PHOTO / CHINA
Scenery along China's Yunnan-Xizang Highway, 50 years after its opening
By Xinhua Published: Jul 07, 2026 09:01 AM
An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows salt fields alongside Lancang River in Mangkam County, Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. Stretching 715 kilometers from Xiaguan County in Yunnan Province to Mangkam County in Xizang Autonomous Region, the route crosses the Jinsha and Lancang rivers, traverses the rugged and geologically complex Hengduan Mountains, and climbs over snow-capped passes. (Photo: Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows salt fields alongside Lancang River in Mangkam County, Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. Stretching 715 kilometers from Xiaguan County in Yunnan Province to Mangkam County in Xizang Autonomous Region, the route crosses the Jinsha and Lancang rivers, traverses the rugged and geologically complex Hengduan Mountains, and climbs over snow-capped passes. (Photo: Xinhua)


An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows a bend of the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River, southwest China's Yunnan Province. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows a bend of the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River, southwest China's Yunnan Province. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)



An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 26, 2025 shows tourists watching a performance at the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic spot in Lijiang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 26, 2025 shows tourists watching a performance at the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic spot in Lijiang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)



An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows salt fields alongside Lancang River in Mangkam County, Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 1, 2026 shows salt fields alongside Lancang River in Mangkam County, Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. On July 6, 1976, the Yunnan-Xizang Highway, a vital trunk road in China's southwestern border regions, was fully completed and opened to traffic. (Photo: Xinhua)