Traveling Through Tibet: China spends billions on infrastructure

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China hopes traveling to Tibet may soon become a lot easier. Massive infrastructure projects launched within the past decade are now nearing completion. But as CGTN's Jonathan Betz found out, the work is extremely slow and dangerous.

The tranquil isolation of Tibet is suddenly changing. Billions of dollars are pouring in as China pulls this ancient land into the modern world. Changing the landscape and lives.

TASHI, CONSTRUCTION WORKER MILIN TONGFU SAND & STONE CO., LTD "The railway came to our village. People in our village all bought cars. Look at our income now, it's pretty good."

Across Tibet, tracks are being laid for bullet trains and highways to soon criss-cross the Himalayas. Already, paved roads now reach all of Tibet's counties. Helping bring a surge of tourists and newcomers.

HE XU, GENERAL COMMANDER LHASA-LINZHI RAILWAY SECTION NO.12 "It will closely connect the Tibetan people with the people in the inland."

But the stunning geography that draws so many is also challenging engineers. Workers drove us deep into a remote mountain to show us what they face digging a train tunnel.

JONATHAN BETZ LINZHI, TIBET "We're about 2 km inside the mountain, you begin to see some of the challenges workers are facing. For one, water is pouring into this tunnel."

Nearby,crews continue drilling on what's been called the world's most challenging railway. They work around the clock but are only moving less than a meter a day.

LUO ZHENPING, CHIEF ENGINEER LHASA-LINZHI RAILWAY PROJECT "The most difficult thing we have to overcome is first and foremost the water. The second concern is the lack of oxygen. If we don't take proper precautions, our workers could easily stop breathing while working."

Eventually, this tunnel will help form Tibet's second railway in 2026. A 36-billion-dollar project spanning 1700 kilometers connecting the regional capital - Lhasa - with the Chinese mega-city of Chengdu. It'll cut a trip that used to take days to hours which is all the inspiration Luo Zhenping needs.

LUO ZHENPING, CHIEF ENGINEER LHASA-LINZHI RAILWAY PROJECT "While the circumstances are quite difficult, I'm glad to be building a railway on the Tibetan plateau, the backbone of the world. I'm very, very proud because this railway we're building is the road to heaven."

New roads to heaven bringing the roof of the world a little closer to Earth. JB, Linzhi, Tibet.