China National Highway 312 (312国道), also referred to as Route 312 or The Mother Road, is an important highway that runs east-west across the breadth of People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. It begins at the port city Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 and ends at Khorgas in the Ili River

Ili River

thumb|right|300px|Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin showing the Ili River and its tributariesThe Ili River is a river in northwestern China and southeastern Kazakhstan .It is long, of which is in Kazakhstan...

 valley, on the border with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

. In total it spans 4967 km (3,086.4 mi). Other important cities on the route include Nanjing

Nanjing

' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...

, Hefei

Hefei

Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...

, Xinyang

Xinyang

Xinyang is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China, the southernmost such administrative division in the province.-Recent history:...

, Xian, Lanzhou

Lanzhou

Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....

, Jiayuguan and Urumqi

Ürümqi

Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....

.
The road was the subject of Rob Gifford

Rob Gifford

Rob Gifford is a British-born radio correspondent. He has degrees in Chinese Studies from Durham University and in Regional Studies from Harvard University. He began to learn Mandarin Chinese in 1987 whilst in China....

's 2007 book China Road, in which he describes traveling the entire length of Route 312 from the East China Sea

East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...

 to Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

.

The G40 Hushan Expressway

Expressways of China

The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is one of the longest in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System . The total length of China's expressways was at the end of 2010, the world's second longest only after the United States and slightly longer...

 between Shanghai and Xi'an has replaced National Highway 312 as the main route between the two cities.

Route and distance

Route and distance

EWLINE City Distance (km) Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , Shanghai 0 Kunshan Kunshan Kunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region. Administratively, it is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It is located in southeastearn part of Jiangsu Province, China, adjacent to Jiangsu's border with the Shanghai Municipality.The total area of ​​Kunshan... , Jiangsu Jiangsu ' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...   84 Suzhou Suzhou Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part... , Jiangsu 124 Wuxi Wuxi Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south... , Jiangsu 185 Changzhou Changzhou Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the... , Jiangsu 230 Danyang, Jiangsu 279 Zhenjiang Zhenjiang Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once... , Jiangsu 305 Nanjing Nanjing ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions... , Jiangsu 380 Quanjiao, Anhui Anhui Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...   453 Feidong, Anhui 554 Hefei Hefei Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui... , Anhui 570 Lu'an Lu'an Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts... , Anhui 649 Gushi Gushi County Gushi County is a county of about 1,630,000 people of Xinyang City, southeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China.-Administration:Gushi has 10 towns and 22 townships.Towns:*Chengguan *Sanhejian *Chenlinzi *Liji... , Henan Henan Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...   768 Huangchuan, Henan 831 Shihe District Shihe District Shihe District is a district of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Xinyang city.... , Henan 887 Xinyang Xinyang Xinyang is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China, the southernmost such administrative division in the province.-Recent history:... , Henan 909 Tongbai, Henan 987 Tanghe, Henan 1057 Nanyang Nanyang, Henan Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the... , Henan 1109 Zhenping Zhenping County, Henan Zhenping County, Henan is a county of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Nanyang city.... , Henan 1139 Neixiang, Henan 1177 Xixia Xixia County Xixia County is a county of Nanyang, Henan, China, has an area of 3,452 square kilometers and a population of 420,000 as of 2002.-Controversy:... , Henan 1227 Shangnan, Shaanxi Shaanxi ' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...   1300 Danfeng Danfeng County Danfeng County is a county of Shangluo, Shaanxi, China, has an area of 2,438 square kilometers and a population of 300,000 as of 2004.... , Shaanxi 1366 Shangluo Shangluo -Administrative divisions:... , Shaanxi 1419 Lantian Lantian County Lantian County is a county of Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.-Transport:*China National Highway 312... , Shaanxi 1507 Xi'an Xi'an Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty... , Shaanxi 1572 Xianyang Xianyang Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of... , Shaanxi 1592 Liquan, Shaanxi 1624 Qian County Qian County Qian County is a county of Xianyang, Shaanxi, China.-Historical monuments:A Tang Dynasty imperial tomb complex, Qianling Mausoleum is located on Liangshan Mountain in Qian County, 6 km away from the county's urban center and 74 km from Xi'an.... , Shaanxi 1642 Yongshou, Shaanxi 1666 Bin County Bin County, Shaanxi Bin County is a county of Xianyang, Shaanxi, China.-History:When Bin County was first established during the Qin Dynasty, it was called Qi County . Later, the name was changed to Bin County... , Shaanxi 1721 Changwu, Shaanxi 1761 Jingchuan, Gansu Gansu ' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...   1809 Pingliang Pingliang Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal.... , Gansu 1879 Longde, Ningxia Ningxia Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...   1941 Jingning, Gansu 1982 Huining Huining County Huining County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Baiyin prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat... , Gansu 2088 Dingxi Dingxi -Geography and climate:Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km east of Lanzhou, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little... , Gansu 2167 Yuzhong Yuzhong County Yuzhong County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Lanzhou prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat... , Gansu 2245 Lanzhou Lanzhou Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country.... , Gansu 2291 Yongdeng, Gansu 2390 Tianzhu Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County Tenzhu Tibetan Autonomous County is in the prefecture-level city of Wuwei in the Chinese province of Gansu. It has an area of 7,147km² and approximately 230,000 inhabitants... , Gansu 2422 Gulang, Gansu 2495 Wuwei, Gansu 2554 Yongchang, Gansu 2624 Shandan, Gansu 2730 Zhangye Zhangye -Administration:Zhangye has 1 urban district, 4 counties, 1 autonomous county, 97 towns, and 977 villages.-Demographics:Zhangye has a total population of 1,260,000, only 260,000 being urban residents... , Gansu 2796 Linze, Gansu 2836 Jiuquan Jiuquan - Suzhou town :The administrative center of the "prefecture-level city" of Jiuquan is the "District" of Suzhou , which occupies 3,386 square km in the eastern part of Jiuquan "prefecture-level city", and had a population of 340,000 as of 2002.... , Gansu 3017 Jiayuguan, Gansu 3039 Hongliuyuan Hongliuyuan Hongliuyuan , also known as Liuyuan Town （柳园镇）, is a District of Guazhou in Gansu province of China.... , Gansu 3370 Kumul, Xinjiang Xinjiang Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...   3679 Piqan, Xinjiang 3995 Turpan, Xinjiang 4089 Urumqi Ürümqi Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country.... , Xinjiang 4271 Changji, Xinjiang 4309 Hutubi, Xinjiang 4342 Manas County Manas County Manas County is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 9,174 km2... , Xinjiang 4402 Shihezi Shihezi Shihezi is a sub-prefecture-level city in northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.-Demography:Shihezi is the second largest city in Xinjiang, after Urumqi.... , Xinjiang 4418 Shawan County Shawan County Shawan County is a county situated in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Tacheng Prefecture.It has an area of 12,468 km² with a population of 200,000. The Postcode is 832100.- Transport :... , Xinjiang 4452 Wusu Wusu Wusu can also refer to Taiyuan Wusu Airport.Wusu is a county-level city with more than 100,000 residents in Xinjiang. It is a part of Tacheng Prefecture of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Wusu is a city, where oil-production is a major part of the economy... , Xinjiang 4522 Jinghe County Jinghe County The Jinghe County is a county within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of... , Xinjiang 4681 Huocheng County Huocheng County The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000... , Xinjiang 4924 Yining, Xinjiang 4967

External links

• Official website of Ministry of Transport of PRC