Miserable nights and enthralling days in Amdo

After spending just one night in Amdo county, the crushing headaches and breathlessness caused by the lack of oxygen will be imprinted in my memory until the day I die. The pains in my head and bones made me understand the courage required by the highway maintenance workers as they battle to withstand the harsh environment. We city dwellers could learn a lot from these road crews, who maintain a cheerful disposition, even in adversity.

Altitude sickness is a trial for most visitors to the "roof of the world", and so altitude-sickness medicine and oxygen became my best friends during the trip along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.

In April 2010, I was sent to report on the devastation wrought by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Yushu Tibetan prefecture in Qinghai province. En route, I attained a personal record when I ascended to 4,848 meters as we crossed the Bayenkala Mountains before descending to Yushu, which sits 1,500 meters below the mountain pass, but I felt no sickness or discomfort.