Xinjiang Duku Highway

Experience the temperature of four seasons in one day, witness the geomorphological changes from river valley grassland - alpine snow peak - plateau grassland - wilderness - Yardang - Gobi, and complete the transition from northern Xinjiang to southern Xinjiang. The 0 kilometer mark - Narat Grassland and Gongnaisi River This is a typical scenery of the Ili region. Tall snow ridge spruces on the hillside pastures, rapid clear streams in the gravel river valleys, and beautiful golden-brown steeds... It's very reminiscent of the Alps. The 30th kilometer - Lalu Daban This section is a mountain road and also the most scenic part of the journey. As the altitude increases, you gradually approach the snow-capped mountains and may even surpass the snow line. In this season, in addition to the deep green snow ridge spruces, there are also red-brown and yellow trees, rich in layers and intense in color. There are several viewing platforms along the road where you can stop to enjoy the scenery and play in the snow. The 60th kilometer - Bayanbulak Grassland In this section, you have already crossed mountains and ridges to reach the plateau grassland. Bayanbulak is China's second-largest grassland, and at an altitude of 2500 meters, such a vast flat grassland is surrounded by distant snow mountains, with horses, cattle, and sheep seen everywhere on the grassland. It's hard to describe the shock of what the eyes see. This section has almost 100 kilometers of flat straight road, which is very pleasant to drive on. You can eat in Bayanbulak town, or stop by the roadside to eat self-heating hot pot. The 150th kilometer - Tielimaiti Daban You have to take the mountain road down again. The scenery here transitions from northern Xinjiang to southern Xinjiang, with many wilderness and strange rock landscapes, vast and desolate, somewhat reminiscent of Norway's Trollstigen. There is a section where the road condition is not very good at the moment, belonging to an avalanche section, with one lane under construction, currently alternating one-way traffic. The 170th kilometer - Dahuochi On the way down the mountain, you pass by the Dahuochi scenic area. The green lake water is still beautiful, but after the previous extreme scenery, the heart is relatively calm here. The 240th kilometer - Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon (Hongshan Stone Forest) By the time you reach this point, the roadside is already completely in the style of southern Xinjiang. Yardang landform, huge red mountain bodies, eroded by the wind into rugged shapes. Be sure to go on a sunny day to experience the natural wonders. Another 70 kilometers, and you will reach the end of the Duku Highway, Kuqa. This is the ancient kingdom of Kucha, where you can stay for a night and experience this historically rich small city of southern Xinjiang 🏠