The Ministry of Transport has announced that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, three major arterial routes—the border-hugging G219 and G331, along with the coastal G228—will be fully connected, forming a "Golden Outer Ring" encircling China's border and coastal areas. This grand transportation loop is expected to offer new self-driving experiences for the public while unlocking significant value in industrial linkage, border consolidation, and regional development.
Let's take a look at the stunning scenery along these three key routes.
G219 National Highway (Kanas, Xinjiang to Dongxing, Guangxi)
Among the three routes, G219 has the greatest elevation change and the richest ecological and geographical landscapes. It passes through the arid and semi-arid Junggar Basin in inland Asia, China's largest Taklamakan Desert, the "Roof of the World" Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the world's highest average altitude Himalayan mountain range, the longest, widest, and most typical north-south Hengduan Mountains, and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, one of China's four major plateaus. The iconic landscape of the Hengduan Mountains includes the parallel flow region of the Jinsha, Lancang, and Nujiang rivers. Along the way, you can enjoy snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, wetlands, canyons, primeval forests, meadows, Danxia landforms, volcanic ruins, karst peaks, waterfalls, and sinkholes. The diverse scenery is breathtaking. Highlights include the colorful beach at Burqin County in Altay, Xinjiang, where a winding river flows through a vibrant Yadan landform; the colorful desert at the Sangmu Zhang River section of the G219 in Zhongba, Tibet, bathed in the highland morning light; the unique highland scenery of the Rutog section in Ngari, Tibet; and the spectacular views along the Nujiang River, with its clear, emerald green waters.
G331 National Highway (Dandong, Liaoning to Altay, Xinjiang)
Traveling along G331, you can enjoy the full panorama of northern China's landscapes. Heading east, you'll encounter the vast Inner Mongolian grasslands, the fertile Northeast Plain, and the "Two Poles and Three Mountains" of the Northeast region (the easternmost point of China at Fuyuan, the northernmost point at Mohe; and the Changbai Mountains, Greater Khingan Range, and Lesser Khingan Range). Scenic spots include the romantic aurora reflected on the river surface at Mohe, Heilongjiang; the mountainous views along the G331 from Koktokay to Altay in Xinjiang; the snow-covered Changbai Mountains in early summer; and sheep grazing on the grasslands of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia.
G228 National Highway (Dandong, Liaoning to Dongxing, Guangxi)
G228 is a major north-south transportation artery along China's coast. It crosses the Yalu River, Liaohe River, Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River, and Pearl River systems from north to south, connecting dozens of coastal cities. The route offers stunning views of the mainland coastline. Key sights include the Zhuhai section of G228, the scenery of Weizhou Island in Beihai, Guangxi, the clear blue sky, sea, and fine golden sand beaches along the coast of Rizhao, Shandong, and the "Dinosaur Exploring the Sea" landscape formed by marine erosion at the Jinshitan Coastal National Geopark in Dalian, Liaoning.
Experts: The "Golden Outer Ring" to Drive Comprehensive Economic and Social Development
Li Hongchang, a researcher at the National High-End Think Tank Sustainable Transportation Innovation Center and a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, stated that the "Golden Outer Ring" serves as a national defense security line, a line for enriching border areas and their people, and a line for opening up to the outside world. From an industrial perspective, he described it as a world-class cultural tourism corridor and a comprehensive transportation corridor. The loop connects over a hundred first-class ports and all coastal ports, forming a logistics channel combining land borders and coastal ports. It also links hundreds of national-level scenic spots and historic cities, creating a unique world-class scenic corridor that will boost the development of cultural tourism and related transportation logistics industries. In terms of national security, it strengthens the transportation lifeline along the border and coast. For opening up, it will help expand foreign cooperation and promote the "Belt and Road" initiative. Li emphasized that by integrating the corridor economy and hub economy of border ports with other fields, the "Golden Outer Ring" will generate synergy to drive comprehensive economic and social development along the routes.
From a breathtaking self-driving route to an "economic corridor" and a lifeline for people's livelihoods, the "Golden Outer Ring" is set to enhance travel experiences, economic operations, and daily life. Once the loop is fully connected, travelers can explore the magnificent landscapes of the motherland along this grand route.
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