How many days does a self-driving tour on the Duku Highway usually take?

A self-driving tour on Duku Highway generally takes 3 days.

Duku Highway is the southern section of National Highway 217 connecting the north and south of Xinjiang. Because it crosses the Tianshan Mountains, it is also called the Tianshan Highway. It starts from Dushanzi, the oil city of Xinjiang, in the north and ends at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the northern part of the Tarim Basin. The geographical coordinates of Kuqa City are 82°55'～84°58' east longitude, 41°42'～44°19' north latitude, and the total length is 561 kilometers.

The Duku Highway is an ideal geological section that traverses the entire Tianshan Mountains. It has well-exposed strata, diverse rock types, complex structural phenomena, and obvious neotectonic movement characteristics. Along the highway, in addition to the Cambrian Ordovician system, there are exposures from the Mesoproterozoic to the Quaternary. The Mesoproterozoic is a set of metamorphic rock series distributed in the Nalati Mountains and the Borokonu Mountains. The Silurian is mainly found in the Halke Mountains and the Nalati Mountains, and is rich in fossils. The Devonian and Carboniferous are widely distributed.

The Yining Basin and the area to the north are dominated by volcanic rocks and pyroclastic rocks, while the southern Tianshan Mountains are dominated by clastic rocks and carbonate rocks. The Permian is only found in the south of the Halke Mountains. The foothills are a set of coarse clastic rocks. The Jurassic is found in the Kuqa Basin and the eastern section of the Awulal Mountains and contains minable coal seams. The Cretaceous and Tertiary are well developed in the Kuqa Basin with clear sequences. According to the stratigraphic distribution characteristics, the above strata belong to two stratigraphic areas, four stratigraphic divisions, and seven stratigraphic subdistricts.

Scenic spots on the Duku Highway:

1. Duku Highway Museum: The Duku Highway Museum was built in 2018 and officially opened in 2022. The museum uses a large number of pictures and models , sculpture videos and other forms, it shows the glorious history of road construction and the scenery along the Duku Highway. It can be said to be a history book recording the miracle of road construction in our country, and a long film showing the passionate struggle of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

2. Dushanzi Grand Canyon: Dushanzi Grand Canyon is a 20-kilometer-long mountain valley with steep valley walls that have been washed away by snow and rain all year round. The valley walls are covered with carved axes. The split-like folds are majestic and steep, forming a sharp contrast with the vastness of the grassland. It is known as a beautiful tourist business card on the Duku Highway.

3. Mud volcano: The mud volcano is located in Dushanzi District, the starting point of the Duku Highway. The name of the district comes from this active volcano. Millions of years ago, mud volcanoes erupted and gradually piled up into mountains. Because the mud volcano is isolated in the Tianshan Mountains, the locals also call this area Dushanzi.

4. Nalati Grassland: Nalati Grassland is located in Nalati Town, Xinyuan County, Xinjiang. Nalati has been a famous pasture since ancient times. The beautiful grassland scenery is combined with the local Kazakh ethnic customs. Together, they form a beautiful landscape. In the Nalati Grassland in summer, in addition to the vast expanse of green grassland, there are also vast expanses of flowers. Strolling there will make you relaxed and happy, and you will forget your worries.

The above content refers to Baidu Encyclopedia-Duku Highway