One of the Must-Visit Places in Xinjiang: The Most Beautiful Drive and Cycling Route is the Duku Highway
The is renowned as one of the most beautiful highways in Xinjiang, not only familiar to locals in Xinjiang but also highly recognized nationwide.
The has a one-year opening time of only 6-10 months, which is 5 months, and other times are covered by snow and impassable, which makes those who have never seen it more fascinated. The starts from and ends at , with a total length of 561 kilometers, which is a highway that crosses the Tian Shan Mountains, connecting many minority ethnic groups and a key north-south highway.
The has complex terrain along the way, combined with many scenic spots, making it one of the best self-selected routes for domestic and international bicycle travel enthusiasts to challenge themselves.
D1: —90
The theme of the first day is 'climbing'.
After arriving in from , and the second day early in the morning, we couldn't bear the excitement of cycling and the yearning for the , we quickly packed and rushed towards the Tian Shan Gate.
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the crosses high mountains and canyons.
Entering Tian Shan, the terrain is desolate, and many mountain faces are not covered by grass. The winds through the, sometimes drilling into cliffs and climbing, sometimes cutting into cliffs and following the valley. From to is nearly 70 kilometers, with a very high difficulty.
D2: —55
The theme of the second day is 'snow mountain'.
After getting out of the on the for 30 kilometers, we passed through several accident-prone areas. The highway is built along the mountainside and beside the water, with a blue oil road built on the cliff, winding between the valleys like a giant snake.
The is China's highest tunnel at an altitude of 3390 meters. The highway also has a 100-meter snow embankment, which can make the exposed snow and rock fall on the road into deep ravines, which is a unique sight.
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After passing the , the scenery changed, with vegetation coverage and lush green, which is similar to the feeling when passing through the 2 on the 318. The highway continues to descend into the distance, disappearing.
D3: —88
Today's theme is 'descending'.
Rather than saying that we are riding with our bodies, it's better to say that we are riding with our souls. Along the way, we met many cycling friends, and everyone was full of passion. In the midst of beautiful scenery, the body and soul shuttled through the winding Tian Shan, as if admiring a chapter of Tian Shan scenery and opening a geological encyclopedia.
forests, rivers, felt bags
After passing through the , we continued to descend, with beautiful scenery. Entering the scenic , along the way, mountains, grasslands, rivers and pines, with the reflection of glaciers in the distance, the beautiful scenery of the remote Xinjiang is like a giant painting, and also like opening a geological encyclopedia.
D4: —60
The theme of the third day is 'forest and grassland'.
Those who have seen the city with a hazy and drizzling, with a faint light, seen the river fragments into stars in the sunset, seen the tree shadows falling on the walls like sprinkling, and seen exquisite sculptures and unparalleled paintings, may not be as beautiful as .
horses, grassland beauties
The scenery continues yesterday's style, seeing lush snowy pine forests. In the Tian Shan Mountains, there is a vast grassland, a green carpet of grasslands, and an endless green. The wind blows the green grass, and cattle and sheep are scattered with black heads. White felt tents are scattered all over the place. The grassland is boundless and boundless, with dreams flying with the heart.
D5: —120
Today's theme is 'Dragon Pond'.
The grassland highway has beautiful scenery in summer, with lush grass in summer, cattle and sheep in groups, and golden colors in autumn. When encountering mist, the mountains are hidden and revealed, and when encountering rain, the pressure of the clouds is low and the mountain pressure is high, which makes you walk along the way, and you always see beautiful scenery.
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the dragon pond
After passing the , we saw the big and small dragon ponds like two dazzling gems embedded in the Tian Shan Mountains. The big and small dragon ponds are the most transparent drops of water from the Tian Shan snow, and the clouds roam in the reflection of the pine trees, which is a flowing crystal and an unparalleled sense of peace.
D6: —134
Today's theme is 'canyon'.
Entering the jurisdiction, it is the south Xinjiang, with steep rock walls, completely different from the scenery of yesterday.
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Five different scenes, ten different skies, the highway also has a red-brown Tian Shan mysterious canyon, Kizyali landscape, and the Potala Palace landscape, which are unique mountain natural landscapes.
Perhaps someone will ask, why does a highway become a 'beautiful place'? The answer can only be understood by those who have walked this road.
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