Duku Highway Self-Driving Guide
A day to see the Tianshan longitudinal line through all four seasons
The Duku Highway starts from Dushanzi in the north and reaches Kuqa in the south, spanning 561 kilometers through the Tianshan Mountains. Within a single day, one can travel from the Gobi Desert to snow walls, grasslands, canyons, and spruce forests; 'seeing four seasons in one day' is not an exaggeration. It is open only from around June to October each year.
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Destination Details
In the 1970s, tens of thousands of road-construction soldiers took more than a decade to carve through the Tianshan Mountains. Over a hundred martyrs rest in the Qiaorma Martyrs' Cemetery, giving the "Road of Heroes" its name. Today, the Duku Highway remains an iconic route for self-driving in China, with Nalati Grassland, Bayinbuluke, and the Large and Small Dragon Pools all along this route.
Self-Driving Tips
- Open period: Usually from early June to early October, subject to official announcements
- Segments: Dushanzi—Qiaorma—Nalati—Bayinbuluke—Kuche, the northern section is the most dangerous
- Notes: Speed limits are common throughout, sudden weather changes are frequent, fill up your gas tank in Dushanzi and Nalati
Accommodations along the way are concentrated in Qiaorma, Nalati, Bayinbuluke, and Kuche. The snow-wall section is in the northern part, peaking in early June; if you want to photograph the sunset at the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns, schedule Bayinbuluke in the evening.
