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You Xiaoxia recently received a message, you will definitely be very happy after reading it!
That's right! Xinjiang's most beautiful highway, the Duku Highway, is finally back! After a long absence, the official announcement has finally arrived: the Duku Highway will reopen on June 10, 2022!
On March 31 this year, the Dushanzi Traffic Police Department started the work of "ensuring smooth traffic - Duku Highway shows its strength". It can be said that this was the earliest year in history to start snow removal to ensure traffic, and it also laid the foundation for the smooth opening of traffic this year!
Picture @Wusu Traffic Police Brigade
Regarding the epidemic prevention policies that everyone is most concerned about, Xinjiang has also made comprehensive simplifications, eliminating all epidemic prevention checkpoints on highways and service areas. As long as your itinerary card does not have a star, there have been no local new cases in the past 14 days, and you have a nucleic acid test result within 48 hours plus a nucleic acid test result after landing, you can enjoy Xinjiang!
Yes! The Duku Highway is 561 kilometers long, and half of it is above 2,000 meters above sea level. Traveling through four seasons in one day, the weather changes dramatically every ten miles!
The highest altitude is around 3,400 meters, at Hashilegenda Pass, but we will only pass through it briefly and will hardly suffer from altitude sickness.
Speed limit! Mobile speedometers are set at 40-60 kilometers per hour throughout the route. Don't exceed the speed limit just because you're in a hurry!
Yes! There are 33 stops along the way where you can rest, take photos, and fly your drone.
I know many of you have been eagerly anticipating this for ages! Finally! The Duku Highway has ended its long hibernation, shaken off the snow, and awakened once again. Taking advantage of favorable policies in Xinjiang, we can finally pack our bags and set off again!
The Duku Highway, a shortcut across the Tianshan Mountains, starts from Dushanzi, an oil city in northern Xinjiang, and ends at Kuche, the ancient kingdom of Qiuci, shortening the original journey of more than 1,000 kilometers to 561 kilometers.
Due to the winter snow and ice in the mountainous areas, as well as the occasional mudslides, the Duku Highway is open to the public for only four months a year.
Picture @Photo.net
It's been voted the "Most Beautiful Highway" by China National Geographic and is widely considered the "Xinjiang Beauty Champion." Driving through it, the scenery is heavenly. The short four-month opening period isn't enough time to savor the stunning scenery along the way; even missing a glimpse would be a real shame!
The Duku Highway is divided into three sections: north, middle and south.
The scenery along the way includes not only grasslands, canyons, snow-capped mountains, lakes, wetlands, and Gobi Desert... It can be called a scenic avenue with different scenery at every step, but also a scenic corridor that condenses the essence of Xinjiang.
What are the highlights of each of these three sections? Let You Xiaoxia break them down for you one by one!
Dushanzi City 🚩Qiaoerma 🚩Nalati
The Duku Highway begins at the Dushanzi Grand Canyon at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
The hundred-meter-deep canyon cliffs have been carved out by the snow and water from the Tianshan Mountains over the years, forming crisscrossing gullies and revealing magical patterns like leaf veins, which are awe-inspiring and awe-inspiring.
The northern section reaches its highest point at 3,460 meters above sea level at Hashilegenda Pass. The winding mountain road winds its way up through deep valleys. After crossing the pass, the view opens up to a vast expanse of snow-capped mountains.
Ahead is the Qiorma Martyrs Cemetery, where the soldiers who sacrificed their lives building the Duku Highway rest in peace. It was they who gave Duku its soul and who continue to guard the Tianshan Mountains.
A hundred miles west of Qorma, the grassland is fertile and the scenery is picturesque. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the Tangbula grassland looks as beautiful as an oil painting.
Nalati Bayinbuluke
The middle section of the Duku River is usually the first to be opened and is also the most important section of the Tianshan Grassland. It passes through the Gongnaisi River Valley and connects the Nalati Grassland and the Bayinbuluke Wetland.
Nalati, the aerial grassland popularized by a beekeeper, resembles a rolling green ocean. Its hillsides are covered in a vibrant array of wildflowers, while dense forests, towering snow-capped mountains, and crisscrossing rivers create a vibrant scene.
After crossing Duku and heading south, you will arrive at the second largest grassland in my country, the endless Bayinbuluke Wetland.
It is surrounded by high mountains, with lush wetlands and grass, dotted with cattle and sheep on the grasslands, and winding rivers. If you find the right angle at sunset, you can see "nine suns".
Bayinbuluke Kuqa
After crossing the Bayinbuluke grassland, the vehicle headed south and climbed the 3,200-meter Tielimati Pass to enter the southern Tianshan Mountains.
The jewel-like Big and Small Dragon Ponds are located deep in the mountains. The emerald green lake is close to the road, and on the other side are green mountains. The beautiful scenery is like a surprise for travelers.
As the red Yardang landform gradually replaced the forest meadow, the beginnings of southern Xinjiang began to emerge.
The reddish-brown Kuqa Grand Canyon was formed through billions of years of wind and rain erosion. The peaks are towering and the canyons are winding. The light shining through the cracks in the canyon is very shocking!
The Duku Highway ends at Kuche, the ancient kingdom of Qiuci. It was once the most powerful center among the 36 kingdoms in the Western Regions. It was also the country that was best at "orchestral music" as described by Master Xuanzang. Kuche condenses the essence of the humanities of southern Xinjiang.
The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, known as the "second Mogao Grottoes", is the earliest cave excavated in China and an important cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Kucha.
Of course, a journey as steep and beautiful as the Duku Highway requires professional vehicles and drivers. This journey not only requires beautiful scenery, but also ensures a safe and comfortable experience for everyone!
Picture @ Photography Network - Dancing on the Needle
Our fleet is truly impressive. China-TravelNote Xinjiang has been deeply involved in Xinjiang travel for over 10 years, cultivating its own dedicated off-road fleet. Featuring vehicles like the Toyota Prado and Toyota Land Cruiser, these powerful four-wheel-drive vehicles will take you across southern and northern Xinjiang, and even over the Tianshan Mountains!
In addition to our professional fleet, we have also arranged enthusiastic, responsible and humorous local Xinjiang drivers who can chat with you all the way, tell you local stories and customs, and make your journey full of laughter!
You've read this far! What? Aren't you still tempted?
Duku, this epic highway, has captured the hearts of countless travelers. If you want to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Xinjiang in a short period of time, why not come to Xinjiang and ride on the Duku Highway together!
