The Best Attractions In Bomi County

Motuo: The Remote County in Xizang

Motuo is the only county in China which cannot be accessed by car. The county is located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The harsh natural conditions meant building a highway connecting Motuo to outside world was once considered a dream. However, just in a week, the last tunnel is due to be completed for the Motuo Highway，and the dream will come true. CCTV reporter Yin Xiang brings us the story from Motuo.

Motuo is part of the Linzhi District of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is located at the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, and at the eastern section of the Himalayas. It covers 34,000 square kilometers, and has a population of 11,000. The main ethnic groups there are the Menba, Luoba and minority Tibetan Nationality.

The average altitude is 1,200 metres, and the whole area slopes dramatically north to south. It has a varied landscape, from cold mountainous slopes, to tropical rainforests.

Motuo's economy relies mainly on agriculture, predominantly rice and grain. But up until now, the only way of getting the produce out of the country, was by animal or human transportation. There are no roads for cars and lorries. But all that is now set to change.
The Motuo Highway

The highway will be 117 kilometers long, and will connect Muoto County and Bomi County. Construction began in April 2009 and is estimated to finish next year.

The Motuo Highway negotiates the difficult terrain of the Grand Yalunzangpo Gorge. Before approaching Motuo County, it will cross over 6 rivers, and push through the the newly constructed tunnel through Galongla mountain. Alongside the highway, there are stenothermal glaciers, rainforests and gorges. As well as the extreme slopes, the construction project has had to deal with heavy rainfall and earthquakes. The change in sea level along the 117 kilometer highway is a huge 3100 meters. Annual rainfall is 3-4 times that of the Yangze River basin.

CCTV reporter Yin Xiang said, Just behind me is the entrance to the Galongla Tunnel. Looking up, you can see the snowy peak of the Galongla Mountain. The thickness of snow on this mountain can reach up to 3 or 4 metres. It means that it's basically impossible for any vehicles to cross the mountain. This underlines the necessity of building this new tunnel, to allow vehicles to get into Motuo country.

Video and story from CCTV.