{
  "name": "Duku Highway",
  "slug": "duku-highway",
  "url": "https://www.bestdrivingroads.com/roads/duku-highway/",
  "summary": "The Duku Highway (G217) crosses the Tianshan Mountains through 561 km of staggering variety, carving through deep river gorges, alpine meadows, desert ridges and snow peaks in a single drive widely called China's most scenic highway.",
  "roadNumbers": [
    "G217"
  ],
  "location": {
    "country": "China",
    "region": "Xinjiang",
    "start": {
      "name": "Dushanzi",
      "lat": 44.329959,
      "lon": 84.84839
    },
    "end": {
      "name": "Kuqa",
      "lat": 41.718171,
      "lon": 82.965471
    }
  },
  "measurements": {
    "lengthMiles": 327,
    "lengthKm": 526.3,
    "driveMinutes": 889,
    "corners": 513,
    "hairpins": 36,
    "maxGradientPercent": 7,
    "summitMetres": 3456.8,
    "elevationConfidence": "approximate (30 m DEM cannot resolve this line)",
    "difficulty": "demanding",
    "tightnessOutOf10": 6
  },
  "timing": {
    "bestSeasons": [
      "summer",
      "autumn"
    ],
    "closesInWinter": true
  },
  "conditions": {},
  "hazards": [
    "Closed October to May",
    "Altitude sickness near the 3,460 m Haxilegen Pass",
    "Mudslides and flash floods in rain",
    "Fuel stations 100-150 km apart",
    "Sudden snow even in summer",
    "Permits required for some areas"
  ],
  "scenery": [
    "mountain",
    "valley",
    "gorge",
    "lakes"
  ],
  "pointsOfInterest": [
    "Duku Highway Terminus Monument",
    "Sky Waterfall",
    "Tianshan Stone Forest East Gate"
  ],
  "geometry": {
    "pointCount": 2210
  },
  "attribution": {
    "source": "Routes - bestdrivingroads.com",
    "citation": "Cite with a link to the road page. Stats are measured from the mapped line, not copied from other lists; where elevationConfidence is \"approximate\" the 30 m DEM cannot resolve that line and the elevation figures are indicative.",
    "roadGeometry": "(c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL",
    "terms": "Facts are free to cite with attribution; bulk reproduction of the catalogue requires permission (simon@keane.studio)."
  },
  "updated": "2026-08-03"
}