Tongmai · the Lulang Forest
Through the once-dreaded Tongmai section — formerly the most dangerous stretch of the whole road — up into the rolling green "sea of forests" at Lulang.
Plan the day
Bomi to Lulang — the road, food, lodging and gear for this stage.
Road & riding
Through the once-notorious Tongmai danger zone — now tamed by tunnels and the great Tongmai bridge — then a climb through deep forest to Lulang (3,300 m).
Food & resupply
Lulang’s famous stone-pot chicken (石锅鸡) is the local must-eat — warm, hearty mountain fare.
Sleeping
Lulang has guesthouses and tourist lodges around the meadow; cool, green and restful.
Gear & body
Cool, damp forest: a light warm layer and rain shell; the sea of trees is often misty.
Landmarks
Bomi
The lush 'Tibetan Jiangnan' at 2,750 m, departure town wrapped in glaciers, peach groves and spruce forest.
Guxiang Lake
A turquoise barrier lake on the Parlung Tsangpo, dammed by a 1953 glacial debris flow, 33 km west of Bomi.
Parlung Tsangpo
The milky glacier-fed river that carves this deep gorge and guides the road all the way to Tongmai.
102 Slide Zone
The notorious 102 landslide group near Tongmai, called Asia's second-largest mudflow zone, long feared by cyclists.
Tongmai
Historically the most dangerous stretch of 318, now tamed by tunnels and bridges.
Tongmai Bridge
The great cable bridge that finally tamed the Tongmai crossing.
Pailong
A misty gorge village at the mouth of the Yarlung Tsangpo’s great bend.
Dongjiu
A small township and service stop on the long forested climb up toward the Lulang plateau.
Lulang Forest
A rolling sea of spruce and meadow near 3,300 m, famous for its stone-pot chicken.
Lulang
The 'Switzerland of the East' near 3,370 m, a meadow valley of wooden villages ringed by snow peaks.
Questions about this day
What is Tongmai on the G318?
Historically the most dangerous stretch of the whole road, where landslides once swallowed vehicles — now tamed by tunnels and bridges. Day 16 passes through it at around 2,100 m and climbs into the Lulang forest.
What is the Lulang Forest?
A rolling sea of spruce and meadow near 3,300 m, famous for its stone-pot chicken. In the game it’s a green, gentle high country — the "sea of forests."
Is the Tongmai section still dangerous?
Not like it used to be — modern tunnels and bridges have tamed the old "Tongmai danger." The game keeps the drama of the deep gorge and its bridges while you ride through safely.
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.
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