Ever-flowing Spring

Ever-flowing Spring Station is located in the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve to the south of Kunlun Mountain, at an altitude of 4,611 m. (15,128 ft.). This section of railway is also the most difficult control project of Tibet Railway - Budongquan Bridge, which is 2.95 km. (1.83 mi.) long. This bridge has the highest altitude, thickest permafrost, toughest conditions, and highest level of technology in the world.
The Ever-flowing Spring gains its name from a spring that is said to flow throughout the year. The largest ever-flowing spring in the Kunlun Mountain is the Kunlun Spring, which lies in the famous town Nachitai, also a stop of the railway. It is always worshipped as a holy deity by the locals, and attached with beautiful legends. One goes like this: When Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty trekked to Tibet to marry Songtsen Gampo, the king of Tubo Kingdom, she rested here for a night without any water to drink. Miraculously, when she awoke the next morning, she found the mountain top where the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was placed turned to a platform, while not far away limpid spring waters were bursting forth. To express the respect to Buddha, the devout princess threw a string of pearls into the spring, which made the water even fresher. That's why the Nachitai is called 'Buddhist Platform' and Kunlun Spring 'Pearl Spring'.

There are two springs not far from each other, the larger beside the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The water has a fixed temperature of 20 ℃ (68 ℉), being excellent natural mineral water. The site also contains an enclosed monument in the form of an octagonal kiosk. The spot is one of the most famous scenic spot of Kunlun Mountain.

 Back to Map of the Tibet Railway Scenery