Duku Highway

The Duku Highway is one of China’s defining mountain roads. Following G217 between Dushanzi and Kuqa, it cuts directly across the Tianshan Mountains, connecting northern and southern Xinjiang over 561 kilometres. The scale is what makes it special: few mountain roads change their landscape so dramatically within a single ride.

From the northern foothills, the road climbs into forests and open alpine grasslands before reaching the high passes of the Tianshan. Four major daban — mountain passes — punctuate the crossing, including Khaxilegen and Tielimaiti, with the road reaching roughly 3,490 metres at its highest point.

The riding itself constantly changes character. There are narrow mountain sections, long climbing sequences, sweeping bends and tighter corners carved into steep terrain. Rather than one concentrated technical section, the challenge comes from the sheer length of the route, altitude, changing weather and the constantly shifting road environment.

What makes Duku particularly memorable is the transition at the end of the ride. After crossing high alpine terrain, the road eventually descends towards Kuqa and the northern edge of the Tarim Basin. Grasslands, snow-covered mountains and forests give way to dramatic gorges and much drier landscapes — effectively turning one road into a cross-section of Xinjiang.

The Duku Highway is seasonal and normally opens for only around four months because of heavy snow, ice and mountain conditions. Conditions and opening dates can vary each year, so this is a route where timing matters. Services are available at settlements and major tourist areas along the route, but long remote sections mean riders should plan fuel, food and weather accordingly.

The Ride Beyond route starts at Dushanzi, on the northern side of the Tianshan. From here, G217 heads south through the early mountain sections before climbing progressively deeper into the range. The landscape quickly changes from the lower foothills to forested valleys, open grasslands and increasingly dramatic mountain terrain.

The central section is the heart of the ride. The road crosses several major mountain passes, including Khaxilegen and Tielimaiti, with sections above 3,000 metres. This is where the Duku Highway earns its reputation: steep mountains, snowfields, exposed roads and rapidly changing weather combine with a constant succession of corners.

Further south, the character changes again. The route passes the Bayinbuluke grasslands and the famous Longchi lakes before continuing towards the spectacular Tianshan Secret Grand Canyon and eventually descending towards Kuqa. The final kilometres bring the rider out of the mountains towards the warmer, drier landscape of southern Xinjiang.

For Ride Beyond, Duku Highway deserves a place among the world’s great motorcycle routes because of its scale and variety. It isn’t simply a road with one famous pass or one spectacular corner sequence — the entire 561-kilometre crossing is the experience.