Dushanzi-Kuche Highway

The Dushanzi-Kuche Highway, also known as National Highway 217 Dushanzi to Kuche section, is the southern part of National Highway 217 that connects the north and south of Xinjiang. It is also called the Tianshan Highway because it crosses the Tianshan Mountains. It starts in the north from the Dushanzi District of Karamay City, known as the oil city of North Xinjiang, and ends in the south at Kuche City in the Aksu region of Southern Xinjiang, located at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, with geographical coordinates of 82°55' E to 84°58' E, and 41°42' N to 44°19' N. The highway is 561 kilometers long, with half of the route at an altitude of over 2000 meters, and the highest point, the Tielimaiti Daban, is over 3400 meters above sea level. The Dushanzi-Kuche Highway is a true scenic avenue, from the Dushanzi Grand Canyon at the starting point, to the Nalati and Bayinbuluke grasslands along the way, and finally to the mysterious Grand Canyon of the Tianshan Mountains in Kuche. Along the Dushanzi-Kuche Highway, one can pass through the Yilianhabierga Mountain, Borokonu Mountain, Awulale Mountain, Nalati Mountain, Aierbin Mountain, Halk Mountain, and the basins of Yining and Kuche. Due to natural factors such as snowfall and icing in the Tianshan mountain area during winter, traffic control is generally implemented from early November to May or June of the following year, with a closure period of up to 8 months. The Dushanzi-Kuche Highway experiences four seasons in one day, presenting a magnificent and unique spectacle of 'four seasons in a day, different weathers every ten miles' to off-road enthusiasts and self-driving tourists.