Love is hard to find in Chaguola, the highest border sentry post in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

One of those lucky enough to find it is Urgyen Dorje, a 27-year-old first lieutenant, who was introduced to his wife Namkha Lhamo, 25, by a friend, in 2008.

We had a kind of feeling toward each other after we met three or four times, Dorje says.

To meet her prince charming, Lhamo - which means fairy in Tibetan - had to order a taxi for a four-hour drive that cost 250 yuan ($39). Her biggest problem, however, was altitude sickness, as Chaguola is 5,300 meters above sea level and there is 60 percent less oxygen.

She overcame the headaches and breathing problems and after a handful of dates, Dorje finally popped the question by telephone Would you like to let our relationship develop

For Tibetan people, that means will you marry me, Lhamo says.

It was June 13, 2008, Dorje says, without hesitation, recalling the date of his telephone proposal.

On Dec 10, a year later, the couple married in a simple ceremony. They didn't even have time for a honeymoon as Dorje had to return to his post after five days of wedding leave.

They have only been together for 30 days all told, during their two-year marriage, because of Dorje's duties.

They quarrel occasionally because of this and in response Lhamo sometimes goes to Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, to visit Dorje's parents.

On one of their rare holidays together, Dorje took his wife to Nam Co Lake, which is regarded as a holy land by many Tibetans. It looks like an ocean, Lhamo says with a smile.

Dorje says their biggest wish for the future is to visit Qingdao, Shandong province, to see a real ocean, as neither of them have seen the sea.

Like many other young couples, they hope to have children.

In the future, we plan to buy an apartment in Lhasa and settle down there, Dorje says. The house prices there are much cheaper than cities in the east (of China).

Maybe, we can have our baby then, Lhamo giggles.