China National Highway 109 connects Beijing with Lhasa. It runs westwards of Beijing via Datong, Yinchuan and Xining to Golmud before turning southwest to Lhasa. The total distance of the highway is 3,901 km.
In Beijing it is known as Fushi Road, as it begins from Fuchengmen and traverses through Shijingshan.
The majority of the Beijing section is in Mentougou District.
The section of the highway within western Qinghai and Tibet, from Golmud to Lhasa, is paralleled by the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
"Tasked with carrying upwards of 85 per cent of goods in and out of Tibet, the Qinghai-Tibet highway has been dubbed the "Lifeline of Tibet." ... Since it was opened to traffic in 1954, the central government has spent nearly 3 billion yuan (US$362 million) on three major overhauls. It was asphalted in 1985."
Read more about China National Highway 109: Route and Distance
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