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.

Napa Lake highway is a seasonal road located in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, in China. It’s one of the periodically flooded roads around the world.

Drakde La (also known as Dragde La) is a high-altitude mountain pass at an elevation of 4,611m (15,127ft) above sea level, located in Maqên County, within the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai, China. Technically, this route traverses the Great Tibetan Plateau and serves as the old high-clearance alternative to the modern G0615 Huajiu Highway, which now bypasses the summit via the Xueshan No.1 Tunnel.

Zhilung La, also known as Drilung La, is one of the most demanding high-altitude passes in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Reaching an elevation of 4,970m (16,305ft) above sea level, this unpaved mountain track is far from a standard transit route. For any driver, the ascent represents a brutal mechanical struggle where the combination of thin air, loose scree, and extreme 20% gradients requires absolute vehicle control and a dedicated 4x4 system.

Birukangqing La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.288m (17,349ft) above the sea level, located in Biru County, within Nagqu of the Tibet Autonomous Region, in China.

Yilanga La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.555m (18,225ft) above the sea level, located in Zanda County, in the Ngari Prefecture to the extreme west of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of the country.

Located on the boundary between Garzê and Sichuan, in China, the road from Ka'erza to Yinkecun is a very challenging experience.

Tratsang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.292m (17,362ft) above the sea level, located in Gyirong County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Reaching the Xuemenkan Pass is a journey into the vertical heart of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. At 3,984m (13,070ft) above sea level, this pass in the Yajiageng Mountains of Southwest China is a true test of a driver's focus. The road, known as the S434, is a newly-built engineering marvel that slices through the mist between the massive Minya Konka and Lamoshe massifs. It’s a high-altitude ribbon of asphalt that never stays straight for more than a few seconds.

Lungkar La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.645m (18,520ft) above the sea level, located in Zhongba County of Shigatse Prefecture in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Xiagete Wall Road is one of the most heart-stopping cliffside tracks in Southern China. Located in Shuicheng County, within the rugged Guizhou Province, this narrow path skirts the border with Yunnan and offers a driving experience that is not for the faint of heart.

At an elevation of 5,038m (16,528ft) above sea level, Yarto Drak La is a high mountain pass located in Qusum County, within the Tibet Autonomous Region. The pass is a key feature of the S202 Road, positioned between the Nedong and Qusum counties in the Yarlung Valley.

The New Changlung La is a brutal high-altitude track located in Xinjiang, near the border with India. Reaching 5,590 meters (18,339ft) is a serious challenge that pushes both the driver and the vehicle to their absolute limits. At this height, the air is so thin that your engine loses most of its power and your own reaction time slows down. This isn't a road for a standard car; you need a prepared 4x4 and a clear head to handle the lack of oxygen and the steep military terrain. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Anglet Daban is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.189m (10,462ft) above the sea level, located in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Northern Xinjiang, in China.

At an elevation of 5,395m (17,700ft) above sea level, Kura La is a high mountain pass located on the boundary between Ngamring and Nyalam counties in the Xigazê prefecture of Tibet. This crossing on the S209 Provincial Road is one of the highest navigable points in the region, situated south of the Yarlung Tsangpo river.

Lawu La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.371m (14,340ft) above the sea level, located in Markham County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Reaching an elevation of 4,516m (14,816ft) above sea level, Chun La is a high mountain pass in Zayü County, within the Nyingchi Prefecture of Tibet. The pass is a critical and technical point on the Bingchacha Line (Chacha Highway), widely regarded as the most primitive and demanding overland route connecting Yunnan to southeastern Tibet.

Lake Jiabucuo is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 5,248m (17,217ft) above sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Situated in the heart of the Himalayas, this otherworldly drive takes you to one of the highest lakes on the planet, right along the border with India's Sikkim state.

X605 (County Road 605) is a high-altitude unpaved route located in the Nagqu prefecture of Tibet, China. Linking the villages of Shenyaxiang and Xiaguoxiang, the road is a technical corridor that runs entirely above 4,600m (15,090ft). Logistically, it is one of the most demanding sections of the Tibetan plateau, requiring specific mechanical preparation for extreme elevation and low oxygen levels.

Shibapan Diecai Cave is one of the most popular attractions in Xiuwu County, in the northwest of Henan province, China, bordering Shanxi province to the north.

Cuogabu is a glacial lake at an elevation of 5.229m (17,155ft) above the sea level, located in Kangmar County of Xigazê in the Tibet Autonomous Region. 

Takum La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.590m (15,059ft) above the sea level, located in Qusum County in the Shannan Prefecture of Tibet, in China.

Haizi La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.689m (15,383ft) above the sea level, located in Batang County, in western Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. The area has a lunar landscape.

Located in the Chindu County of Qinghai Province, the Yingkuoshan Pass (also known as Jarong La) is a high mountain pass reaching an elevation of 4,465m (14,648ft) above sea level. Situated on the vast Tibetan Plateau between the cities of Yushu and Xining, this pass is a legendary segment of the historic G214 National Highway.

Located in the heart of Nagarzê County, within the southeastern Tibet Autonomous Region, Tug La is a high mountain pass reaching an extraordinary elevation of 5,209m (17,089ft) above sea level. This pass is situated just north of the pristine Puma Yumco Lake, one of the highest altitude lakes on the planet, making it a pinnacle destination for extreme high-altitude driving.

Debo La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.178m (16,988ft) above the sea level, located in Gê'gyai County, in Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. 

Sala La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,459m (14,629ft) above sea level. Located in Sêrxü County, within the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest Sichuan, it is one of the key high-altitude crossings on the paved Provincial Road S217.

Kigunaru Pass (also known as Yeban Xian) is an extreme high-altitude mountain pass at an elevation of 5,407m (17,739ft) above sea level, located in Rutog County, within the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Reaching such an altitude puts this track among the highest motorable routes in the world, crossing a desolate and oxygen-thin landscape in western China.

Laofan Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.155m (13,631ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Gansu and Qinghai provinces of northwest China.

Shera La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.563m (18,251ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary of Comai and Lhozhag counties, in the Shannan Prefecture of Tibet, in China. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Riyue Mountain Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.529m (11,578ft) above the sea level, located in Northeastern Qinghai Province, in Western China, by the Tibetan Plateau.

Lanma La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.098m (16,725ft) above the sea level, located in Tingri County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Chuseng La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.224m (17,139ft) above the sea level, located in Gêrzê County, in Ngari Prefecture in the northwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region, bordering Xinjiang to the north, southwest of China. 

Lungzang La is an extreme high-mountain pass reaching a staggering elevation of 5,319m (17,450ft) above sea level, located in Xaitongmoin County, Shigatse, within the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The road to the summit, known as the Qingqu Line, is a brutal test of human and mechanical endurance. Crossing the pass means driving at an altitude where oxygen is dangerously thin and the weather can turn lethal in minutes. This is one of the highest vehicle tracks in the world, where the isolation is total and the terrain is unforgiving to anyone without a prepared 4x4 and high-altitude driving experience.

Chu La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.665m (15,305ft) above the sea level, located in Zayü County in the Nyingchi Prefecture in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The road to the summit, with countless turns and twists, is said to be ‘The most primitive road in China’.

Lung La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.216m (17,112ft) above the sea level, located in Gyaca County, a county of Shannan located in the south-east of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. 

Chak La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.854m (15,925ft) above the sea level, located in Lhünzhub County, in Lhasa towards the north-east of the main center of Chengguan, Tibet, China.

Cona Qu is a high mountain lake located in the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The road to the lake climbs up to 4.835m (15,862ft) above the sea level.

Yixula Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.745m (15,567ft) above the sea level, located in Zayü County in the Nyingchi Prefecture in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The road to the summit, with countless turns and twists, is said to be ‘The most primitive road in China’.

412 County Road is the name of a very exciting drive in the heart of Gānnán Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in southern Gansu Province, China.

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