Chasing the Last Beam of Light: A Tibetan Twilight Journey

Discover an unforgettable journey through Nagqu, capturing the last golden beam of twilight on an epic road trip across Tibet's stunning landscape.

Dark stormy clouds billow over shadowy landscape with bright illuminated cloud center
A fleeting moment of golden twilight near Nagqu on National Highway 109, captured during a rush to reach Mount Kailash. This ethereal beam of light illuminating the clouds represents the last rays of sunlight on an ambitious journey through Tibet's dramatic landscape.

When entering Tibet from National Highway 109, it was already evening by the time I reached Nagqu. Since it takes another four hours on the expressway to Lhasa, most people would choose to stay overnight in Nagqu; however, as my return date was fixed and I wanted to allocate as much time as possible for Mount Kailash, I decided to continue my journey. As I was leaving Nagqu, a beam of light illuminated a cloud. I watched as the golden hue slowly faded away. To find the best angle to capture this last trace of golden light, I pressed the gas pedal to the floor, avoiding telephone poles and traffic, and managed to capture this final glimmer of twilight at the very last moment.