China Road Trip: Drive the Grassland Sky Road — China’s Route 66

Lead

Roll down the window and let a breeze scented with wildflowers sweep your hair—on the Bashang Plateau, averaging 1,400 meters above sea level, a 300-kilometer ribbon of asphalt unfurls between sky and earth. This is the Grassland Sky Road, dubbed “China’s most beautiful highway” by China National Geographic. With a palette of seasonal colors, it frames wind turbines, silver birch groves and Mongolian yurts in a highland landscape where freedom feels a little closer to the clouds.

1. Soul Road: Where Nature and Culture Dance

Called a “three-dimensional gallery of land art,” the Grassland Sky Road, opened in 2012, is much more than a traffic artery—it’s a scenic corridor that threads the soul of the Bashang Plateau together. Driving here you will encounter three unforgettable scenes: a silver army of about 2,000 wind turbines turning gently against the blue sky; 120,000 mu of primeval silver birch on the Yefu Ridge casting dappled shadows; and a sudden curve in the road revealing the hexagonal basalt columns of Yanpian Mountain, like an organ abandoned by the gods. Most moving are the scattered grassland settlements: when smoke curls from yurt chimneys, you can almost hear the morin khuur (horse‑head fiddle) alongside throat singing (khoomei) echo through the valleys.

2. A Visual Epic of the Four Seasons

Summer (June–August) turns the Grassland Sky Road into a Van Gogh palette: brilliant red wolfberries, golden rapeseed, and deep purple alfalfa splash across velvet-green meadows. Early September brings the first blaze of autumn in the birch groves (September–October); rust‑brown hazel shrubs and dark green spruce create layered color blocks, and Birch‑Bark Ridge (Huapi Ridge) becomes a favorite for photographers chasing the “forest of light” in morning mist. When the first snow falls in November, the road becomes a silver dragon (November–March), and sleighs carve graceful lines across the frozen tundra. Spring (April–May) can be windy and dusty, but it’s also when you might spot herds of Przewalski’s gazelle crossing the highway—an especially rare and memorable scene.

3. A Military Corridor Marked by History

Yefu Ridge is not just scenery; every ravine carries iron‑clad memory. This area was an ancient battlefield in the Mongol–Jin wars—Genghis Khan reportedly smashed a 500,000-strong Jin army here with his mounted forces in 1211. The ridge still shows remnants of beacons and trench fortifications; a camouflage military base peers across the valley. At kilometer 33 stands the so‑called “Grassland Potala,” a wartime trench site built of stacked stones—an open‑air museum for military history buffs. Locals say on rainy nights you can almost hear the clash of bronze and iron, while on clear days the wildflowers that sway in the wind seem like the fallen rivets of ancient armor transformed into petals.

4. A Self‑Drive Paradise — Practical Tips

• Wheel rituals: From Beijing, take the Jingzang Expressway to Zhangbei County (about three hours). Stop at the Yefu Ridge or Birch‑Bark Ridge visitor centers for free hand‑drawn maps. The entire route is paved but includes multiple hairpin turns—drive carefully. Eight viewing platforms dot the route; the “Eye of the Sky Road” glass overlook offers a 270° panorama of the wind‑turbine matrix.
• Free access: The road is open year‑round with no entrance fee, but summer weekends can create 20‑kilometer-long car queues—enter before 7 a.m. when possible. Fuel stations are concentrated in Zhangbei and the Chongli end; electric vehicles can charge at 15 service stations along the way.
• Ways to experience the grassland: Try horseback mounted archery at Ertai Mongolian Camp (¥150/hour), sleep under the stars in a heated Chahar tribe yurt, or join local herders to search for ancient rock art. Cyclists can challenge the “Eighteen Bends of the Sky Road,” while photographers often camp for evening “wind‑turbine silhouettes.”

5. Highland Flavors: Bashang on the Plate

At the “Grassland Table” specialty waystations, cast‑iron pots simmer lamb with sand chives, releasing a wild garlic aroma best paired with Zhangbei oat cakes (youmian wowo). In Dageta Village, try volcanic‑stone roasted potatoes and the tart fermented mare’s milk sold by grandmothers at the gate—it will wake your palate instantly. Near Chongli, top trout farms supply fresh rainbow trout sashimi paired with sea‑buckthorn juice—a surprising and delightful culinary stop on your self‑drive.

Conclusion

When your GPS loses meaning, your real journey begins. The Grassland Sky Road is a lavish interpretation of freedom—no toll booths cut the view; no fences block the horizon. Whether you brake for the endless wind‑turbine ridges in your rearview or lie on a slope of blooming lotus‑flowery plants waiting for a meteor shower, this highland road will become the wildest frame in your travel album. Start your engine and let your heartbeat sync with the turning blades—write your own road epic where earth meets sky.