Nyingchi Transportation

The 223 km long Sichuan-Tibet Highway snakes across the Nyingchi County. The seven townships and 99 villages are well linked with a highway network of 410 km in total length.

As one of the key civilian aviation projects during the 10th five-year plan of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the Nyingchi Airport started to be built in March 2002 with a total investment of around 750 million RMB. It is projected to be put into commercial use in January 2006. The new airport will not only facilitate the local economic development, but also become another crucial passage to Tibet after Lhasa Gongga Airport and Changdu Bangda Airport. It will undoubtedly serve as a new key point in the Tibet civilian aviation network.

At present bus or car is the only means of transportation to enter Nyingchi and some parts of Nyingchi are even only accessible on foot. Should you decide to come to Nyingchi, you may fly to Lhasa before you take a shuttle bus from there. The first shuttle bus starts at 8 o’clock in the morning. The whole 633 km long bus trip from Lhasa to the Township of Bayi, Nyingchi costs 155 Yuan and you will pass Mozhugongka and Gongbujiangda.

On the way to Nyingchi down the Sichuan-Tibet Highway one will be able to appreciate the pretty city of Lhasa, the Niyang River, the Mila Mountain (5,020 meters above the sea level, the origin of the Lhasa River and Niyang River) and the newly developed tourist attraction- the Basong Lake as well as the gigantic rock in the Niyang River. When arriving at “the Jiangnan of Tibet”- the Bayi Township (in spite being a township, it is much bigger and more prosperous than a county) in the afternoon, the visitors can see the 2,500 years old “King of Cypress” which stands 10 kilometers from the downtown.

Additionally other highways that lead to Nyingchi are the Nyingchi-Ranwu Highway, 345 km long (passing Tongmai and Bomi) and the Zhedang-Nyingchi Highway, 475 km in length (passing Jiacha and Milin). Milin is about 74 km from Bayi and the distance can be covered by bus for two hours. There is a shuttle bus each day to connect Lhasa and Bayi. The whole trip can be done in a single day with a bus fare somewhere between 120 and 136 RMB dependent upon the bus types.

Should you go to Basongcuo, you may also take the long distance bus from Bayi to Lhasa and you should take a connection bus or truck at the Bayi Bridge to the lake area. You are most likely to get a truck that ships wood here and the bus driver may charge you 20 to 30 Yuan. After arriving at the woods farm of the lake area, you are supposed to walk for another 10 kilometers to finish the complete journey.

If you have the intension to visit the scenic zone, you may wait for the truck in the Bayi Township Office in the Botuo County. The truck normally set off at 8 o’clock AM and the fare is 50 Yuan. Another option to Paixiang is to take a boat at the military ferry in Nyingchi. There may also be a charted boat to Pai Village at a cost of 50 Yuan.