Tunnels create a series of sceneries on Qinghai-Tibet Railway

As we know, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway traverses many mountains. The most famous three ranges, Kunlun, Tanggula and Nyainqentanglha mountains. No doubt, these mountains are beautiful landscape on Tibet Plateau, but do not ignore the tunnels on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. They can also become good memory of your Tibet train journey. The following are the most famed tunnels on the track.

 

Fenghuoshan Tunnel - the world's highest tunnel

Fenghuoshan Tunnel of Qinghai-Tibet Railway built at 4,905 meters above sea level is known as the most elevated one on frozen earth in the world. With 1,338 metres (4,390 feet) long, it is located at the eastern edge of the Hoh Xil mountainous region between the Kunlun and Tanggula mountain ranges.

 

This area is known as “unmanned area” due to the harsh environment and lack of oxygen. The annual average temperature here is minus 7 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature drops to as low as minus 41 degrees Celsius. The oxygen content is only 50% of that at sea level. Therefore, it is hard to imagine how those workers constructed this tunnel.

 

Kunlun Mountain Tunnel – the world's longest plateau tunnel

The Kunlun Mountain Tunnel with a total length of 1,686 meters is the world's longest plateau tunnel built on frozen earth. Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.

 

Liuwu Tunnel – the last tunnel of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

 

Liuwu Tunnel known as “the Lhasa Gate of Qinghai-Tibet Railway” is the last tunnel before arriving at Lhasa station. The tunnel is built in the Tibetan architecture style. Liuwu, a samll town in the suburbs of Lhasa, is selected as the site for the Lhasa Railway Station which brings new life for every household in this town. Liuwu was once a poor, out-of-the-way village. In the past, people here had to take a boat to cross Lhasa River to downtown Lhasa, but now it takes only 10 minutes to drive from Liuwu Village to downtown Lhasa.