A ranking of China’s top mega projects has placed the Qinghai-Tibet Railway at No. 1, surpassing the Three Gorges Dam. Dubbed the “Sky Road,” the 1,956-kilometer line traverses permafrost at over 4,000 meters, using heat-pipe technology to keep tracks stable. With 33 wildlife passages, it helped the Tibetan antelope population triple, while boosting Lhasa’s GDP sevenfold over 18 years. Its combination of engineering difficulty, ecological protection, and lasting impact secured the top spot.
The other nine entries span energy, water conservancy, transport, and science and technology. They include: the Ultra-High Voltage Power Grid; the West-to-East Gas Pipeline; the FAST radio telescope; Beijing Daxing International Airport; Baihetan Hydropower Station; the Three Gorges Dam; the modernized Grand Canal; the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge; and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Together, they reflect a blend of scale, innovation, and long-term vision that defines China’s infrastructure ambition.