Altay-Hemu highway in NW China's Xinjiang opens for summer travel season

The Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region recently opened for the summer travel season, attracting tourists from across the country.

Drone photo shows the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Altay Prefecture)

Photo shows the beautiful scenery at Hemu village of Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the official WeChat account "Xinjiang Is A Nice Place")

This summer, the highway is operating under a precise traffic management plan based on vehicle type and time of day. Seven-seat vehicles and smaller may travel daily between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Photo shows the beautiful scenery along the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Altay Prefecture)

A car travels on the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 30, 2025. (Photo/Xu Hongyan)

Photo shows the beautiful scenery along the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Fuxin)

Photo shows the beautiful scenery along the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Fuxin)

Authorities have also put environmental protection measures in place. As the highway is designed for light traffic, vehicles weighing more than 41 tonnes are banned. Travelers are prohibited from feeding wildlife, camping overnight or using open flames along the route in order to protect the fragile local ecosystem.

Photo shows the beautiful scenery along the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Fuxin)

Photo shows the beautiful scenery along the Altay-Hemu highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Fuxin)

The 209.45-kilometer highway runs from Altay city in the north to Hemu village in Burqin county in the south, passing through forests, canyons, grasslands and wetlands. Scenic pull-offs along the way allow travelers to stop and take in the views.