240+ Curves, 1,700m Drop: Xinjiang’s Most Dangerous "Expressway | 4K

Driving Overview Starting Point: Rest Area on the southbound G3012 Turpan-Hotan Expressway, near Subeshi Village, Tuokexun County, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Destination: Near Malan Railway Station, Wushtara Hui Township, Hoxud County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Driving Distance: 68.8 kilometers The Gangou Canyon section of the G3012 Turpan-Hotan Expressway is a core stretch of the Turpan-Hotan Expressway (linking Turpan and Hotan) in Xinjiang, located within the boundaries of Tuokexun County, Turpan City. With a total length of approximately 110 kilometers, it starts at the K50+000 milestone in Tuokexun County and ends at the Yushugou Exit (K160+000) in Hoxud County. As a vital transportation hub connecting northern and southern Xinjiang and the ancient "Silver Mountain Road" of the Silk Road, it serves both freight and tourism purposes, with a peak daily traffic volume of up to 6,500 vehicles, most of which are large long-haul cargo trucks. Speeding and overloading are frequent occurrences here. This section is renowned for its extreme peril. Traversing the Jueluotage Mountain in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains, it features a vertical drop of over 1,700 meters in the canyon and is dotted with more than 240 sharp turns (averaging one turn every 300 meters). Characterized by long slopes and deep gullies, it has 8 officially designated high-risk segments. The speed limit is set at 60 km/h for cars and 40 km/h for heavy-duty vehicles, posing a dual challenge to drivers' skills and vehicle performance. Meanwhile, influenced by Turpan's reputation as the "Land of Fire", the area experiences perennial drought with scarce rainfall and an average annual wind speed of Grade 8. Natural disasters such as extreme heat, flash floods, falling rocks and sandstorms occur frequently, further escalating driving risks. This treacherous terrain also carries profound historical and cultural significance. The Tang Dynasty poet Cen Shen’s line "The wind at the mouth of Yinshan Gobi cuts like an arrow" depicted the fierce gales of this very place. Major historical events, including Xuanzang’s pilgrimage to the West in search of Buddhist scriptures, Lü Guang’s expedition to Qiuci in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and Guo Xiaoke’s military campaign to Yanqi in the Tang Dynasty, all took this ancient road as a crucial passage. #ChinaStreetView #DrivingTourChina #ImmersiveDriving #4KDriving #GangouCanyon #XinjiangDangerousRoad #MountainHighway #SilkRoadRoute