Essay4: Tashkurgan Panlong Ancient Road

SNOW CAME early to Tashkurgan in autumn 2023, but not to everyone’s liking. News of Panlong Ancient Road completely closed to traffic caused by early snow had us all taken aback after we arrived in Kashgar only days earlier. Fortunately, there was still hope. There would be a daily assessment for a conditional opening of Panlong Ancient Road to traffic subject to weather conditions by the authority.

Finally, in the evening of our arrival at Tashkurgan, the weather forecast indicated clear skies thus permitting normal traffic flow the next day. All earlier worries of a possible car sickness due to the incessant sharp bends and weightless steep descent or a high altitude discomfort vanished in the face of joy and excitement.

Early next dawn, fully equipped with bottles of oxygen supply, we waited, in two cars driven by two young and handsome Tajiks who spoke fluent Mandarin. We were at the foot of the snow-covered mountain ready for the ascent to its highest point. By then, a long line of vehicles had queued miles ahead of us, waiting patiently for the final green light.

For safety reasons, Panlong Ancient Road is now a single-lane unidirectional modern road, covering a distance of over 35 kilometers and losing a thousand metres in altitude over its entire length.

The initial ascent to the top had bends gently sloped and well spaced. The cars ascended orderly in a continuous stream. The unique landscape at every sharp turn that juxtaposed with the distant mountains, turned the car ride into a mesmerizing experience, overshadowing any of our earlier unease. 

Photo / 摄影 : YongCM 

塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县瓦恰乡— 盘龙古道

1.      山脚下等待……

“2023年10月25日18时全面关停盘龙古道，届时所有车辆将禁止通行。” 这是县文化体育广播和旅游局在10月19日的公告。当时大家都懵了！千里迢迢来此，却碰上季节性封闭，心都沉了。幸好还有这么一段 “近期因雨雪天气，根据天气情况盘龙古道阶段性开放” 。而预报29日天气晴朗，可以登山。消息传来，那心情直接从白沙湖底飞跃4千米高原上。一早即整装出发，晨曦中，在雪山环绕的山脚下，各车云集，等待出发。而为安全故，盘龙古道是单道行车，从大盘龙进小盘龙出，全程70多公里。

2.      前进大盘龙……

千里之行，始于足下。一开始弯度很大，弯道也不密集，车子鱼贯上山。之前有人说或会因弯度而晕车，或会因高度而缺氧，但却都因喜悦与激动而消失不见。何况山景独特，与蜿蜒山道相映成趣，心情的愉悦彻底超越了生理的不适。薄薄的白雪，绵延的山峰，不是我们向你走去，而是你向我们迎来。是啊，一个朋友说, “你走，我不送你；你来，无论多大风多大雨，我要去接你。” 山啊，不管是走是来，你都在送，也都在接。

3.      意犹未尽小盘龙……

转过大盘龙的几十道弯，就看到小盘龙弯曲整齐的弯道蜿蜒而下直通到底。居高临下，虽然险峻，却不若蜀道之难！路宽足以让车通行，不似栈道之窄；沿途未见猛虎豺狼，也不闻杜鹃悲啼；且是否能够一夫当关，万夫莫敌？在此，不得不惊叹筑路人的智慧与坚韧，更欣羡生于现代的我们，能够享尽交通的快捷舒适，这瓦恰公路极大地方便了山区的农牧民，更展现了基建狂魔的无穷魅力。