One of the most remote parts of China has become much more connected to the rest of the country over the past few years. In 2010, the Tibetan county of Medog was finally linked with the rest of China thanks to a 117km road that linked into the rest of the country's highway system. However, unpredictable weather meant that one half of the road or another was typically closed for much of the year — there was even a warehouse built at that midway point to store supplies during the shutdowns.

China Daily has published a report on how the road has improved the life of the citizens in Medog at a time when the road reached a new milestone: it's been open continuously now for more than a year, from April 2012 through the present. Even with the previous closures, the road has been a huge improvement for the county — previously, it took 15 days on foot or eight days on horse to traverse the 100km route out of Medog. "For generations, even in our wildest dreams we didn't dare think about having such a wonderful tunnel that went through the snow-covered mountains," said Jikmey Dorje, a transport business owner in Medog.