For thousands of years, the Tianshan Mountains, which stretch across the central part of Xinjiang, have been an insurmountable natural barrier between northern and southern Xinjiang. The ancients could only trek through steep valleys with great difficulty, leaving behind the eternal sigh of 'difficult journey in the Tianshan Mountains'. Today, this myth has been completely rewritten.

The world's highest point at 22.13 kilometers

On December 26, 2025, with the last whistle sounding, the 324.7 kilometer Urumqi Yuli Expressway (referred to as the "Urumqi Weili Expressway") was fully connected. The core and soul of this national key project, known as the "Tongtian Mountain and Xingdao", is the Tianshan Victory Tunnel, which set the world record for the longest highway tunnel.

This "underground giant dragon" buried deep in the heart of the Tianshan Mountains has a total length of 22.13 kilometers, equivalent to 243 standard football fields connected end-to-end. Its completion is not only a milestone in the history of China's highway construction, but also another great feat of humanity challenging the limits of nature.

Using Chinese wisdom to solve global problems

The terrain and landforms along the Wuwei Expressway are extremely complex, making it a "geological museum". The builders, at an altitude of over 2000 meters deep in the Tianshan Mountains, faced a series of world-class road construction problems such as high cold and oxygen deficiency, water and mud inrush, rock burst, etc., and launched a difficult and arduous battle for more than five years.

Technological breakthroughs: Tunnel construction integrates multiple cutting-edge technologies and innovative achievements, including advanced geological advance prediction systems, efficient mechanized supporting construction, and intelligent monitoring and measurement systems.

Ecological protection: During the construction process, the builders attach great importance to ecological environment protection, minimizing the impact on the natural scenery and wildlife habitats of the Tianshan Mountains.

In the end, with sweat and wisdom, they successfully opened up this "throat passage" and contributed valuable "Chinese solutions" to the construction of world highways.

Time and space folding from 7 hours to 3.5 hours

The most direct change brought about by the full opening of the Wuwei Expressway is a significant reduction in time. The driving time from Urumqi to the important town of Korla in southern Xinjiang has been reduced from about 7 hours to 3.5 hours. This not only means a significant improvement in logistics efficiency, but also means that communication between the people of northern and southern Xinjiang will be more convenient and frequent.

From Snow Mountain Glacier to Desert Poplar

Driving on the Wuwei Expressway is itself a visual feast. Starting from Urumqi and heading south, passing through the magnificent Tian Shan Victory Tunnel, you will instantly switch from the bustling city to the magnificent mountainous pastoral area. Continuing forward, the sacred snow capped mountains and glaciers, the resilience of wild poplar trees in the desert, and the vastness of grasslands and lakes... The stunning picture of 'our Xinjiang's good place' slowly unfolds before your eyes.

The road to wealth, happiness, and connection:

The opening of the Wuwei Expressway has significance far beyond transportation itself. It is a road to prosperity that will accelerate the export of high-quality characteristic agricultural products and mineral resources from southern Xinjiang, driving economic development along the route; It is a happy road that makes travel safer, more comfortable, and convenient for people of all ethnic groups in northern and southern Xinjiang; It is also a connecting road that further narrows the psychological distance between the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and promotes communication, exchange, and integration among various ethnic groups.

Nowadays, on the vast land of Xinjiang, roads to wealth, happiness, and connectivity are densely packed into a network. The history of "mountain roads filling the sky, getting wider and faster as you walk" and "the difficulty of walking on the Tianshan Mountains" is gone forever.

Now, let's follow the back of this steel dragon, cross the world's longest highway tunnel, cross the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, see the mountains, water, deserts, and grasslands, and fully appreciate the infinite charm and vibrant vitality of Xinjiang! This is not just a road, but also a dream, a Chinese dream about connectivity, development, and prosperity.Editor/Bian Wenjun