An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows the view along the Duku Highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

 

 

Vehicles set off to the Duku Highway in Usu City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

 

The Duku Highway, deemed one of China's most beautiful roads, resumed operation on Saturday after an annual winter closure which usually begins in October. This year, traffic on the 560-km highway resumed earlier than it has in the past five years.

 

The highway, connecting Dushanzi in the north of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Kuqa City in the south, runs through various landscapes including glaciers, forests, and grasslands.

 

The Duku Highway will be temporarily closed every winter due to increased snowfall and road icing. The traffic typically resumes in June in the coming year.