Top of the world

The railway track between Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, and Xigaze in the south of the region was put into operation last week, following the first expansion of the world's highest Qinghai-Tibet railway that has been operating since 2006.

The 251-kilometer-long route offers an easier way for tourists and residents of the region to travel on the "rooftop of the world".With an investment of 13.28 billion yuan ($2.16 billion), the new railway section took three years to complete.

Trains travel at a minimum speed of 120km per hour across the vast wilderness at an altitude of 4,000 meters, dotted with snow-capped mountains. The three-hour ride is one of the best gifts to visitors to Tibet.