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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

China National Highway 317 (G317), also known as the Northern Sichuan-Tibet Highway, is one of the highest and most scenic road trips in the world. Stretching 2,030 km (1,261 miles) from Chengdu to Nagqu, this legendary route has evolved from a treacherous dirt track into a modern, fully paved engineering marvel that crosses the heart of the Tibetan Plateau.

Qizil Dawān is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,317 m (17,444 ft) above sea level, located in the southwestern part of Hotan Prefecture, in China. 

Located in Zezhou County, in the southeast of Shanxi province, China, a spiraling section of the National Highway 207 is one of the most challenging drives in the world.

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.

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

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.

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.

Located in Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, in southeastern Chongqing, China, Blade Sky Road is the name of a very defiant road.

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.

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. 

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.

Chenjiayuan Hanging Highway is the name of a challenging mountain road located in Lingchuan County in Shanxi Province, in China. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Located in China, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway is one of the highest highways in the world, with an average elevation of above 4,000 meters.

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

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.

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.

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.

Lanak La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,495m (18,028ft) above sea level, situated in the disputed Aksai Chin region. This pass sits on the territorial line between India (Ladakh) and China (Tibet), making it one of the most politically sensitive and geographically isolated mountain crossings in the world.

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.

Lame La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,832m (15,853ft) above sea level, located in Ngari Prefecture of China.

Zǔsōng La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.775m (18,946ft) above the sea level, located in Coqên County, in the Ngari Prefecture, in the west of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It’s one of the world’s highest roads.

Jianan Natural Cave Road is a narrow, winding passage built inside a natural cave in Changshun County, Guizhou Province, China. This section of Tongzu Road was expanded to improve access for local villagers. It’s one of the few roads in the world that runs through a cave.

Kungzhag La is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 5,780m (18,963ft) above sea level, located on the border between India and China. It’s one of the World's highest motorable roads.

Sha Zi La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.717m (15,475ft) above the sea level, located in the Himalayan mountain range, in Tibet, China.

Ane La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,370m (17,618ft) above sea level, located on the China-India border. 

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.

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