval city’s isolation. Lhasa’s allure lies in its remoteness, strangeness, and resistance to modernity. It is 3,700km from Beijing and 284km from the nearest foreign capital, Thimphu, Bhutan. Even with the train, Lhasa remains the most out-of-the-way place to reach.

Upon stepping off the train, travelers are met with a blend of weariness and refreshment. However, freedom is short-lived as regulations require foreign visitors to register and book tours. The traditional Tibetan welcome with a white silk scarf sets the tone for exploration, ushering visitors into a city that stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Tibetan plateau.

In conclusion, the Qinghai-Tibet railway stands as more than a marvel of engineering; it symbolizes a journey through history, geopolitics, and the transformative power of connectivity. As travelers arrive in Lhasa, they are met not only with the challenges overcome by engineers but also with the timeless allure of a city perched on the roof of the world.