In Inner Mongolia’s Chifeng, the Wubai Highway cuts through the sand, transforming approximately 700,000 acres of desert into fertile land, marking an incredible shift from “eight hundred miles of vast sea” to an oasis.
In Zhejiang’s Lishui, the Xidu Line connects multiple tourist attractions, rapidly promoting the development of agritourism bases such as dragon fruit orchards along the route.
Meanwhile, in Xinjiang’s Wensu, the Tuofeng Sky Road links desert and oasis, emerging as a new hotspot for self-driving tourists, drawing visitors from afar.
By the end of last year, China’s rural road network stretched over 4.6 million kilometers—enough to circle the equator 115 times. Rural roads now account for more than 85% of the country’s total road length, with all eligible towns and administrative villages achieving access to paved roads.
The county roads bridge urban and rural areas, the town roads connect communities, and village roads weave in between. Across China’s vast landscape, a rural transportation network characterized by “external connectivity and internal links, flow from villages to towns” has largely taken shape, evolving from merely “navigable” to “smoothly navigable.”
The million kilometers of rural roads represent pathways to wealth and happiness at the farmers’ doorsteps. The age-old saying, “To get rich, first build roads,” has been repeatedly validated in China’s development narrative.
In April 2014, a 6.6-kilometer-long tunnel on the Dulong River Highway in Yunnan Province finally opened, drastically reducing travel time to the county town to just two hours. This change allowed villagers to escape the harsh winters that once isolated them and engage in diverse economic activities like farming and homestays—resulting in an eightfold increase in average annual income over the past decade.
In December 2019, the completion of a road in Abuluoha, Sichuan, turned a once isolated village into a thriving community, enabling villagers to bypass cliffs and reach the county seat in merely two hours, redefining their access to resources and opportunities.
For rural revitalization, transportation is the foundation. Rural roads form a vital network that supports the flow of people, goods, information, and finances—bringing vitality and prosperity to these regions. Over the past decade, China has melded rural transport with local industries, handling over 1 billion packages daily in rural areas, while the average daily passenger volume has exceeded 10 million. Services such as rural logistics and e-commerce are becoming commonplace, turning rural roads from “slow lanes” into “fast tracks” for development.
The million kilometers of rural roads also embody the innovation and relentless advancement of their builders. In 1949, China had just 80,000 kilometers of rural roads. By 1978, it had grown to 596,000 kilometers. Fast forward to 2023, and we now have 4.6 million kilometers—a testament to the rapid pace of rural road construction in China.
It’s not just the sheer length that has increased; service capabilities have improved dramatically. Initially, nearly 40% of roads in rural China were classified as inferior, primarily unpaved. Today, nearly 97% of rural roads are built to standard, with around 92% having asphalt or concrete surfaces, significantly reducing the transportation bottlenecks that once hindered rural growth.
Progress is the result of countless incremental steps. In Tibet’s Motuo, engineers scaled snow-capped mountains and crossed icy rivers over several years to complete road planning and construction, finally opening access to the last county without a road. In Abuluoha, machinery was airlifted in, and three tunnels were excavated through cliffs, resulting in 3.8 kilometers of new road built over 20 months. Over the past decade, China has invested 746.1 billion yuan from vehicle purchase taxes, leading to a total societal investment of 4.26 trillion yuan in rural road construction.
Across the diverse landscapes of China—from mountainous regions to plains—countless rural roads illustrate that monumental engineering can often be understated and unobtrusive. These roads break down geographical barriers, connecting bustling cities with vibrant countryside, bringing hope and prosperity to countless families.
The million kilometers of rural roads are also the pathways of the new era, filled with promise and revitalization.
New routes are continuously being developed. In the first eight months of this year, over 77,000 kilometers of rural roads were newly constructed or renovated, enhancing the infrastructure network at the grassroots level.
Their role is becoming increasingly pivotal. This year, more rural roads have transformed into avenues for tourism, desert reclamation, resource distribution, and industry development, invigorating local markets, reshaping landscapes, and preserving cultural memories—becoming crucial vehicles for comprehensive rural revitalization.
Technological advancements are ongoing, with roads now equipped with “smart archives,” and maintenance becoming more routine, thanks to monitoring systems that allow real-time tracking of bus movements.
Transportation symbolizes hope for mobility and a foundation for development. Today, China boasts a 4.6 million-kilometer rural road network alongside an extensive high-speed rail system exceeding 160,000 kilometers. With the largest high-speed rail and expressway networks globally, alongside a robust port and aviation infrastructure, China is shaping a dynamic, interconnected society. As we persistently enhance and expand our transportation networks, they will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in driving high-quality economic and social development.
