Three Decades Later: British Explorer and Chinese Scientist Revisit Muli to Unlock a Century of China’s Ecological History

When the alpine mists brushed over the sacred Mt.Mitzuga as the bitter rain began to clear, Michael, a traveler from distant lands, added another unforgettable chapter to his journal chronicling his pursuit of Joseph Rock’s legacy.

A century ago, Austrian-American explorer and botanist Joseph Rock made three expeditions to Muli Tibetan Autonomous County in Liangshan Prefecture. Through articles published in National Geographic magazine, he unveiled to global readers the core heartland of "Shangri-La" in Sichuan’s Muli region.

The route Rock experienced - now known as the Jiangdie Highway along National Route G248 - has become an internet-famous cross-country trail. This 100-kilometer stretch concentrates the ultimate landscapes of the transitional zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Huangtu Plateau, featuring snow-capped mountain passes, primeval forests, alpine meadows, Tibetan villages, and ancient monasteries. Hailed as "China’s Most Beautiful 100 Kilometers" and "a must-drive journey of a lifetime".

In 1994, Michael first traveled to western Sichuan. Guided by Joseph Rock’s journals, he trekked through the Jiangdie Highway, seeking out documented villages, sacred peaks, and lakes amidst towering mountains and dense forests. Over the subsequent three decades, he repeatedly journeyed between his homeland and Southwest China, using numerous photographs and tens of thousands of words in blog posts to interweave the mysterious landmarks and vibrant cultural tapestry chronicled by Rock.

In late 2024, three decades after his last visit, Michael returned to Muli to explore uncharted territories. Accompanying him was Zhu Dan, a youth expert at Sichuan International Communication Center and associate researcher at the Chengdu Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In recent years, Zhu has traversed the same route, documenting the scattered markers left by Joseph Rock through lens-based exploration. By capturing contemporary photographs matching historical locations, he chronicles ecological changes over the past century while laying the groundwork for academic research.

For both travelers, the significance of this journey lies not merely in arrival, but in the encounters along the way. Their return expedition to Muli has been preserved in "The Road Without Borders", a mini-documentary from Inspiration’s Tibetan Travels series. Now let us follow these two protagonists in unfolding this century-spanning ecological chronicle-a collaborative memorandum inscribed by people of different ethnicities, ages, and nationalities. Through this unique perspective, we gain insights into the developmental transformations occurring in Sichuan's Muli Tibetan autonomous county in recent years.

The Inspiration video program of the SICC proudly launches its groundbreaking bilingual documentary series titled "Voices of a Million Youth", which explore in depth into young talents from diverse fields, and capture the voices of "a million youth" as they share their dreams, weaving together stories of a vibrant and spirited China. This series will be presented simultaneously on the SICC’s official Channel, international official website Center, social media platforms including X, Facebook, and YouTube, and new media outlets such as Chuanguan News and Cover News.