'Sky Roads' trace Xizang's journey from isolation to modernity

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region.

With an average elevation of over 4,000 meters, this region was once described as “the limit of human survival.”

Yet on the “roof of the world,” China carved three “Sky Roads” that reshaped the destiny of this land.

In ancient times, Xizang had only mule and yak trails, with no highways at all. From 1950 to 1954, the Sichuan-Xizang Highway and the Qinghai-Xizang Highway were built, ending Xizang’s millennia-long isolation.

Stretching over 4,300 kilometers in total, the two “Sky Roads” were hailed as “golden bridges that bring happiness.”

With the construction of the Qinghai-Xizang, Sichuan-Xizang, and Ngari power transmission lines, Xizang made a historic shift in electricity supply—from rationing to surplus.

It not only transmits electricity outward, but also provides clean energy through the West-to-East Power Transmission program.

Today, trunk railways crisscross Xizang, with bullet trains in operation. Highways link the region to the rest of the nation and extend all the way to its villages. All towns across Xizang now enjoy full 5G coverage. With its civil aviation system seamlessly integrated, an “Air Silk Road” has also taken shape.

From highways to power lines, from networks to new pathways, a modernization roadmap for “the roof of the world” is unfolding.