What are the most spectacular roads in China?

Located in the eastern part of Asia, and bordering 14 countries, China covers 9.6 million square kilometers. It’s the world's third-largest country by land area and it hosts more than 500 brutal driving experiences, listed as the most spectacular roads in the world. Due to its size and difficult geography, featuring mountains, plateaus, deserts, and plains, it has scenic, mountainous, and even flooding roads. It also holds many records, such as the world's longest traffic jam: a 100 km, 12-day standstill that occurred in August 2010, when the country witnessed the mother of all traffic jams.

When travelling to China, you can’t miss the infamous Tian Men Shan Big Gate, a road with 99 turns, built in 1998, that offers a thrilling 11-kilometer journey; or the iconic Guoliang Tunnel, which was dug through the side of a mountain by hand. Built in the early 1970s it is one of the most famous Chinese tunnel roads. It’s also worth driving the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, one of the world's highest roads.

And if you like challenging mountain roads situated at high elevations, remember to check out our list with the highest roads in China, where you’ll find real gems, such as Chāmkang, a mountain pass at 5.953m (19,530ft) above sea level.

Kongka La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,192m (17,034ft) above sea level, located in the disputed region of Aksai Chin along the Chinese-Indian Line of Control. This remote and rugged area lies at the intersection of Ladakh (administered by India) and Xinjiang (administered by China), making it a flashpoint in one of the most sensitive border disputes in Asia. 

S207 Provincial Route is a high mountain road located in the Ngari Prefecture, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

The Demchok-Dêmqog is a high mountain border at an elevation of 4.219m (13,841ft) above the sea level, located on the Line of Actual Control between Jammu and Kashmir (India) and Tibet Autonomous Region (China).

Shengli Daban (Victory Pass) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.091m (13,421ft) above the sea level, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in Northwest China.

Hongshi Highway is a very defiant drive located in Shiping County, in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China.

Gela Mountain is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.172m (16,968ft) above the sea level, located in the Tanggula Mountains, a mountain range in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau in the People's Republic of China.

S217 is a very remote high mountain road located in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in southwestern China. The road is mostly paved running entirely above the 4.200m above the sea level.

Located in Tibet, an autonomous region of China on the northern side of the Himalayas, the Cho Oyu base camp sits at an elevation of 5.573m (18,284ft) above the sea level. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Jamgang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.257m (17,247ft) above the sea level, located in Nyalam County, in Tibet's Shigatse Prefecture.

210 Provincial Road is a very scenic drive in the heart of the Jiajin Mountains on the western part of Sichuan province, China.

Mintaka Pass is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,450m (14,599ft) above sea level, located on the border between Pakistan and China. 

Charding La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.594m (18,353ft) above the sea level, located in the Ngari Prefecture of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

Red Mud Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.732m (15,524ft) above the sea level, located in the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The pass is traversed by a challenging high mountain road called 303 Provincial Road which runs entirely over the 4.200m above the sea level. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters.

Located in Pingshun County, in the southeast of Shanxi province, China, the old Hongtiguan Tunnel Road is a scary drive with an incline of about 30 degrees. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Dza La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.690m (15,384ft) above the sea level, located in Yushu City County, Yushu Prefecture of Qinghai Province, in China

Karakoram Pass is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.542m (18,182ft) above sea level, located on the China-India border. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Kǒng Táng Lā is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.251m (17,227ft) above the sea level, located in Nyalam County of China’s Tibet autonomous region.

Located in Ngari Prefecture, in the central part of Tibet, in China, the 203 Provincial Road (S203) is a very challenging and scenic trip in the middle of nowhere. 

Quanshui Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 5.137m (16,853ft) above the sea level, located in Tibet, north-east of the Himalayas, in the People's Republic of China.

Qizil Dawān is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.317m (17,444ft) above the sea level, located in the southwestern part of Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in China. 

Galong Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.296m (14,094ft) above the sea level, located in the Nyingchi Prefecture in the south-east of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Kiu La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.711m (18,736ft) above the sea level, located on the China-India border. It’s one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Kura La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.105m (16,748ft) above the sea level, located in the Himalayan mountain range, in Tibet, China.

Galongla Tunnel is a high mountain tunnel at an elevation of 3,771m (12,372ft) above the sea level located in southwestern Tibet's Nyingchi Prefecture, in China.

Bayanka La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.950m (16,236ft) above the sea level, located in Madoi county of Qinghai province, in China.

Located in Huailai county, in northwestern Hebei province, in China, the Youzhuda Grand Canyon Wall Road is a very challenging drive. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Ane La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.370m (17,618ft) above the sea level, located on the China-India border. 

Located in Shanxi province, Pingshun county, in China, the infamous Jingdi Hanging Tunnel is a very exciting drive surrounded by high mountains. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Niti La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.086m (16,686ft) above sea level, located on the border of India and China.

The 317 National Road is one of the most adventurous journeys in the world. The trip takes you through vast, open landscapes with majestic peaks in the heart of western China. The highway is infamously known for the bad driving surfaces and sharp mountain hairpin bends.

The Heihe-Blagoveshchensk ice road is a seasonal route that links Heihe, a city in China, with Blagoveshchensk, a city in Russia.

Xiaguo Wall Road is the name of a challenging mountain road located in the prefecture-level city of Xingtai, in the southern part of Hebei province, China. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Koshbel Duban is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.279m (14,038ft) above the sea level, located in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in western China.

Yangi Daban is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 5.899m (19,353ft) above the sea level, located in the northwestern part of Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in China. It’s one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Lanak La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.495m (18,028ft) above the sea level, located on the disputed region of Aksai Chin, on the border of India and China.

Khungyami La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.844m (19,173ft) above the sea level, located on the border of China and India. It’s one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Shan Da Ban is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.257m (17,247ft) above the sea level, located in the Himalayan mountain range, in Tibet, China. 

Buduo La is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 5.825m (19,110ft) above the sea level, located in Zanda County, in the Ngari Prefecture to the extreme west of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, near the Indian border. It’s one of the highest roads on Earth.

Cha Cang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.810m (15,780ft) above the sea level, located in the Himalayan mountain range, in Tibet, China.

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