To Tibet on a tractor: A 100-day trip to reach dream destination

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Visiting southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has been Liu Ningliang’s dream since he was a teenager. Earlier this year, he finally set foot in Lhasa. But the man in his 30s did not travel by train, car or plane – he opted for a retrofitted tractor.

Liu set out in the wee hours of April 16 from his home in north China’s Hebei Province, leaving behind his family asleep. He was heading to a place that he had only seen in pictures and TV programs.

Photo via Tencent

It was the sight of the majestic Tanggula Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau during a show he watched as a teenager that instilled the desire in him to visit the region. And the day for the dream to become a reality was fast approaching.

His family was naturally anxious that Liu would spend long days traveling by himself to reach his destination, but the farmer was filled with excitement. He had carefully planned his trip, starting with the modification of his tractor to include a living space that would accommodate him in the lonely nights on the road. He also installed a monitoring system and audio electronics.

Photo via Tencent

Liu crossed five northern Chinese provinces, living out of his mobile house all throughout his journey that stretched over 100 days and 3,500 kilometers.

At high altitudes, the man suffered freezing cold and low oxygen levels. Despite temperatures dropping at night, he kept the windows open so he could breathe well.

Entering Tibet, he had to adjust his vehicle to meet local road regulations, which cost him a month of manual labor and paperwork.

Photo via Tencent

Riding the online streaming wave in China, Liu began broadcasting his journey on a social media platform, referring to himself as "the man on the tractor". His fans included a man in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, who, admiring Liu’s endeavor, presented him with a new tractor.

Liu also honed his photography skills along the way, documenting his journey National Geographic-style with nothing but a mobile phone, striking stunning pictures while driving through the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, an 11-kilometer serpentine road with 99 turns which begins at an altitude of 200 meters and ends at 1,300 meters above the sea level.

But what’s a trip without others to share the good times with?

In July, Liu’s wife and children, aged 9 and 10, hopped on a train to Golmud City in northwest China's Qinghai Province, before heading to Lhasa where the family spent five unforgettable days.

Photo via Tencent

Liu said his journey has helped him expand his horizon, and admitted he was no longer the same person he was before hitting the road.

"Internet tells you a lot, but you can only know the beauty of the real world when you see it with your own eyes," Liu said.

Photo via Tencent

The villager repaid the kindness he received along the road by buying school supplies on his way back and sending them to impoverished areas in Tibet.

Liu is currently planning his next trip, to see more of the world, but this time around, he'll be accompanied by his family.