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How does it feel driving through the world's longest expressway tunnel? "That's pretty cool!" That's how these young singers from the US One Voice Children's Choir reacted as they traveled through the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the centerpiece of the Wuwei Expressway in northwest China's #Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. So, what makes this expressway – and the tunnel – so special? • Five years in the making: Opened at the end of 2025 after five years of construction, the Wuwei Expressway is one of China's most ambitious highway projects, linking northern and southern Xinjiang by crossing the Tianshan Mountains. • A record-breaking tunnel: At 22.13 km (13.75 miles), the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel is the world's longest expressway tunnel. It cuts what was once a several-hour mountain crossing to just 20 minutes. • An engineering feat: The tunnel passes through 16 geological fault zones, reaches a maximum depth of more than 1,100 meters, and was built while overcoming major challenges: high ground stress, strong seismic activity, strict environmental protection requirements, extreme cold and high altitude. • Transforming travel: The Tianshan Mountains have long divided northern and southern Xinjiang. Today, the Wuwei Expressway cuts travel time between Urumqi and Korla from 7 hours to about 3 hours, bringing the two regions closer than ever. • More than a faster drive: The expressway has improved freight efficiency, lowered transportation costs, strengthened regional connectivity and made it possible to experience Xinjiang's snow-capped mountains and vast deserts in a single day. Would this road trip make it onto your travel bucket list? (Photos via CGTN and VCG) #ChinaUSConnects #CGTN