China Unveils Ambitious 60,000 km Premium Self-Driving Tourism Road Network
China’s Ministry of Transport has issued a comprehensive implementation plan to construct approximately 60,000 kilometers of premium self-driving tourism roads nationwide, a major initiative designed to boost domestic tourism and stimulate consumer spending. The plan, first reported by Xinhua News and published in People’s Daily, outlines a “Three Rings, Four Horizontals, Five Verticals” main skeleton that will connect cultural heritage sites, scenic landscapes, and major tourism destinations across the country.
A National Tourism Road Network Takes Shape
The “Implementation Plan for Premium Self-Driving Tourism Roads” (Document No. 交公路发〔2026〕100号), released by the Ministry of Transport, proposes building a “1+N” premium self-driving tourism road system built primarily on ordinary national highways. According to the ministry’s official policy interpretation, the network will follow the principle of “overall skeleton remains stable, important regions expand branch lines, local sections have multiple paths.”
The main skeleton comprises three ring routes—the Border/Coastal Ring, Capital Metropolitan Ring, and Qinghai-Gansu Ring—along with four horizontal corridors themed around Great Wall Culture, Yellow River Culture, Yangtze River Culture, and the Western Snowfield Heavenly Road. Five vertical corridors will highlight Grand Canal Culture, East China World Heritage, Central China Scenic Mountains, Long March Culture, and Ancient Paths and Secret Realms.
Strategic Timeline and Goals
The plan sets clear milestones for the network’s development. By 2030, cross-regional, long-distance premium self-driving tourism routes should be basically formed, with road quality exceeding the national average, supporting facilities gradually improved, and key sections becoming well-known self-driving destinations. By 2035, the full “1+N” system should be operational, with continuous improvements in facilities and services, strong smart safety guarantees, and diverse consumption scenarios.
The plan was reviewed and approved at a Ministry of Transport departmental meeting on July 31, chaired by Minister Liu Wei. The meeting emphasized the need to “accelerate the construction of a premium self-driving tourism road system, focus on improving services and building brands, and better meet the people’s high-quality and personalized travel needs.”
The initiative was first announced at a State Council policy briefing on February 6, 2026, and was later highlighted by Vice Minister Xu Chengguang at a July 21 press conference on the 15th Five-Year Plan as one of the ministry’s key initiatives.
Five Priority Areas for Implementation
The plan identifies five key areas with 15 specific tasks. In infrastructure development, the focus is on building a tourism road network anchored by ordinary national highways, with classified upgrades of key sections and gradual improvements to scenic viewing and safety facilities. Service systems will be enhanced through expanded car rental networks at transportation hubs, optimized EV charging infrastructure, and extended services such as quick repair maintenance and outdoor equipment rental.
On the safety and smart technology front, the plan calls for cross-departmental emergency response coordination and digital rescue systems, along with data sharing between transportation and cultural tourism departments to systematically analyze self-driving travel patterns. The plan also promotes innovative tourism products, integrating “road+” concepts with camping, study tours, and sporting events, while developing combo tickets and parking-shuttle services. Finally, it emphasizes refined management through government-led, multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms and flexible operating models.
Supporting a Booming Self-Driving Tourism Market
The initiative arrives amid explosive growth in China’s self-driving tourism sector. According to the China Tourism Vehicle and Boat Association, domestic self-driving tourism reached 43.5 billion person-trips in 2024, an increase of 7.5 billion from the previous year. With over 300 million vehicles on Chinese roads, self-driving has become a dominant mode of domestic travel.
The plan aligns with the Ministry of Transport’s broader “One Network, Four Transformations” framework for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), as detailed in Guangming Daily’s coverage. This framework aims to build a modern, high-quality national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network while advancing integrated development, safety enhancement, digital-intelligent upgrading, and green transformation.
Building on Provincial Success Stories
Several provinces have already demonstrated the potential of tourism road development. Shandong Province, a leader in this space, has built over 3,300 km of tourism roads with 285 tourism service stations connecting more than 190 scenic areas, and aims to reach 6,000 km by 2028. The province’s Weihai Qianshan Sea-Sky Self-Driving Tourism Road has helped drive record tourism numbers, with daily peak visitor flows exceeding 850,000.
The “Most Beautiful Self-Driving Roads” selection program, jointly initiated by the Ministry of Transport and other agencies, has already recognized standout routes including Inner Mongolia’s Northern Frontier Scenic Road, Xinjiang’s Hemu-Kanas Mongolian Township Road, Shanxi’s Taihang No. 1 Tourism Road, and Guangdong’s Nan’ao Island Ring Road, as reported by Dazhong News.
Economic and Cultural Implications
The 60,000 km network represents one of the world’s most ambitious tourism road development programs and carries significant economic weight. The routes span border regions, coastal areas, and western provinces, potentially boosting tourism in less-developed regions while supporting China’s broader goals of expanding domestic demand and promoting consumption.
Several routes are deliberately themed around cultural heritage—the Great Wall, Yellow River, Yangtze River, Grand Canal, and Long March—positioning the network as a vehicle for cultural tourism and national heritage promotion. The plan also emphasizes smart transportation features, including data sharing between transport and tourism departments and systematic analysis of self-driving travel patterns.
The initiative complements other policy measures supporting the tourism sector, including a June 2026 notice from the Ministry of Commerce and eight other departments supporting the development of the RV camping industry with high-standard campsites along scenic roads.
What to Watch For
As implementation begins, key questions remain about funding mechanisms across different provinces, prioritization of initial routes, and coordination with existing provincial tourism road projects. The plan’s success will depend on effective collaboration between transportation, cultural tourism, and local government authorities to deliver on the promise of seamless, scenic, and safe self-driving experiences across China’s vast and diverse landscapes.
For travelers, the vision is clear: a national network of premium roads that transform the journey itself into the destination—connecting the country’s most iconic landscapes, cultural treasures, and hidden gems through routes designed for the open road.