Aerial photo taken on April 11, 2019 shows the entrance of the Galung Pass tunnel to Medog County, Nyingchi City of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Medog, meaning "Secret Lotus" in the Tibetan language, is located in Nyingchi of southeast Tibet. Being on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and the south of the Himalayas, Medog County boasts of amazing natural landscapes due to its unique geographical position. Before the traffic opened, people could not arrive in Medog except for walking. Getting in and out of Medog was a dangerous journey. Frequent natural disasters such as avalanches, landslides, and mudslides blocked visitors from the outside world. The construction of roads to Medog is a tough task because of the complicated geological conditions and disastrous weather. With several attempts thwarted in the last decades, a 117-kilometer highway connecting Medog with neighboring Bomi County finally opened on Oct. 31, 2013. The completion of the Medog highway not only promoted the communication between Medog and the outside world, but also benefited the poverty relief of border ethnic minorities. Crude stilted houses have been replaced with modern houses consisting of complete facilities. Commodity prices have been lowered to a level similar with the outside world. The local economy especially tourism develops fast in recent years, unfolding to the world a new Medog with its mysterious beauty. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
