One of China's most beautiful roads, the Duku Highway in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened on Saturday to traffic following an eight-month closure, the first day of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
The 561-kilometer Duku Highway that runs through the majestic Tianshan Mountains is only open from around June to October every year. It is temporarily closed every winter due to increased snowfall and road icing.
The highway connects Dushanzi in the north of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with Kuqa City in the south, running through varied landscapes that include canyons, glaciers, lakes and grasslands.
Kuqa City held a ceremony to mark the traffic resumption, and long streams of vehicles including cars and RVs from around the country started filing past numerous breathtaking scenic spots along the Duku Highway.
"I'm 70 years old. And I'll seize the opportunity to travel in southern and northern Xinjiang. They say one can enjoy scenery of the four seasons along the Duku Highway," said a tourist named Shi Gufeng.
Local government has been improving infrastructure and services along the highway, setting up new service centers for tourists, and building medical facilities and charging piles for electric vehicles.
"We are working around the clock to help tourists who need assistance. And we are carrying out drone patrols to ensure smooth and safe traffic on the highway," said Liang Wenju, a traffic police officer.
Scenic Duku Highway in Xinjiang opens to traffic after seasonal closure
