Duku Highway

The G217 between Dushanzi and Kuqa crosses the Tian Shan north to south over about 560 kilometres and four passes, and it took a decade to build, with lives lost to avalanche and rockfall. It is closed by snow for roughly two thirds of the year and opens around June. In a single day it runs from arid northern foothills through the Dushanzi grand canyon, over passes with glaciers close to the roadside, past alpine meadow and herder camps at Nalati and Qiaoerma, then down into red rock canyons and desert on the Tarim side, a sequence of landscapes rarely strung together so tightly.

What you actually see

• The Dushanzi canyon - a deep red gorge at the northern end.
• The high passes - glaciers and snow close to the road in midsummer.
• The meadow sections - herder camps and grassland between the passes.
• The southern canyons - red rock and desert descending toward Kuqa.

When to go

June to September while the road is open; opening and closing dates shift with snow each year and should be checked. Landslides and roadworks close sections at short notice even in summer.

Honest expectations

The road closes for most of the year and can shut mid-season. Traffic is heavy in July and August with long queues at bottlenecks. Fuel and accommodation are sparse along the middle sections.

Nearby

Bayinbuluke lies off the southern half; Kuqa is at the south end.