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Route 66. It stretches 5,476 kilometres from Shanghai along the 30th parallel to the Sino- Nepal Friendship Bridge near Zhangmu. For the 5,000-metre pass, a dedicated tourist rest area has been established, its proximity to kilometre marker 4,965 doesn’ t deter crowds from the photo spot. One of the most spectacular sections of Route 318 is the Snake Pass with its purported seventytwo bends, although it feels like far more. From the 4,610-metre summit, the road descends forty hair-raising kilometres to the Salween Gorge at 2,794 metres. With 28 degrees in scant shade, every ventilation slit is open. The gorge’ s rock walls glow in various colours, but there’ s little opportunity to stop for photos. The narrow road, hemmed by guardrails and cliffs, is busy due to China’ s National Day holiday week: with all sorts of traffic from heavy goods transports, military convoys, and countless rental cars.
Route 318 is trending on TikTok, with“ must do once in your life” displayed on pass signs, posters, and bumper stickers on many cars headed for Lhasa. West of Lhasa, Route 318 is known as the Friendship Highway; the driving style of the majority population, however, shows little of the courtesy suggested by the name. In China, only one traffic rule truly applies: might makes right. Road conditions range from well-paved bends to pothole slaloms, endless construction zones, and slick, dusty concrete hairpins. Given the costly yet basic healthcare infrastructure, defensive driving is highly recommended.
Probably already signposted, though unreadable to us, is the capital Lhasa when we veer off Route 318 onto a quieter side route. Via nearly deserted high-altitude valleys, we reach the Yarlung
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