Entering Qinghai, but STILL on the Tibetan Plateau

Trip Start Jul 26, 2006
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Trip End Apr 01, 2008


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Flag of China  ,
Friday, September 15, 2006

According to the University of Sydney, School of Geosciences, "...the Tibetan plateau (The Roof of the World) is the largest plateau on Earth with an average elevation of 4880 meters. The Tibetan Plateau is bounded by the desert of the Tarim and Qaidam Basin to the north and the Himalayan, Karakoram, and Pamir mountain chains to its south and west. Its eastern margin is more diffuse and consists of a series of alternating deep forested valleys and high mountain ranges that run approximately north-south, bounded by the lowlands of the Sichuan Basin of China."

The Chinese government spent six years building this railway to connect Golmud to Lhasa, formerly only traversable by bus. 1100 kilometers of track and >$3 billion later, they succeeded, against all odds. In consultation with numerous foreign governments, including some of the best rail and tunnel builders in the world, they were basically told that their plan would never work. Who knows whether they'll be able to maintain it in the long run, but for now it's been a helluva ride...
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