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.

Tinki La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.222m (17,132ft) above the sea level, located in Dinggyê County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Hung La is a high-altitude mountain pass reaching an elevation of 4,237m (13,900ft) above sea level. Located in Markam County, within the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the pass is a critical sector of the 214 National Road (G214), also known as the Tibet-Yunnan Highway.

Langla La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.538m (14,888ft) above the sea level, located in the Chamdo Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

X120 is a high mountain road located in northwestern Sichuan province, in China. The road is very steep, with hundreds of hairpin turns.

Xiaochaomen is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.320m (4,330ft) above the sea level, located in Qianjiang District, in the southeastern part of Chongqing Municipality, People's Republic of China.

Kulun Shanku is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.785m (15,698ft) above the sea level, located in the Qinghai province of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country.

Hongqi Daban is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.694m (18,681ft) above the sea level, located in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China, in the northwest of the country. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Zhonglong Highway is a very scenic drive in the heart of Xigazê Prefecture in western Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

Simi La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.364m (14,317ft) above the sea level, located in Gyantse County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Mount Haiz is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.648m (15,249ft) above the sea level, located in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China.

Dongshan Tunnel is a high mountain tunnel at an elevation of 3.850m (12,631ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Gansu and Qinghai provinces of northwest China.

Serkhyem La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.567m (14,983ft) above the sea level, located in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in China.

Kyungang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,341m (17,522ft) above sea level, located in Xinjiang Province of China.

Lhamonyin Ri is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 5.226m (17,145ft) above the sea level, located in Gyaca County in Shannan Prefecture (Lhoka) of Tibet, in China. Due to the high altitude and extreme weather you should prepare well before.

Par La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.578m (18,300ft) above the sea level, located in Zhongba County of Xigazê Prefecture in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Daxuenshan Pass (Da Xue Shan) is a high-altitude mountain crossing at an elevation of 4,337m (14,229ft) above sea level, located on the border between the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan and the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, China. Part of the Provincial Road 217 (S217), the track is a raw, unpaved expedition through the rugged Hengduan mountain system.

Chuti Chang La, also identified as Quidijiankela Pass, is an extreme high-altitude mountain pass reaching 5,047m (16,558ft) above sea level. Located on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China (Tibet) and India (Ladakh), the road serves as a vital military link between Pangong Tso and Spanggur Tso. This 29 km unpaved route is one of the most technically demanding tracks in the region, featuring a vertical climb managed through more than 100 sharp hairpin turns.

Tucked away in the northwest of Henan province, in China, the dangerous Shangla Wall Tunnel Road is a marvel of engineering dug out by hand. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Deyang La is an extreme high-altitude mountain pass at an elevation of 5,381m (17,654ft) above sea level, located in Maizhokunggar County, within the Lhasa prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Technically, the route is a specialized industrial mine road characterized by severe surface degradation and extreme atmospheric constraints. Navigating this 8.9 km track requires a highly modified 4x4 vehicle and advanced technical driving skills.

Tra La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.479m (17,975ft) above the sea level, located in Xaitongmoin County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Sancam La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.198m (17,053ft) above the sea level, located in Rutog County, in the large western of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.

S305 is a high mountain road located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Tuer Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.633m (15,200ft) above the sea level, located in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China.

Ngajuk La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.470m (14,665ft) above the sea level, located in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in China.

Wuyishan Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.721m (15,488ft) above the sea level, located in western Sichuan Province, China.

Jiajinshan Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.102m (13,458ft) above the sea level, located in the western part of Sichuan province, China.

Kuqiong Gangri (Kuoqionggangri) Glacier is the name of a glacier located in Damxung, a county of Lhasa City in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. A new gravel road to the glacier tops out at 5.606m (18,392ft) above the sea level.

Mount Li (Lishan Mountain) is a mountain peak at an elevation of 1.034m (3,392ft) above the sea level, located in Lintong District, in the prefecture-level city of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, Northwest China.

Located in Mainling County, in the prefecture-level city of Nyingchi, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Doxong La tunnel was finished in 2021.

Nakole is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,510m (18,077ft) above sea level, located in Coqên County, China. It is one of the highest roads in the country, situated within the remote and high-altitude desert of the Tibetan Plateau.

Tucked away in the northwest of Henan province, in China, the defiant Qiwangzhai Wall Tunnel Road is a marvel of engineering dug out by hand. It’s one of the famous Chinese tunnel roads.

Yangtianshan Panshan Road is the name of an extremely curvy road located in Linqu County in the middle of Shandong Peninsula, Shandong Province of China.

Lalung La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.322m (17,460ft) above the sea level, located in Gar County, in the Ngari Prefecture of the western Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Tientsuwa Shan is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.455m (14,616ft) above the sea level, located in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in China.

Naktse La is an extreme high mountain pass reaching an elevation of 5,533m (18,152ft) above sea level, located in the Ngari Prefecture of Tibet. This remote pass is one of the highest navigable points in the region, offering a raw and challenging driving experience through the Himalayas. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Drong La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.488m (18,005ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Zha La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.832m (15,853ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Dzang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.287m (17,345ft) above the sea level, located in Gyirong county of Xigazê Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

Zheduoshan Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.302m (14,114ft) above the sea level, located in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in China.

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