Highway 95 offers Route 66 vibes to self-drive travelers

If you like to get your travel kicks by driving yourself, we have a range of recommendations.

In China, there is a Chinese-version equivalent to Route 66 in the United States, which strings together nine 5A (China’s top grade) and 87 4A tourist attractions spanning four cities in four provinces, making it the first cross-provincial tourism highway in the Yangtze River Delta region.

An immersive camping activity and a bazaar were held on Tuesday in the North Bund in Hongkou District with several self-driving tourism routes along the “No.95 Highway,” also known as “Union Garden” Highway 95; and tourism preferential policies released.

Covering 68,000 square kilometers, the 1,995-kilometer highway spans Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, Huangshan in Anhui Province, Nanping in Fujian Province, and Shangrao in Jiangxi Province.

The nine 5A tourist attractions include the famed Yellow Mountain scenic area; the world cultural heritage villages of Xidi and Hongcun; Mount Wuyi; Jiangwan Ancient Village in the Wuyuan scenic area; and Mount Sanqing, a renowned Taoist mountain.

Among these, there are five UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the region is being developed into a world-class tourist attraction.

During the activity, the cultural and tourism departments of the four cities passed the steering wheels to representatives of Shanghai’s self-driving organizations and travel agencies to start a journey leading to the “poetry and the distance” along the No.95 Highway.

At the same time, a series of tourist-benefiting policies of the destinations, including consumption coupons, ticket discounts, and tour packages, will be delivered to meet the personalized and quality travel demand of tourists in Shanghai.

With the blockbuster video game “Black Myth: Wukong” triggering a craze among game players, Quzhou is offering free admission to attractions such as Mount Yaowang scenic area; Tian Ji Long Men, a national-level forest park; Sanqu Stone Forest; China Root Art Expo Garden; and Qianjiangyuan National Park through September 9 for players who show their purchase record.

In recent years, self-driving tours have gained popularity in China due to their flexibility, comfort, and convenience, and Quzhou would further promote the integration of transportation and tourism, its cultural and tourism officials said in Shanghai.

In Shangrao, an international cycling race circling the Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake, is scheduled between September 2 and 12 with a total length of 2,825 kilometers, involving 11 stops, while a marathon event will take place at Mount Wuyi scenic area in Nanping in early November.

Iconic route of No.95 Highway

Mount Wuyi scenic area 武夷山风景区 – Guifeng (Turtle) Peak scenic area 龟峰名胜风景区 – Mount Jianglang and Nianbadu scenic area 江郎山-廿八都旅游区 – Mount Sanqing scenic area 三清山风景区 – China Root Art Expo Garden 根宫佛国文化旅游区 – Wuyuan Jiangwan scenic area 婺源江湾风景区 – Ancient Huizhou Cultural Tourism Zone 古徽州文化旅游区 – Xidi and Hongcun 皖南古村落(西递 宏村) – Yellow Mountain scenic area 黄山风景区