Editor's note: China is marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet autonomous region. In the coming weeks China Daily will bring you in-depth reports about developments in the region in the past half-century, focusing on culture and religion, environmental protection and eco-tourism.

Visitors are flocking to Tibet, one of the world's remotest holiday destinations, as a result of massive investment in the region's transportation infrastructure, report Luo Wangshu in Xigaze and Xin Dingding in Beijing.

A man admires the view as he circles stupas in Nagqu prefecture, Tibet. Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

Driving in Tibet was once considered a dangerous line of work. So much so, that the locals still tie brightly colored flags signaling "good luck" to cables and rocks on the peak of every mountain and hill.

"The flags are there to wish passers-by a safe journey," explained Yarphel, who has 22 years experience as a local government driver in Ngari prefecture in the Tibet autonomous region - often referred to as "the roof of the world".

During his long working life, Yarphel has developed a special routine and follows a number of rituals. Whenever he drives past the peak of a mountain, he honks his horn. "It's a greeting to the gods, asking them to bless us," he said. More prosaically, it's also a good way to let other motorists know he's there. "On unpaved roads, visibility is often zero because your vision is obscured by the clouds of dust that rise from the road surface," he said.

Yarphel has encountered this situation many times on his travels between Xigaze prefecture and Burang, a county in Ngari, the home of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, which are both regarded as holy features by the local Budd-hists. "I constantly have to step on the brakes and slow down," he said.

The 1,100-kilometer journey from Xigaze to Burang used to take at least two days, because "driving 12 hours a day on such a bumpy road was hard and I was exhausted pretty quickly", he added.