A group of young people cycle near the Xingkong parking area along the G348 highway in Yichang, Central China's Hubei province, on Jan 5, 2025.

Students take advantage of the holiday to go swimming in the pool of a guesthouse along the G348 highway in Yichang, Central China's Hubei province, on Aug 28, 2024.

A student stands in front of his mobile coffee cart, chatting and enjoying coffee with fellow cyclists at the Liantuo riverside rest area on the G348 highway on the afternoon of June 8, 2024.

A traveler livestreams to showcase the local customs and culture of Yichang to viewers across the country at the Mingyuetai scenic area along the G348 highway on March 7, 2025.

A Hubei-based expert provides an on-site explanation of geological features and landforms to students at the 0.618 Earth story location on the G348 highway on March 29, 2025.

A woman applies makeup beside her tent at the Liantuo riverside parking area on the G348 highway on April 6, 2025.

Visitors gather to take pictures under the setting sun at the windmill photo spot at the Liantuo riverside rest area on June 29, 2024.

Three young people take in the beautiful view at Liantuo riverside along the G348 highway in Yichang on March 27, 2025.

Five tourists share dinner at a guesthouse along the G348 highway on April 4, 2025.

"Every step forward unfolds a different scenery, almost like traveling in a painting scroll." This is a pertinent description of a journey on the 39.6 kilometer-long China National Highway 348, which links the Three Gorges project with some core scenic spots. Driving through the G348, the first national level scenic highway, is like attending a class in geology.

The highway was renovated in 2020. Now, as the sole national highway leading to the Three Gorges scenic area, this tourist road is not only a legacy of hard work, but also a repository of mysteries of the Earth. Exemplifying the pioneering integrated development of transportation and tourism, the G348 has combined a learning experience of geological landscapes with an ecological corridor and nine rest areas.

The picturesque scenery, abundant geological landscapes as well as cultural relics alongside the highway have enchanted throngs of tourists. It also connects core scenic areas such as the Tribe of the Three Gorges, and the Three Gorges Dam area.

There are guesthouses and farm stays on the way for the convenience of tourists. The reasonable prices and warmth of the local people combine to give tourists a unique experience.

Along the banks of the Liantuo river, tourists can pitch a tent in the parking area or by the river, listening to the breeze, gazing at the stars at night and enjoying the sunrise in the morning.

The highway also brings revenue to local people, promoting the transformation from the first industry to the third industry, forming a diversified economic model.

By late 2024, there had been 148 guesthouses and farm stays opposite the Tribe of the Three Gorges, providing various services.