Ventu/Lucker
The popularity and reputation of Yizhao Highway is second only to the famous Duku Highway in general terms, and it is the most beautiful highway in midsummer in China in literary terms. In 2020, this highway, which has been opened later than the Duku Highway, finally came out after a long-awaited call. On June 22, the government of Chabuchar County, Yili Prefecture issued an announcement: the Chabuchar section of the Yizhao Highway was officially opened. Open to traffic!
However, the biggest difference from the opening of the Yizhao Highway on June 20, 2019 is that this time it is only half open to traffic: due to the construction of a reservoir in Zhaosu, it has not been opened for the time being—according to private information, it is estimated that it will be opened in early July (It is best to inquire and confirm before the trip).
In order to give latecomers an intuitive impression, I will briefly express my experience after driving by myself:
1/ As far as the thrill of the road itself is concerned, for an old driver who has been driving the Sichuan-Tibet Line 318 for a long time, the Yizhao Highway is the little brother of the Sichuan-Tibet Line 318.
2/ As far as the scenic lore along the road is concerned, if the Sichuan-Tibet Line 318 is a sword to seal the throat, then the Yizhao Highway needs two swords, one of which is a magic remedy.
3/ If you are unfamiliar with Sichuan-Tibet Line 318 but familiar with the scenery of Yili on Duku Highway, let’s put it this way——
As far as the "road" itself and the landscape of the few kilometers around the road are concerned, I personally think that Yizhao is slightly better than Duku. In terms of the abundance and pleasingness of the scenery, the Yizhao Highway is only 100+ kilometers long, and it almost condenses 70% to 80% of the essence of famous scenery such as Nalati, Kalajun, Kurdening, and Baili Gallery in Yili Prefecture.
Therefore, to paraphrase a saying on the Internet: Yizhao Highway is not for walking, but for viewing. Especially in the next midsummer July, Yizhao Highway is the most popular highway in China! If you are keen on self-driving, then just go, don't hesitate.
The Yizhao Highway (S237), which exists like a god, is shorter than the famous Duku Highway because it is only open to traffic for about 3 months a year, and the restrictions on the vehicles allowed to pass are stricter-the original expression is "prohibited 7 Vehicles with more than 7 seats/operating vehicles with less than 7 seats and various trucks pass through. Regarding "including or not including 7 seats", the local area has always been vague. However, the announcement of the Chabuchar County Police this year is very clear: "Vehicles with more than 7 seats (excluding 7 seats) are prohibited from passing"-dear friends, your 7-seater business and off-road vehicles, don't worry, go boldly!
If you are starting from Yining for the first time, no matter what navigation software, Yining-Zhaosu, you will be instructed to take the g218 of Gongliu/Texas, and will not mark S237 for you. Therefore, you have to go directly to Chapchar first. When you arrive in Chaxian County, you can ask the local traffic police at the entrance of the S237 Provincial Highway, and then navigate to the Baishifeng Scenic Area (Note: Do not navigate to Zhaosu, because there is a crossroad on S237 after leaving the city from Chaxian County, which will make you turn left and go to Gongliu).
Yizhao Highway, almost 10 kilometers from Yining urban area to Chaxian County, has been integrated with urban and rural areas. ——The starting point is a prairie of more than 10 kilometers, and the middle section transitions from a low mountain hilly meadow at an altitude of about 1,000 meters to a high and middle mountain meadow-shaped valley at an altitude of about 3,000 meters (that is, the legendary Zagstai Grand Canyon), until Baishi Peak is 3475 meters above sea level. The core thrilling section starts from Baishi Peak, crosses Anglet Daban at an altitude of 3177 meters, and arrives at the junction of Chabuchar and Zhaosu. The last section is a valley in Zhaosu territory, winding down to Zhaosu Basin.
In fact, if the Yizhao Highway is not counted from the end to the end, the 37 kilometers from the 46-kilometer road stele (Chaxian enters the high school mountain meadow-shaped valley) to the 83-kilometer road stele is Wusun Mountain, which is known as the "Encyclopedia of Geological Hazards". There are more than 100 turning curves, heavy rain, snow showers, dense fog and other severe weather occur from time to time, which can easily cause natural disasters such as mudslides, landslides, road collapses, etc., and the hidden dangers of road traffic safety are prominent. Therefore, like the Duku Highway every year, the Yizhao Highway "can only be opened to traffic in June and closed in mid-to-late September", which refers to this section. Moreover, even if it is open to traffic, once it is found that there is bad weather, it will be immediately controlled.
The 37 kilometers of natural barriers on the Yizhao Highway are all within the territory of Cha County.
The full name of Cha County is Chabuqal Xibo Autonomous County. This ethnic autonomous county is an "alternative" among the counties in Xinjiang - when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty personally conquered the Junggar rebellion, Chabuchar was still a deserted wilderness. In the twenty-ninth year of Qianlong (AD 1764), Emperor Qianlong dispatched more than 4,000 Xibo soldiers and civilians from Liaoning to move westward to Ili, and stationed in Chabuchar to cultivate and guard the border. These Xibo people traveled nearly 10,000 kilometers through Outer Mongolia, Burqin, Bortala, Huiyuan and other places, and it took one year and five months to arrive at the garrison.
Founded in 1954, Chaxian County is the only autonomous county in China where the Xibe people are the main body and where many ethnic groups live together. It is located at the northern foot of Wusun Mountain, a branch of Tianshan Mountain, across the Ili River from Yining City, the capital of Ili Prefecture, and borders Kazakhstan to the west.
Wusun Mountain, also known as Timlik Mountain and Alakaer Mountain, is 2000-3500 meters above sea level and is the boundary mountain between Chabuchar Xibo Autonomous County and Tekes and Zhaosu counties.
The 37-kilometer natural barrier of Yizhao Highway, except for the free Baishifeng Scenic Spot and Qiongbola Forest Park, is not a scenic spot along the way, but it is a scenic spot every step of the way, and as long as you park your car and rotate 360 degrees on the spot, every degree is It is a scenic spot, and the most terrible thing is that as time goes by, the light is constantly changing, and what you see every minute is a different wonderful light and shadow! Because of this, the Yizhao Highway is probably the only special road among all the roads in Xinjiang that has traffic police patrolling on motorcycles. Although the scenery along the way is beautiful, the Shangao Road has steep turns and sharp turns. In some sections, you have to beware of rolling stones and stop at will to watch Taking pictures, if a photographer with a fever stands on the side of the road and waits for the light, is that okay? Therefore, if you stop indiscriminately on this section of the road, if you catch it, you will be fined 3 points and 200!
On the way (Yining-Zhaosu direction) over the Angelet Daban at an altitude of 3177 meters, you must not stop. The stunning beauty of La Forest Park, as the vehicle changes shape and position, it is like a picture scroll, one after another, it is overwhelming.
Chumbola Forest Park, called "Landscape Gallery, Summer Resort", is known as "Mountain Garden". However, it has not yet been fully developed, and its reception capacity is still weak.
Self-driving Yizhao Highway, the most sour and refreshing part is the 37-kilometer natural danger section. During the self-driving, you will know why Chapchar is also called "the sunken pass" - self-driving over the natural danger of Wusun Mountain, I don't think there is anything particularly scary on the way, but when I look back at the turn of the road, I am really shocked in a cold sweat ! Look at the cliffs of this section of the road, look at the broken geological conditions of the mountain walls, if you encounter heavy rain, lightning or ice and snow, it will definitely be shocking every step of the way!
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the local traffic control department should strictly guard against——
The announcement of the Traffic Police Brigade of the Cha County Public Security Bureau on June 22, 2020 clarified the ban: Provincial Highway 237 (Yizhao Highway) 46KM-83KM is the Baishifeng mountainous road section. Severe weather such as heavy rain, snow showers, and dense fog occurs from time to time, which can easily lead to natural disasters such as mudslides, landslides, and road collapses, and the hidden dangers of road traffic safety are prominent. Therefore, the following vehicles are prohibited from passing on this road section: passenger vehicles with more than 7 seats (excluding 7 seats); commercial vehicles with more than 5 seats (including 5 seats); large trucks, semi-trailer tractors, full trailers, hazardous chemical transport vehicles and large Medium-sized construction machinery, agricultural tractors, etc. All vehicles are prohibited from 22:00 at night to 9:00 the next day.
Another: The 83KM of Provincial Highway 237 to Zhaosu County is under construction due to the construction of the reservoir. The road to Zhaosu County is blocked and vehicles cannot pass. Sorry for the inconvenience caused!
The thrill of the Yizhao Highway is at the junction of Chaxian County and Zhaosu, like an agitated melody that suddenly stops abruptly in the climax, leaving a series of melodious notes, echoing in the empty valley—just in time, the halfway point of the Yizhao Highway in 2020 The cut-off point of 83KM is here!
Here, the sun tears the beams of light pouring down from the clouds, just like super spotlights, hitting the undulating alpine meadows around, shooting into clusters of snowy spruces, and tourists at this time, no matter what you hold Whether it is a top Hasselblad camera or an ordinary smartphone, as long as it can be taken, each piece will be a blockbuster - nature's passionate lighting and landscape, color matching, light and dark arrangements, contrast, space transparency and even color saturation, All have been set to the best, as long as you can press the shutter, it has nothing to do with photographic equipment, everyone is a master!
