Hailed by many as one of the most beautiful highways in China, it zigzags through snow-capped mountains and deep valleys, across rivers, grasslands, forests and deserts, with reddish, striped Danxia and wind-carved Yardang landforms adding to the natural splendor.

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been investing in tourism infrastructure in recent years, with homestays, orchards and ancient cultural sites developed along routes. According to the government report delivered by Shokrat Zakir, chairman of the region, Xinjiang aims to welcome 400 million tourist visits annually by 2025.