Get 5 Million Likes. Win RMB 500,000 from Xizang Tourism

Dustin Chen
Jul 8
2 min read

"Surely nobody's actually going to pull this off..."

That was probably what many people thought when the Xizang (formally translated as "Tibet") Autonomous Region's Culture and Tourism Department introduced one of the boldest tourism incentive schemes we've seen in recent years.

The rules weren't simply "get five million likes."

To qualify, creators had to produce an original work promoting Xizang's cultural and tourism resources, surpass five million likes, create a phenomenon-level social impact comparable to viral events such as the Zibo BBQ craze, and align with Xizang's tourism promotion objectives. Those who met the criteria would receive a one-off RMB 500,000 award.

It sounded ambitious.

Almost impossible.

Then one Chinese creator decided to take the challenge seriously.

One Taxi. Seven Days. Over 2,200 Kilometres.

After reading about the incentive, content creator Li Yaode came up with an idea that was as simple as it was absurd.

Instead of flying to Xizang... He hailed a taxi in Chongqing. Destination: Lhasa.

The journey covered 2,229 kilometres over seven days, following China's legendary G318 Highway through dramatic mountains, deep valleys and some of the country's most spectacular scenery. Two taxi drivers took turns behind the wheel, while an ordinary bright-yellow city taxi gradually became one of the most recognisable vehicles on the Chinese internet.

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the hardest to ignore.

Even He Didnt Think It Would Work.

Li later revealed that when he first saw the incentive programme, he thought his video might attract 200,000 to 300,000 likes.

He even joked that winning one of the smaller rewards would already be more than enough. Instead, within a single day, the video had already surpassed 15 million likes. It eventually exceeded 20 million likes, becoming one of China's biggest travel stories of the summer.

Millions of people followed the journey—not just because Xizang is beautiful, but because the whole idea felt wonderfully ridiculous.

Then Came the Best Part.

After reviewing the campaign, the Xizang Autonomous Region officially confirmed that Li's video had satisfied the programme's requirements.

The work successfully showcased Xizang's landscapes and culture, generated nationwide attention, fulfilled the policy criteria and qualified for the RMB 500,000 tourism promotion award.

No excuses. No changing the rules. No "terms and conditions" surprises. Just a promise made—and a promise kept.

A Story That Could Only Happen Today.

Perhaps that's why this story resonated with so many people.

It wasn't just about a spectacular road trip.

It was about an ambitious public campaign, a creator bold enough to take it literally, millions of strangers cheering him on, and a destination authority willing to stand behind its word.

It's the kind of story that feels uniquely contemporary China—creative, optimistic, internet-native, and just a little bit surreal.

And perhaps the nicest detail came from Li himself.

When asked about the RMB 500,000 prize, he said that after travelling more than 2,000 kilometres into Xizang, the journey and everything he experienced along the way had become far more valuable than the money itself.