Yining–Zhaosu Highway
A seasonal mountain road from Yining over the Wusun Mountains to Zhaosu, packed with snowy peaks, grasslands and hairpin bends. Often called a pocket-sized Duku Highway.
The Yili–Zhaosu Highway (Provincial Road 237) links Yining and Zhaosu over about 120 km. It is the shortcut across the Wusun Mountains from the Ili River Valley to the Zhaosu Plateau. Heading south from Yining, the road crosses the Ili River and passes through Chapchal into the hills. It climbs along the gorge, rounds a series of switchbacks, and crests a pass at roughly 3,200 m near Baishi Peak, where you can see snow-capped Tian Shan summits in the distance. From there the road drops into the Zhaosu Basin, with its grasslands and rapeseed fields.
The appeal of this route is how much the scenery changes over a short distance. River-valley farmland gives way to spruce forest, then alpine meadows, bare rock peaks and patches of summer snow. Wildflowers cover the mountain slopes in June and July, and the Zhaosu side has fields of yellow rapeseed in July. Because the views are so concentrated and the slopes so steep and winding, the road is nicknamed a “pocket-sized Duku Highway.”
The drive takes 2–3 hours. It pairs well with the Tekes Bagua City, Kalajun Grassland, Xiata and Zhaosu Tianma as a southern Ili route. The road is seasonally open, closed in winter and spring, and the opening dates change each year. Mountain-top temperatures are low and fog is common. Large trucks are not allowed. When stopping to take photos near the pass, use the designated viewpoints and watch for oncoming traffic.