Xinjiang's scenic highway reopens to traffic after seasonal closure

URUMQI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Duku Highway in northwest China, one of the country's most popular drives due to its unique beauty, has reopened to tourists after its seasonal closure ended on Sunday.

The 561-km highway, connecting Dushanzi in the northern area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Kuqa City in the south, runs through various types of landscapes including canyons, glaciers, lakes and grasslands.

Due to natural factors such as snowy weather and road icing, the highway is only open from June to October every year, attracting self-driving tourists and bikers.

"I believe that the scenery of the highway I see with my own eyes will be more striking than any photos I saw on WeChat Moments (a platform that allows users to share images and texts)," said Xiao Guixiang, a tourist from central China's Hunan Province.

According to the Xinjiang regional culture and tourism department, relevant authorities along the highway will work together to make sure that tourists enjoy pleasant and safe journeys.

Xinjiang saw a tourism rebound this year. During the May Day holiday, which lasted from April 29 to May 3, the region received more than 8 million tourist trips, up 140.81 percent year on year.