Measuring the Natural Hazards of the Nujiang River with the Body: The Challenge Journey of Sichuan-Tibet Highway Warriors
Every child dreaming of Tibet holds the Sichuan-Tibet Highway (G318) as a symbol of adventure. Known as one of China’s most scenic routes, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway remains a pilgrimage site for travelers worldwide.
From Chengdu to Lhasa, about 200 kilometers past the junction of the southern and northern Sichuan-Tibet routes lies the most breathtaking section of the highway. In Tibetan, this area is called Basu, meaning “village at the foot of Warrior Mountain.” This small town in eastern Tibet boasts renowned attractions such as Bangda Grassland, Nujiang Grand Canyon, Ranwu Lake, and Laigu Glacier, all linked like sparkling pearls along G318. For those seeking thrills and challenges on this legendary road, the “devilish section” in the Yatsu area — the 72 turns of the Nu River — is the ultimate test.
“Eyes in heaven, body in purgatory” — yet Tibet remains a sacred land for countless dreamers. Whether motivated by culture, landscapes, or local customs, “experiencing” Tibet is the ultimate goal for travelers. Whether kneeling in devotion, hiking, cycling, or driving, challenging oneself is a shared pursuit among “Tibet enthusiasts.”
In 2017, we introduced the famous Mingzhu Ranwu Lake through the Ranwu Lake International Self-Driving and RV Campsite. Today, seven years later, we share the story of the 72nd turn of the Nu River on the Devil’s Highway. In March 2019, at the cliff base of this legendary bend, a bold and daring project began. After six years of relentless effort, the Nujiang 72 Bend Grand Canyon Scenic Area was completed in September 2024, offering thrill-seekers on G318 a new paradise to test their limits.
The Nujiang 72 Turn Grand Canyon Scenic Spot is situated in Buze Village, Basu County, Changdu, Tibet. It lies approximately 48.5 km from Basu County and 97 km from Changdu Bangda Airport. Nestled within the Nujiang Grand Canyon along the southern Sichuan-Tibet Highway (G318), this is the most perilous segment of G318, famed for its “72 turns of Tianlu” and the breathtaking canyon.
The design, construction, and tourist experience of the Nujiang 72 Turns Grand Canyon Scenic Area embody a spirit of fearless challenge, paying homage to the remarkable feat of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Every design element draws inspiration from this majestic natural corridor.
The project’s centerpiece is a high-altitude glass observation deck inspired by the iconic “hairpin bends” of the 72 turns. Perched on cliffs plunging over 130 meters into the Nujiang Canyon, a steel truss cantilever extends 37 meters outward, mimicking a hairpin curve. The deck’s floor is made of transparent safety glass, creating an aerial “sky road” experience that transforms the thrilling drive along the 72 turns into an even more intense walking adventure.
This allows visitors to immerse themselves in the wild grandeur and exhilaration of the Nujiang Canyon. The structure’s exterior is clad in Tibetan red weather-resistant steel plates, honoring Tibetan cultural colors and standing out against the natural environment. This highly durable steel with a rough texture harmonizes with the rugged mountains and river landscape.
The zipline crossing the Nu River and the step-by-step challenging suspension bridge may seem common in similar attractions across China, but here, they serve a vital purpose. Reflecting on the highway’s construction, many scenes resembled these thrill rides — dangerous, daring, and heroic. Seventy years ago, when construction technology was limited, builders showed immense courage and wisdom.
Even now, with advanced methods, the remote geography and transport constraints of the Nujiang Canyon demand traditional construction techniques. Experiencing the zipline and challenge bridge allows visitors to appreciate the immense difficulties faced during the highway’s creation — a tribute to the history and spirit of the region.
Less than two kilometers from the scenic area towards Basu lies the famed Nujiang Bridge. Originally a steel frame bridge with steel plates capable of supporting vehicles, it was heavily guarded. Vehicles had to stop for inspection, and bicycles crossed one by one, swaying perilously — a terrifying experience. Now replaced by a modern bridge, the old one remains a storied part of local memory. The design of the new high-altitude glass suspension bridge draws inspiration from the sway of the original steel bridge.
The glass suspension bridge is a cable-stayed structure, naturally swaying with the wind. The strong Nu River winds amplify this sensation, while the transparent glass deck heightens the thrill for visitors. This bridge also serves as a vital link connecting both riverbanks, facilitating future hiking and wilderness exploration. Walking 50 meters above the roaring Nu River, visitors encounter the raw power of nature — wind, water, and waves — creating unforgettable memories.
A sightseeing elevator on the south bank caters to visitors unable to climb steep terrain. Both riverbanks are suitable for elevator installation, but on the north bank, visitors can cross the glass suspension bridge, take the elevator to the Yiyi Observation Deck, ascend a gentle slope to the spacecraft observation deck, then another slope to conclude the tour — a more relaxed and comfortable experience.
However, the north bank elevators were deliberately omitted. Instead, the “Tiannu 666 Elevator” offers a challenging climb. Visitors gasping and cursing as they ascend gain a visceral understanding of the hardships faced by Sichuan-Tibet Highway builders and those who constructed the Nujiang 72 Bend Grand Canyon Scenic Area. This experience — physically demanding yet brief — honors the heroes who risked their lives to tame this natural peril. On life’s path, success is seldom easy; the hardest moments often precede triumph. This journey offers more than awe — it imparts understanding.
The Nujiang 72 Turn Grand Canyon Scenic Area pushes the boundaries of experiencing natural danger, inviting visitors to “seek danger within danger” and take on personal challenges. This unique site offers travelers along G318 a “dojo” to test their physical, mental, and emotional limits — creating unforgettable memories etched through their own endurance and spirit.
Six Years of High-Altitude Engineering Challenges: Growing on a Cliff
Most of Tibet experiences ice and snow conditions for over five months annually. Sudden summer storms, temperature extremes, and fierce winds drastically shorten construction windows. The terrain is rugged, with sharp bends and numerous tunnels and culverts, especially challenging in the Nujiang 72 turns and “Tiger Mouth” canyon sections. Frequent mudslides and landslides damage roads, disrupting transportation of materials and equipment. Large building materials over 13 meters long cannot reach sites, and heavy machinery like cranes cannot be transported. These conditions make construction timelines unpredictable.
High altitude poses serious physical challenges for construction workers. The Nujiang Observation Deck sits at about 2800 meters elevation, and only six teams were needed to drill the pile foundations. Many low-altitude workers cannot adapt to Tibet’s climate, limiting workforce options. High altitude also complicates construction techniques like welding, concrete pouring, and metal installation. Large temperature swings between day and night require careful material selection to avoid cracking, deformation, or detachment. Locally sourced stone, wood, cement products, and metals with low deformation coefficients are preferred, while adhesive techniques are favored over cement bonding, which is vulnerable to temperature-induced damage.
Challenges faced during the construction of the Nujiang 72 Turn Grand Canyon Scenic Area are emblematic of broader difficulties in Tibetan projects. From the outset, the concept of “challenge” guided the design, aiming not only to offer visitors a unique adventure but also to embody a high-altitude engineering feat of significance.
The north bank of the Nujiang 72 Turn Grand Canyon Scenic Area borders G318 with well-developed road access. In contrast, the south bank offers only a rough, hand-climb path with poor accessibility. The site’s high altitude, thin air, strong year-round winds exceeding level six, and unstable geological formations pose significant safety risks.
Designing the project involved extensive geological surveys and exploration under challenging conditions. Bold attempts to create an experience of “seeking danger within danger” included detailed geological disaster assessments, wind tunnel tests, tuned mass damper (TMD) calculations, and steel cantilever structure simulations. Collaborations with experts and institutions helped overcome these challenges, culminating in a successful six-year construction journey.
Structures span both sides of the Nu River over 260 meters. The rugged “Mao Road” on the south bank requires both hands and feet to navigate. Despite detailed early terrain mapping, actual measurement and layout faced difficulties, with some points perched on steep cliffs and strong valley winds complicating drone control. RTK instruments were used for manual layout, with workers suspended by safety ropes on cliffs — a startling and daunting sight, marking only the beginning of this epic story.
The unique geography between the 72 turns and the “Tiger Mouth” canyon prevented transport of heavy machinery. To build the pile foundation for the high-altitude glass observation deck, 39 piles were drilled into varying cliff layers manually due to lack of roads and smooth surfaces. The rock strata were exceptionally hard, requiring over 50 types of drill bits, custom-made based on rock samples analyzed by manufacturers across China.
Deepest piles reached 25 meters. Drilling proceeded in 0.6-meter layers, with workers lowering safety ropes into 1.8-meter diameter holes to manually break and remove rock. This painstaking process involved six construction teams and hundreds of workers over six months.
Transportation of personnel and materials was another challenge. Without access roads on the south bank, workers had to detour several kilometers, cross the Nu River via a temporary bridge, then walk to the site. At over 2800 meters altitude, it took nearly two hours to reach the site, four hours round trip without carrying loads.
South bank foundations use reinforced concrete deep piles with steel structures, concrete, weather-resistant steel plates, stainless steel, special glass, and other materials. Despite careful design and disassembly, materials are bulky and cannot be moved by manpower alone. Small and medium machinery like excavators and compressors cannot reach the south bank.
To overcome this, the project revived the Sichuan-Tibet Highway’s decades-old river-crossing method, constructing temporary zip lines for machinery and personnel transport. Later, a freight zip line ensured smooth delivery of materials to the south bank. A 100-ton crane was brought via the 72 turns to the north bank site, along with a 60-type tower crane.
Materials unloaded by crane are lifted to a river crossing platform, then transferred across via zip line, and finally carried manually to various sites — requiring at least four transfers.
Concrete pouring, a routine task elsewhere, is extremely difficult here. The nearest mixing plant is 40+ km away in Basu County, about an hour’s drive. Mixer trucks cannot reach the south bank due to terrain and road conditions, nor cross the river via zip line due to weight.
To solve this, a 150-meter steel cable bridge was built over the Nu River, carrying a dedicated concrete pipeline. However, blockages frequently occur in the long pipeline, requiring immediate clearing within one hour to prevent hardening and the need for a new pipe.
Long transport distances and complex river crossing mean concrete delivery races against time. If delayed, the concrete batch is wasted. Some cliff-top points cannot be reached by pipeline, necessitating self-mixed materials with low efficiency and slow progress.
Steel structure construction is ideal in Tibet due to limited site work, fast installation, and manageable costs. The high-altitude glass observation deck uses a steel truss cantilever with 37 meters on the far end and 27 meters at the near end. The truss height tapers from 2.4 meters near the support to 1.5 meters at the cantilever’s tip, rising over 130 meters above the Nu River.
Due to G318’s transport restrictions, components were disassembled into sizes convenient for transport without compromising structural integrity. The entire truss was prefabricated in 46 sections, assembled on-site, and lifted into place. Stringent requirements for pre-arching, welding, and control point displacement, combined with constant strong winds, made installation highly challenging — a rarity in Tibet.
The exterior uses red weather-resistant steel plates and imported SGP laminated glass, chosen for durability, simple construction, and weather resistance. Other structures also use steel, weather-resistant steel plates, and glass, creating a distinctive red color in the Nujiang Grand Canyon.
In Tibet, tourism drives development. Without visitors, many areas risk decline. To support scenic area tourism, nearly 500 acres of fruit orchards were planted on the northern mountain slopes during early construction. Over six years, this barren land transformed into lush greenery. Thanks to Tibet’s abundant sunshine, grapes, pears, peaches, and apples grown here are exceptionally sweet and delicious.
The Nujiang 72 Turns Grand Canyon Scenic Area currently provides at least 48 local jobs, generating over 3 million yuan annually. We hope this project invigorates regional tourism, attracts more visitors, and breathes new life into this vibrant land. May this once-desert cliff flourish with hope, contributing to Tibet’s tourism, economy, employment, culture, and agricultural exports.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Structural Schematic Diagram
△ Structural Schematic Diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Nujiang 72 Turn Grand Canyon Scenic Spot, Tibet
Type: Architecture / Observation Deck
Location: Basu County, Changdu, Tibet
Main Creative Team: Archemit
Lead Architect: Pan Youcai
Design Director: Yang Zhe (Partner)
Technical Director: Chen Renzhen (Partner)
Design Team: Zhao Yu, Wang Wenshuang, Ge Xiangxin, Guo Jinchen, Liu Xinyue
Construction Drawing Design: Chengdu Sinayulian Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Architecture Specialists: Wang Mei, Wang Kan, Lei Ming, Liao Shankun, Ma Xupeng, Hao Xingqi
Structural Specialists: Wang Xiaobo, Deng Zhigang, Du Xu, Qu Pengze, Yang Tao
Electrical Specialists: Mo Zhongkai, Fu Yuliang
Water Supply & Drainage: Liu Genqiu, Wu Li
Curtain Wall Specialists: Li Gang, Song Shiyao
Wind Resistance Test: Professor Liao Haili’s team, Southwest Jiaotong University
Steel Structure Construction Simulation: Professor Yu Zhixiang’s team, Southwest Jiaotong University
TMD Damper Design & Construction: Chengdu Seismic Isolation Technology Co., Ltd
Amusement Equipment: Xinxiang Mingyang Scenic Area Amusement Equipment Co., Ltd
Project Owners: Basu County People’s Government, Basu County Zangdongyuan Venture Capital Co., Ltd
Operating Unit: Tibet Actinide Tribal Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd (Tibet Asha Cultural Tourism)
Photographer: Existence Architecture – Architectural Photography, Chill Shine by Qiu Wensanying
Special Thanks (Filming): Qimei Ciwang, Zhaxi Chengcuo, Zhaxi Nima, Baimalam, Gaxi, Zhaxi Luobu, Danzeng Ciwang
Author: Pan Youcai
Exhibition Setup: Xie Xinjiu, Zhang Shan
Design Period: June 2018 – November 2018
Construction Period: March 2019 – September 2024
Land Area: Approx. 100 acres
Building Area: Approx. 800 square meters
Construction Company: Tibet Laigu Construction Co., Ltd
Construction Personnel: 329 people (listed by participation order)
Building Materials: Steel structure (fluorocarbon paint), patterned steel plate, weather-resistant steel plate (dark red), galvanized steel rectangular tube, stainless steel profile, SGP laminated ultra-clear glass (flooring), laminated ultra-clear glass (fence), hollow ultra-clear glass (curtain wall), stone, local rough stone, decorative panels, multi-color paint, ceramic tiles, etc.
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