Consultation hotline for chartered cars on the Duku Road: 1813962-2229 (same as above) 0991-8585456
The Duku Highway, the highway from Dushanzi to Kuqa. It is a 561-kilometer-long highway connecting northern and southern Xinjiang. It stretches across towering mountains and deep valleys, connecting many ethnic minority inhabited areas. Its completion has shortened the distance between northern and southern Xinjiang from the original more than 1,000 kilometers to nearly half, and it can be considered a monument in the history of highway construction in China.
To build this highway, tens of thousands of soldiers fought for 10 years, and among them, 168 road construction soldiers sacrificed their precious lives.
Scenic spots:
At the southern end of the Duku Highway, people will also enjoy the magnificent landscape of the Kizilia Mountainous Region, where the red rock forest is magnificent. Not only that, the nearby Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon Scenic Area also shocks visitors with its deep and narrow paths that are thrilling.
Moreover, in the canyon, the Buddhist grotto ‘Ai石窟’ excavated during the Tang Dynasty was discovered, with exquisite murals inside, and this area has become an authoritative location for location shooting.
The Kuqa River has been accompanying one side of the highway all the time. When the highway passes through the ‘Flame Zone’ on the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, it is replaced by steep cliffs, green grass, thorny bushes with yellow flowers passionately blooming all over the trees, and scattered pine trees. The valley is filled with the fragrance of wildflowers, and towering peaks are adorned with chilling white snow.
Between the mountains flow rushing rivers, and gentle grasslands are on the slopes. The evening glow falls on the grasslands, covering them with a layer of gold. Shepherds enclose the sheep with stones and wooden fences, light fires in the yurts, and curling smoke rises slowly… This pastoral song of the plateau will always casually catch the eye along the way, filling thoughts with poetry.
At the same time, you cannot help but hold your breath repeatedly due to the dangerousness of the road. A large portion of the cliffs along the road form an overhanging slope of no less than 90 degrees with the ground, like being chopped by a knife, with a relative height difference of over 100 meters. The Longchi Waterfall hanging in three sections on the mountainside, the Large and Small Longchi Lakes as emerald green as jade with flocks of waterbirds, are all hidden in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains at an altitude of over 2000 meters in the middle of the Duku Highway.
Continuing forward through here, with pine forests stretching out all the way, people will also see the second largest grassland in China – the Bayin布鲁克 Grassland. There, the grass is lush and green, wildflowers are like a brocade, Mongolian yurts send up curling smoke, and swans inhabit the lakes there every year.
In addition, the Nalati Grasslands, the Qiaerma Scenic Area, the Daban passes, alpine snow peaks, clouds flowing in the mountains, and the highest tunnel in China in terms of altitude will all make this journey along this road extraordinary.
One third of the Duku Highway consists of steep cliffs, and one fifth of it is located in the perpetual frost zone of high mountains. It crosses nearly ten major rivers of the Tianshan Mountains and scales four ice-covered Daban passes with snow all year round, so its driving difficulty is imaginable. However, the scenery along the way can only be described as magical. Heading northeast from Kuqa, the location of the ancient Kingdom of Qiuci, along National Highway 217, the mystery of the Duku Highway begins to unfold layer by layer. Along the way, you can enjoy the fiery and dry scenery of the Kizilia Mountainous Region, mysterious and steep canyon landscapes, dense vegetation and nomadic customs in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, as well as vast grassland scenery, etc.
Scenic areas along the Duku Highway (from south to north): Kizilya Mountain Landscape, Mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon, Big and Small Dragon Lakes, Tielimaiti Pass, Bayanbulak Grassland, Nalati, Qiaoerma Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery.
Road Condition Information
The geology and weather conditions of the Duku Highway are indeed complex. It is understood that since the Duku Highway is a national highway, there are strict procedures and systems for the release of road condition information. The road condition information of highways and national and provincial roads in Dushanzi, Kuitun, and Wusu areas is released by the Kuitun Highway Administration Bureau of the Autonomous Region Department of Transportation.
So when will the Duku Highway open in 2024?
The Duku Highway opens around June 2014, welcoming a large number of tourists to enjoy the scenery. I have been dedicated to introducing Xinjiang’s tourism resources to mainland tourists. In 2018, I specifically provided car rental services and met many travel companions on the Duku Highway. The drivers are all experienced drivers who have run the Duku Highway for more than 3 years. Tourists planning to travel on the Duku Highway in 2024 can contact me for quality services. Add me as a friend: 1813962-2229, and I will provide you with attentive service.
Phone: 0991-8585456
Many people may ask: Why would a highway become a candidate for the ‘most beautiful place’? Only those who have traveled on this road will truly understand the answer. This is not an ordinary road. If you start from Kuqa and take the Duku Highway, you will experience a psychological journey from ‘fire to water’.
For tourism, contact Xiao Guo. Car rentals, group tours, and customized tours in Xinjiang. Design your exclusive customized route. Consultation hotline: 0991-8585456
Recommended Duku Highway Route: Northern Section of Duku Highway Tour: Day 1 Urumqi – Sayram Lake – Qingshuihe
Day 2: Qingshuihe – Xiata – Zhaosu
Day 3: Zhaosu – Karajun – Tekes
Day 4: Tekes – Nalati
Day 5: Nalati – Bayanbulak
Day 6: Bayanbulak – Northern Section of Duku – Urumqi
Four-day Northern Section of Duku Highway Tour: Day 1 Urumqi – Sayram Lake – Qingshuihe
Day 2: Qingshuihe – Karajun – Tekes
Day 3: Tekes – Nalati
Day 4: Nalati – Northern Section of Duku Highway – Urumqi
Full Journey of Duku Highway: Day 1 Urumqi – Northern Section of Duku Highway – Nalati
Day 2: Nalati – Bayanbulak
Day 3: Bayanbulak – Southern Section of Duku Highway – Kuqa
Day 4: Kuqa – Lop Nur Village – Korla
Day 5: Korla – Urumqi