Guozigou Bridge
果子沟大桥
A twin-pylon cable-stayed bridge spanning the Guozigou Gorge. Seen from the observation deck on the south shore of Sayram Lake, it is one of Xinjiang's most famous road views.
Guozigou Bridge is a twin-pylon, double-cable-stayed steel truss bridge on the G30 Lianhuo Expressway. It is about 700 meters long, with a main span of 360 meters, and its deck sits up to about 200 meters above the valley floor. It opened to traffic in 2011. It is Xinjiang's first cable-stayed bridge and a landmark project on the Lianhuo Expressway's Xinjiang section. The bridge spans the Guozigou Gorge, flanked by spruce-covered slopes of the Tian Shan. In spring and summer, wild apple and wild apricot trees bloom in the valley, and in autumn the mountains turn golden. The white pylons and red truss stand out sharply against the green valley. There are two best viewpoints. The first is the Sayram Lake Viewing Platform near the south gate of the Sayram Lake scenic area and the area around Songshutou, where you can look down on the whole bridge and the lake beyond. The second is on the drive north from the Ili direction. After passing through the Guozigou Tunnel, you climb the serpentine expressway and can see the bridge from many angles from your car (stopping on the expressway is prohibited). Guozigou itself is an ancient route from the northern foot of the Tian Shan to the Ili River Valley, about 28 kilometers long. It was a Silk Road thoroughfare as early as the Tang dynasty, and Genghis Khan had rock cut here to build a road during his western campaigns. Admission is free. Most visitors see the bridge on the way between Sayram Lake and Yining, and a 20–30 minute stop at a viewpoint is enough. Do not stop on the expressway to take photos; go to the designated viewpoints instead. The viewpoints are at high altitude and windy. In winter the Guozigou section often ices over and fogs up, so drivers should slow down.
Opening hours
All day