The Jinsha River · Into Tibet
Cross the Jinsha River bridge — the boundary into the Tibet Autonomous Region — then climb Zongla Pass (4,170 m) to Mangkang, your first Tibetan town.
Plan the day
Batang to Mangkang — the road, food, lodging and gear for this stage.
Road & riding
Cross the Jinsha River at Zhubalong — the gateway into Tibet — then climb through Zongla to Mangkang (3,870 m), your first town in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Food & resupply
Mangkang has Tibetan and Sichuan restaurants and small shops; stock up — services get sparse on the giant passes ahead.
Sleeping
Guesthouses and small hotels in Mangkang; rest well before the brutal Dongda Pass day.
Gear & body
Border country, dry and high: wind shell and sun protection. Carry your permits and ID — this is a frontier crossing.
Landmarks
Batang
Sichuan's last county town at 2,580 m, home of the lilting Xianzi dance, where the day's ride begins.
Jinsha River Canyon
The road drops through a deep canyon to the Jinsha River, the youthful upper Yangtze, in the Hengduan ranges.
Zhubalong
The Jinsha-side border village where Sichuan ends and Tibet begins.
Jinsha River Bridge
The bridge over the Jinsha (upper Yangtze) — the moment you ride into Tibet.
Haitong Gorge
A roughly 50 km landslide-prone gorge from the Jinsha bridge to Zongla — long called the G318's first great hazard.
Rirong Hot Spring
A roadside hot-spring lodge at about 2,600 m, a warm pause early in the long climb toward Mangkang.
Haitong Army Station
An army service station around 3,540 m, marking the upper reaches of the Haitong climb.
Zongla Pass
A 4,170 m pass on the climb to Mangkang.
Mangkang
The first town inside Tibet, around 3,870 m.
Questions about this day
Which day does cycling 318 cross into Tibet?
Day 10. You cross the Jinsha River bridge — the boundary into the Tibet Autonomous Region — then climb Zongla Pass at 4,170 m to Mangkang, your first Tibetan town at about 3,870 m.
What river divides Sichuan and Tibet here?
The Jinsha River, the upper reaches of the Yangtze. Riding across the bridge is the moment the game marks you entering Tibet.
Is Mangkang the first town in Tibet?
Yes — Mangkang, at around 3,870 m, is the first town inside the Tibet Autonomous Region on this route, and the start of the giant Tibetan passes that follow.
Ride your own 318
Cycling 318 turns the road to Lhasa into a daily, cozy ride. Check in at the landmarks, collect a postcard from each, and fill your 318 passport.
Download on the App Store