The Red Line is the route traveled from Xi-Ning, Qinghai to Mount Everest base-camp in Tibet 红線是路途的全程 從西寧開始 直到珠峰大本营

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau With its glacier-covered mountains seen here from the plane, it is often called the Roof of the World due to its high altitude (average 4,000 m or 12,000 ft.)

鳥瞰冰川縱橫的 青藏高原 ( 平均海拔四千米 有世界屋脊之稱 )

The recently completed railroad into Tibet - over rough terrain 穿山越嶺的青藏鐵路

I chose a 4 wheel drive vehicle with a local driver 我們的座駕 - 越野車

rougher but better experience 駕車雖比坐飛機或火車辛苦 但给我留下回味無窮的經歷

Much of my trip was driven on unpaved dirt roads 旅途中大部份時間都是在土路上行駛

Dirt roads are dusty 土路往往沙塵滚滾

you may wish for rain 下點雨就好了

which you may regret 结果下雨路更糟

Mountain roads are usually winding along hillsides 彎彎曲曲的山路繞着山邊向前伸延

along rocky cliffs 沿着懸崖峭壁

View while drivingas if you were flying in mid air 天塹險路

Scary if you look down 胆小的不要往下看

One of us has to yield 誰先讓 ?

Improvised traffic sign (reads “blow horn”)

最原始的交通標誌

Where bridges are not sturdy enough for cars … 這橋絕對無法行車 …

… the only way to cross the river is … 那… 就祗能這樣過河… .

Of course not every attempt was successful

當然不是每次都成功

Even paved roads can be hazardous 新修的國道就一定安全嗎 ?

You are sharing the road with everyone and everything 公路當然是公共的

including these pilgrims who prostrate themselves all the way to their sacred destinations

小心別撞到沿途叩拜的信徒

This vast grassland called Kekexilli along Kunlun Mountain is home to these Tibetan antelopes almost poached to extinction for their luxurious fur 崑崙山旁的可可西里大草原是藏羚羊出沒的地方

My close encounter with a Tibetan antelope

與我近距離的藏羚羊

Tibetan gazelle 羊羚 ( 當地人叫白屁股 , 不同藏羚羊 )

Tibetan eagle 藏鷹

Qinghai Lake – the largest lake in China 青海湖是中國最大的湖 ( 水是咸的 - 我嚐過 )

Blossom along the shore of Qinghai Lake 青海湖畔盛開的油菜花

Tanggula Pass (altitude 5,200 m or 15,600 ft) at the border between Qinghai and Tibet越過這唐古拉山口 ( 海拔五千两百米 ) 就從青海跨進了西藏

This is the land of big sky, mountains and lakes 這 里 天 寬 地 闊

Sometimes it is hard to tell where land ends and sky begins 天地合一的景象

Lake Nam Co (altitude 4,700 m or 14,100 ft)

is the largest sacred lake in Tibet 納木錯湖 ( 海拔四千七百米 ) 是西藏最大的聖湖

Lake Yamzho Yumco (altitude 4,440 m or 13,320 ft) is another beautiful sacred lake 羊卓雍錯湖 ( 海拔四千四百米 ) 是另外一個美麗的聖湖

A rare opportunity for me to swim at such altitude (Lake Yamzho Yumco)

我難得有机會暢游羊卓雍錯湖

This part of the Himalayas looks like the rain forest 這里有點像熱帶雨林

Nyingchi area is particularly lush shown here along Nyang River - a tributary of Yarlungzangbo 林芝地區 ( 尼洋河畔 - 雅魯藏布江的支流 ) 号稱西藏的江南

The mighty Yarlungzangbo River nourishes the northern slope of the Himalayas 沿喜馬拉雅山脈北麓的 雅鲁藏布江

Yarlungzangbo Canyon (seen here from the plane), the deepest land canyon on earth, remains largely inaccessible. Through this canyon, the Yarlungzangbo River flows south to become the Bramaputra River in India 雅鲁藏布大峽谷是世界陸上最深的峽谷 ( 要走進去談何容易 ) 雅鲁藏布江水從這里向南流進印度

China’s mighty Yangtze River originates from glacial melt similar to this one in the Qinghai – Tibetan Plateau 長江源於青海的冰川

So does Lancang River (the source of the Mekong River) seen here flowing by the city of Qamdo

瀾滄江源於青藏 . 它穿過昌都城向南流去成為了湄公河的上游

… and Nu River (the source of the Salween River which empties into the Indian Ocean through Myanmar) seen here in eastern Tibet 怒江 也是源於青藏 . 它流經缅甸進入印度洋

Snow blanketed horizon on my way to Mt. Everest 往珠峰途中

Anxiously waiting for the heavy fog to clear at the Everest basecamp

在大本营耐心等待 難得一見的珠峰真面目

Mount Everest - local name Qumolangma Finally a clear view (summit altitude 8,848 m or 26,500 ft)

我终於看到了珠峰 ( 峰頂海拔 8,848 米 )

Just as exciting as the scenery are the culture and life of the people living there 以下介紹當地人民的文化 , 生活

Highland barley is the main crop grown here 當地主要種植的糧食是 青稞麥

Beautiful barley fields in Denqen, eastern Tibet 丁青縣的麥田給人一種仙境般的感覺

August is harvest time Winter starts early in Tibet 八月是收割季節 這里冬季漫長

Nomads like to live close to a river 游牧人家

Nomad’s tent (this one woven with yak fur) and his dog (Tibetan Mastiff )

牧民的 耗牛毛藏包 (相當保暖 ) 和藏獒 (非常忠心 , 凶猛 )

Some go solar

野外的太陽能電源

Yaks are the only beasts of burden which can tolerate

the high altitude and freezing weather 耗牛是唯一能在這低氧 , 低温環境下生存的勞動力

White yak is a symbol of luck 白耗牛是吉祥的象徵

Yaks are raised also for meat and milk … 耗牛還可以供應肉和奶

The sign reads “tea house”, in both Tibetan (top) and Chinese (bottom)

… milk for making the popular salty milk tea 當地的奶茶是咸的

Yak dung is burned as fuel 耗牛糞可以當燃料

Green pastures are abundant in Qinghai (the name means green sea) Ideal grazing ground for yaks, horses … 青海草原是名副其實的牛馬的天堂

… and sheep 還有绵羊

Typical homes of the peasants 藏式的農舍

Friendly smiles 笑容可掬的面孔

The young 年輕人

Curious 好奇

Students walking to school 徒步上學的孩子們

Strong ultra-violet at high altitude takes a toll on their skin

强烈的高原紫外線给人臉上刻上了歲月的滄桑

Tibetan Medicine traditionally relies heavily on pulses for diagnosis 把脈是藏醫一種有長久歷史的診斷方式

Tibetan medicine 藏藥

Images of Buddha are everywhere 佛像在西藏很普遍

Compared with other forms of BuddhismLama Buddhism has some unique practices

喇嘛教的一些特殊的禮儀

Religion is a very important part of Tibetan cultureLama Buddhism (Lamaism) is the predominant religion here

藏族文化和宗教是分不開的 藏傳佛教 (喇嘛教 ) 是藏族地區主要宗教

The inside of each prayer wheel is lined with printed Buddhist sutra so spinning the wheel is equivalent to chanting the sutra repeatedly 轉法輪就等於不斷地唸法輪里面貼好的經文

Their way of paying homage to Buddha is called prostrating

叩長頭是常見的朝拜方式 . 虔誠的信徒會叩上几百里路去朝聖

Dagobas 佛塔 , Mani stone pile 瑪尼堆 and prayer flags 經幡 at mountain passes give blessings to travelers’ safety and luck

Prayer flags on every house

每家都掛有經幡

Circling flock of vultures may signal nearby sky burial - an old Tibetan practice of feeding the dead (only the privileged) to the birds to facilitate reincarnation 成群的禿鷹在天空中盤旋 , 附近可能在舉行天葬

There are several sects in Lama Buddhism This monk belongs to the currently dominant yellow sect (tell by the hat color)

喇嘛教派系中最大的是黄教 (帽子的顏色 )

Monks debating Buddhist scriptures at the Samye Monastery 桑耶寺的僧人在辯經

Friendly monks at Chaka salt lake offering me white silk scarf (Khada) as blessing

茶卡鹽湖畔向我献上潔白的哈達 (祝福的絲巾 ) 的喇嘛

Jokhang Temple in Lhasa 拉薩的大昭寺

Tashilunpo Monastery in Xigaze is home to the Panchen Lama 日喀則的扎什倫布寺 (班禪喇嘛的道場 )

Gaindan Monastery was built high on a mountain

甘丹寺 (宗嘎巴大師的道場 ) 建在一個高山上

Yomgbulagan Palace built by the first Tibetan King 2,000 years ago 雍布拉康 两千年前吐蕃王朝第一座王宮

Zhandan Monastery in the hills of north east Tibet bears resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa 索縣的贊丹寺有小布達拉宫之稱

Potala Palace in Lhasa (viewed from Jokhang Temple) The original structure built in 7th century no longer exists. Since reconstruction in 17th Century, it has been the official residence of the Dalai Lamas

拉薩的 布達拉宮 初建於七世纪 ,自十七世纪重建後便成為歷代達赖喇嘛之住居

Standing on top of the Potala Palace feeling higher than the Roof of the World 登上布達拉宮的頂楼 , 給人一種高於世界屋脊的幻覺