Dushanzi

The northern start of the Duku Highway, with the dramatic layered Dushanzi Grand Canyon carved by the Kuytun River, plus mud volcanoes and Wusu Foshan Forest Park nearby; the launch point for Duku road trips in northern Xinjiang.

Dushanzi District belongs to Karamay City and lies just over 10 km from Kuytun City (administered directly by Ili Prefecture) and Wusu City in Tacheng Prefecture. Together the three are known as the "Golden Triangle" of northern Xinjiang, a transport and petrochemical hub on the northern Tianshan economic belt. Dushanzi is famous for its namesake "Lone Mountain" and one of China's earliest oil fields, and above all as the northern starting point of the Duku Highway. Main things to do: set off from the Kilometer Zero marker, and about 28 km south of town is the Dushanzi Grand Canyon carved by the Kuytun River; on the northern slope of Dushan at the edge of town are mud volcanoes that still bubble, and the old town has industrial heritage such as the Oil Workers' Club; about an hour southeast, Wusu Foshan National Forest Park on the northern slopes of the Tianshan offers a cool summer retreat and hot springs. Heading south on the Duku Highway you can reach the Haxilegen Pass, Qiaoerma, Nalati and Bayanbulak (plan overnight stays separately). The best time is the Duku Highway's open season, mid-June to early October, when the canyon and mountain forests are at their best in summer; in winter the Duku Highway is closed, but you can see the canyon under snow and ski at Foshan. Getting there: Kuytun Station has bullet trains and regular trains to Ürümqi (about 2–3 hours), and the expressway from Ürümqi to Kuytun takes about 3 hours. Kuytun's city center has the most lodging and dining options and makes a good base; plan to stay 1–2 days.

Top sights

• Dushanzi Grand Canyon – A canyon about 100 meters deep carved by the Kuitun River. Its cliffs fold in layers like the rings of a tree trunk. It is the first stop a…
• Duku Highway Km 0 – The zero-kilometre monument at the northern start of the Duku Highway, a must-photograph stop for self-drivers before setting out. The road…
• Dushanzi Mud Volcano – A cluster of mud volcanoes on the northern slope of Dushan Hill, beside the town. Mud and gas still bubble up, making it a rare active geol…
• Wusu Foshan National Forest Park – A national forest park on the northern slope of the Tianshan, with spruce forests, gorges and subalpine meadows. It is good for escaping th…
• Dushanzi Oil Workers' Club & First Distillation Site – Remnants of the birthplace of Xinjiang's oil industry. Visit the Sino-Soviet era oil workers' club and the early distillation site together.
• Anjihai Grand Canyon – A red braided-river canyon carved by the Anjihai River at the northern foot of the Tianshan. Its dramatic scenery is often visited on the s…

Where to eat

• Hetian Baked Baozi (Dushanzi Branch) – A three-story Xinjiang restaurant beside the Dushanzi Hotel. Baked baozi are the signature, and tamarisk-wood grilled m…
• Xiyu Nayi Xinjiang Food – A Xinjiang restaurant inside the Duku Base Camp, next to the zero-kilometer point of the Duku Highway. Its freshly bake…

Itineraries

• North Xinjiang Grand Loop: Kanas, Ili & Duku Highway – Depart from Urumqi to loop through Altay, Sayram Lake, and Ili, returning via the northern section of the Duku Highway
• Duku Highway: North-to-South Tianshan Crossing – Drive the entire Duku Highway from Dushanzi to Kuqa, experiencing grasslands, mountain passes, the Nine Curves and Eigh…