Sinkiang – Tibet Highway – 219 National Highway

Sinkiang-Tibet Highway is also called 219 National Highway and Yela Highway. It was constructed in March of 1956. Sinkiang-Tibet Highway was stretched from Yecheng County of Sinkiang in the north to the Latse County of Tibet in the south. It is 2143 kilometers long in total. There are 5 high mountains over 5000 meters and 44 glaciers along Sinkiang – Tibet Highway. Sinkiang – Tibet Highway was actually constructed across no man's land of hundreds of kilometers. It is the highest and the most dangerous highway throughout the world.

Sinkiang – Tibet Highway – 219 National Highway

Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) is the third highway lead to Tibet region after the completion of Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) was originated from Yecheng of Sinkiang in the north to the Gardak of Ngari Prefecture of Tibet in to the south. Afterwards, it has been extended to the Pulan County of Tibet in the south. The section from Yecheng to Pulan County of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) was constructed in the March of 1956 and completed on the 6th of October, 1957. It is approximately 1500 kilometers long. Later on Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) has been extended to Lhasa City via Pulan County finally. Therefore the whole Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) refers to two sections: Yecheng – Pulan County, Pulan County – Lhasa City.

The completed route of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) was constructed via Pishan County, Hetian County, Ritu County of Ngari Prefecture of Tibet, Lion Spring River Town, Pulan County, Zhongpa County, Saga County, Angren County, and then combined with 318 National Road in Latse County in Shigatse Prefecture in Tibet. Next it stretches to Lhasa city along the eastern 318 National Highway via Shigatse and Gyantse. To the south, it could lead to Kathmandu via Tingri, Mt. Everest and Zham Port along the China-Nepal Highway (Sino-Nepalese Highway).

Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) is not only the important road of goods and materials transportation, but also the key defense line of China.

Tips of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway – 219 National Highway

Some famous high mountains are available along Sinkiang – Tibet Highway (219 National Highway) such as Kunlun Mountain, Karakoram, Gangdisê Mountains, and Himalaya Mountain Range, and the average elevation of those high mountains is over 4500 meters high. There is one section of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway of 4000 meters high. It is 915 kilometers long. Another section of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway is over 5000 meters high and it is 130 kilometers long. It is the most dangerous highway of the world.

There are large scales of no man's land along Sinkiang – Tibet Highway, and the boundless Gobi desert, permafrost and high mountains. In winter, the temperature drops to 40? and the oxygen content is about 44% of it in other areas of China.

Transportation of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway – 219 National Highway

Yecheng - Lion Spring River: 1100 kilometers long. It takes about 3-day driving. The public buses irregularly operated between Yecheng and Lion Spring River.

Lion Spring River – Pulan: 430 kilometers long. It takes about half day driving. If you would like to travel to Tsada, you need to drive 280 kilometers ahead. And then drive to Pulan County from Tsada. It is about 443 kilometers long.

Lion Spring River – Lhasa City: 1741 kilometers long. It takes about 1 day driving.

Attraction of Sinkiang – Tibet Highway – 219 National Highway

There are many attractions along Sinkiang – Tibet Highway, such as Qyangtang Grassland, plateau lakes, geothermal hot spring, natural wild zoo, peat bog, frozen earth, the ruins of Guge Kingdom, and Mount Kailash, etc.