The 318 National Road, part of the Sichuan-Tibet Line, was known as China's scenic highway.
It ran from Chengdu in the east to Lhasa in the west.
Along the way, it passed mountains, lakes, rivers, canyons, forests, glaciers, and snow-capped peaks.
The region's terrain and landscapes were incredibly diverse.
That was why many people considered driving the 318 a must-do in their lifetime.
As a result, the road was busiest every summer, and traffic jams were common.
"Blue Lotus" played as they sat stuck on the 318.
"Drive the 318 at least once in your life"—then, halfway there, wish you were back home.
That was what a summer road trip on the 318 was like.
Wang Yi and Wang Yaoxue had been heading west together. They'd had to sleep crammed into their car when they couldn't find a place to stay;
they'd also been stuck on the road until the middle of the night.
And when they reached the Nujiang Seventy-Two Bends, Wang Yaoxue had even gotten carsick.
He'd been so sick he'd felt like the world was spinning.
On the afternoon of their seventh day on the road, they ran into another traffic jam.
According to the navigation app, they'd probably be stuck for around four hours.
By then, it would be dark, and the road would be even harder to drive.
Wang Yi checked the navigation, then looked at the endless line of cars ahead. "If we're stuck this long, we'll be here until the middle of the night. There are a few villages nearby. Why don't we ask a Tibetan family if we can stay over? If we're lucky, we won't have to sleep in the car tonight."
Wang Yaoxue nodded. "Let's go."
So the two of them drove along a small road toward a nearby village.