The year 2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and also the 10th anniversary of Shannan's transition from a prefecture to a city. Across the Yarlung Valley, winding asphalt roads stretch into the distance, new-energy buses traverse urban and rural areas, and bridges span the Yarlung Zangbo River. This vibrant pulse of transportation is injecting steady momentum into the development of this plateau city.

Accelerated road network construction for a solid start to the 15th Five-Year Plan

Smooth roads boost all industries. Shen Xinjun, Party secretary and deputy director of the Transportation Bureau of Shannan City, called for a swift start to all 2026 highway projects, urging a city-wide construction push immediately after the resumption meeting.

Major transport projects have delivered frequent good news. At the construction site of the Sare Road River-Crossing Bridge in Nedong District, undertaken by the Chengtong Company of China Railway 20th Bureau, the long bridge over the river has taken initial shape, and the right span of the bridge is about to be closed. With a total length of 1,456 meters and designed to the standard of two-way four lanes, this river-crossing bridge will become a core transport hub connecting the north and south banks of the Yarlung Zangbo River upon completion, greatly shortening the travel time between the two banks and effectively facilitating people's daily trips.

Rural road construction has also picked up speed. Shannan City has precisely implemented 10 new (continued) rural highway projects, with the newly built (reconstructed) mileage exceeding 280 kilometers, a net increase of 131.667 kilometers compared with the end of 2024, and 21 administrative villages have bid farewell to the history of no hardened roads. As of July this year, the total mileage of rural roads open to traffic in the city has reached 7,153.523 kilometers, with 90 townships and 579 administrative villages fully accessible, achieving a 100% accessibility rate. The mountain road that used to take nearly 8 hours to travel from Lhozhag County to downtown Shannan is now paved with asphalt, cutting the travel time by half.

Remarkable green transformation achievements: New energy transport becomes a highlight

In the urban area of Zetang, blue-and-white hydrogen energy buses glide smoothly through the streets, forming a beautiful landscape in Shannan City. Up to now, 100% of the city's urban public buses have been converted to new energy, with 20 hydrogen energy buses officially put into operation, taking the lead in large-scale application of hydrogen energy buses across Xizang.

As of July this year, the city's 2 cruise taxi enterprises have put into operation a total of 62 new energy taxis adapted to the plateau climate. These taxis are equipped with upgraded GPS monitoring and one-click alarm devices, with core configurations optimized for the plateau's low air pressure and large temperature difference, reducing energy consumption costs by about one-third compared with traditional fuel vehicles.

In terms of supporting infrastructure, Shannan City has built 130 new energy vehicle charging piles, achieving full coverage of charging services in key areas such as the passenger transport terminal. The Transportation Bureau of Shannan City has made overall plans and targeted measures to build an efficient whole-process work system, driving new purchases of National-VI heavy-duty trucks exceeding 35.06 million yuan in 2025 alone. The 20 hydrogen energy buses can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,000 tons per year, and the annual emission reduction of the city's public transport sector reaches thousands of tons.

Integrated construction, management, maintenance and operation: "Four-good rural roads" pave the way to prosperity

Shannan City adheres to the principle of simultaneous construction and management, has successively introduced a number of rules and regulations, and fully implemented the "road chief system". The city has appointed 12 general road chiefs and 737 road chiefs at the county, township and village levels, and set up 846 public notice boards, forming a refined management and protection system featuring "road chief leadership, departmental coordination, hierarchical implementation and public participation".

In terms of maintenance, the Shannan Municipal Transportation Bureau continues to deepen the reform of the maintenance system, allocating 68.4 million yuan of special funds for the transport sector to implement 20 maintenance projects. The district, municipal and county finance have matched 41.047 million yuan for daily maintenance funds. Through diversified models such as "highway + cooperative + ecological post" and "maintenance company + farmers", 1,090 ecological road maintenance personnel have been selected, with an estimated post subsidy fund of 4.578 million yuan. The rural road maintenance rate has reached 100%, realizing a win-win situation of long-term highway management and protection and increasing people's income.

In terms of operation, Shannan City is steadily promoting the transformation of rural passenger transport to public transport. Four counties (districts) including Nedong, Zhanang, Gyaca and Lhunze have gradually advanced the integrated development of urban and rural public transport. The Zetang-Sangri county public transport line operates on a regular basis, with 12 daily fixed-route, fixed-time and fixed-line services benefiting more than 30,000 people along the route. The city has opened 26 integrated "passenger, cargo and mail" routes, delivering more than 110,000 pieces of mail annually, and 577 administrative villages are fully covered by express delivery services. Qonggyai County relies on tourist roads to boost the sales of homestays and characteristic agricultural products, making "road-industry integration" a new engine for rural revitalization.

From the river-crossing bridge over the Yarlung Zangbo River to the rural roads deep in the mountains, from the pioneering operation of hydrogen energy buses to the in-depth advancement of "passenger, cargo and mail" integration, transport practitioners in Shannan City are striving with a sense of urgency to compose a brand-new chapter in the high-quality development of the transport sector, contributing solid transport strength to the comprehensive construction of a modern new socialist Shannan.

Reporter: Wu Peitao

Translator: Luo Rongting, Zhi Xinghua

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen