Tibet becomes hot for outdoor enthusiasts

Southwest China's Tibet is becoming a hot destination for more and more outdoor sports players. You may climb snow mountains with crampons on feet and ice-axes in hands, or cycle around lakes appreciating the amazing scenery and feeling the speed and passion, or camp under the magnificent starry sky on high mountains to stay overnight……
 
Last week, the region's Gongbo'gyamda County in Nyingchi saw over 100 visitors from across China hiking around Xin Co Lake in the Basum Co Lake scenic area, where the 5th Basum Co Mountain Cycling Race attended by more than 100 top amateur cyclists from home and abroad ended on the same day.             

In the past few years, Tibet has put great effort to develop its outdoor sports industry. Nyima Tsering, Vice Chief of the Sports Administration of the region, says, "Tibet has not only high snowy mountains, but primordial forests, rivers, lakes, meadows and deserts; its outdoor resources are unparalleled in China. We'll build it into a hot destination for outdoor enthusiasts."

According to Nyima Tsering, Tibet will build different outdoor sports and competition bases depending on different seasons in Lhasa, Shigatse, Nyingchi, and other places. For example, the Basum Co Lake area has hosted the cycling competition for five consecutive years, and has generated some buzz in the cycling world. At the same time, sports such as hiking and drifting are also being developed, diversifying the types of sports available.

Tang Xu, Chief of the Scenic Management Administration of Gongbo'gyamda County, says they plan to introduce outdoor sports equipments such as ATV motorcycles, to make the scenic area an undisputed base for outdoor sports.

At another outdoor sports location, the Yangbajain Mountain Sports Training Camp in Lhasa, sports such as rock-climbing, hiking, cycling could be enjoyed, it even once operated para-sailing,  skiing, etc.

Nyingchi in the south part of Tibet plans to make itself a “heaven for extreme sports,” and develop various sport categories including cycling, drifting, and kayaking, etc.