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.

Lo La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,578m (18,300ft) above sea level, located in Ngamring County, a county of Xigazê in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Lalung La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,050m (16,570ft) above sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

Qieshan La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,392m (17,690ft) above sea level, located in Tibet, north-east of the Himalayas, in the People's Republic of China.

Bodpo La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,774m (18,943ft) above sea level, located in the extreme west of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It's one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Located in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of the Yunnan province in China, Nujiang River Road is one of the most scenic yet challenging roads in the world. It is a dangerous road built on cliff, completely by hand work.

Nyalam Tong La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,150m (16,900ft) above sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

The infamous Arniko Highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. It provides Nepal’s overland link with Tibet and China. "One mistake, game over".

The new Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway, the longest high-grade highway in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, is one of the most spectacular drives in the world.

Kirgizjangal Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,950m (16,240ft) above the sea level, located in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.

Located in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world.

Located in Ganluo County, Sichuan Province, in China, the Jinkou Grand Canyon Scenic Road is said to be one of the most scenic roads of the country.

Satsum La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.350m (17,552ft) above the sea level, located in Tibet, north-east of the Himalayas, in the People's Republic of China.

Part of the G217 road (China National Highway 217), the Duku Highway is said to be one of the most beautiful roads of China crossing Tianshan Mountains from south to north.

Mount Kailash is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 5.235m (17,175ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. 

Mount Davis Path is a paved route climbing up to Mount Davis the westernmost hill on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, at an elevation of 269m (883ft) above the sea level.

303 Provincial Road is an extreme high mountain road located in the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region of China. S303 runs entirely over the 4.200m above the sea level. The drive is simply terrible, with a notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters.

The Shiquanhe Observatory is an optical observatory at an elevation of 5.100m (16,700ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

Kulma Pass is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,362m (14,311ft) above sea level, located on the border of China and Tajikistan.

The Karakoram Highway (informally known as the KKH) is said to be the highest paved international road in the world, running between Western China and Pakistan. It's the road to paradise for those who love exploring the mountains, offering a once-in-a-lifetime road trip for adventure lovers.

Najia is a high mountain town at an elevation of 5.154m (16,909ft) above sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It's one of the highest accessible towns by car on Earth. 

Dungda La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.090m (16,699ft) above sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Bum La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.508m (14,790ft) above sea level, located on the Indo-China border. The road through the pass has disastrous conditions, and only 4wd vehicles with competent drivers are allowed.

Tielong Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.200m (17,060ft) above the sea level, located in Rutog County in far western Tibet, in the People's Republic of China.

Located in Southwest China’s Tibet autonomous region, the Mi La Mountain Tunnel is one of the world’s highest vehicular tunnels at an average altitude of 4.752m (15,590ft) above the sea level.

Located in Ngari Prefecture, in the central part of Tibet, in China, the 301 Provincial Road (S301) is a very scenic trip in the middle of nowhere.

Kye La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.829m (19,124ft) above the sea level, located in the south-west of Tibet Autonomous Region, in China. It’s one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Spanggur Gap is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.308m (14,133ft) above the sea level, located on the border between India (Jammu and Kashmir state) and China.

Running along the Hengduan Mountains, in China, the Yunnan-Tibet Highway is a very scenic drive. The road is 702-kilometer-long.

Kilik Pass is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.745m (15,567ft) above the sea level, located between Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China.

205 Provincial Road is one of the highest roads in the world. This extreme high mountain road located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, reaches a top elevation of 5.488m (18,005ft) above the sea level at Drong La. The road is unpaved, with some sections in very bad conditions.

La Ken La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.190m (17,030ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Zizhu is a high mountain temple at an elevation of 4.474m (14,678ft) above the sea level, located in Dingqing County, in eastern Tibet, China.

Located in Ngari Prefecture, in the central part of Tibet, in China, the 206 Provincial Road (S206) is a lonely trip in the middle of nowhere.

Mi La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.010m (16,437ft) above the sea level, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Tai Tam Road is a very scenic drive located in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The journey is a plesaant surprise.

Wenquan Daban (Hot Springs Daban) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.808m (19,055ft) above the sea level, located in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China. It’s one of the highest roads on Earth.

Daoda Top is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.175m (16,978ft) above the sea level, located in the Himalayan mountain range, in Tibet, China. 

Kompas La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.476m (17,965ft) above the sea level, located in the southwestern part of Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in China. 

Medo La is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.915m (19,406ft) above the sea level, located on the border of China and India. It’s one of the world's highest motorable roads.

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