Not long ago, the Ministry of Transport issued the Implementation Plan for Premium Self-Driving Tourism Highways, proposing to accelerate the construction of a "1+N" premium self-driving tourism highway system, forming a main framework of "Three Rings, Four Horizontals, and Five Verticals" with a total length of approximately 60,000 kilometers. Among them, the border-and-coastal "Golden Grand Outer Ring" composed of G219, G331, and G228 highways ranks first among the "Three Rings," and Dandong is precisely the "dual starting point" of the G331 and G228 national highways. Seizing this development opportunity, Dandong relies on the 271.3-kilometer G331 national highway within its territory to plan the entire chain, vigorously promote deep integration of culture, tourism, sports, and commerce, enrich business scenarios, improve service quality, unleash the "multiplier effect" of cultural tourism consumption, and accelerate the expansion, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement of service consumption. The number of tourist visits and total tourism revenue have maintained rapid growth. G331, known as "China's Most Beautiful Border Highway," is brimming with new vitality throughout.

New Facilities: Smoother Roads and More Convenient Charging

Starting from the zero-kilometer mark of G331 in front of Dandong Railway Station and heading north into Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County, one enters the deep mountains. Due to terrain constraints, some sections of G331 are built along mountain roads, far from the riverbank, and are mostly winding "twisting roads." Now, Dandong is focusing on expanding and upgrading "tourism+" and "highway+" across the entire region and all seasons, fully advancing the construction of the new riverside section from Lagushao to Hunkou within Kuandian. Among these, the 600-meter-long Dajiucai Jiangkou Extra-Large Bridge and the Xiaohuanggou Jiangkou Bridge projects have drawn particular attention. "The G331 from Yongdian Town heading north is all mountain roads. I deliberately chose the riverside path to enjoy the border scenery. From the mountaintop, I saw a construction site by the river with a tower crane in the water. Upon asking, I learned they were building a bridge. The current mountain roads have many curves, and I look forward to the completion of the new bridge. What a sight it will be to see the river, mountains, and border from the bridge!" said Han Mingyu, a self-driving enthusiast from Beijing, excitedly.

The completion of the new road will significantly shorten border patrol distances, facilitate daily commutes for villagers along the route, and help connect the scenery and industries along the Yalu River. In the past, road construction focused on "accessibility," but now it emphasizes "smoothness" and "connectivity." The upgrade of the G331 section in Dandong is not a simple road renovation but a deep integration of transportation and tourism functions based on whole-region, whole-chain planning. Bridges are being built, roads are opening up, and supporting facilities are under construction. Townships along the route are focusing on the needs of self-driving tourists, building charging stations at village entrances and setting up camping sites. Yongdian Village in Yongdian Town, Kuandian County, sits right next to G331, bustling with self-driving tourists and freight trucks. Previously, the village had no charging stations or supporting facilities, leaving many new energy vehicle owners frustrated. "Charging difficulties" and "supply shortages" had become pain points for many self-driving travelers.

In response, Yongdian Village acted quickly, revitalizing idle public spaces and coordinating with power authorities. In just over a month, they completed line installation, commissioning, and acceptance, and a fast-charging station was officially established, now in the testing phase. Meanwhile, Changdian Town government, over a dozen kilometers away, installed charging stations in a prominent spot by the highway, already in operation. Wang Dan, a new energy freight truck driver who regularly transports goods, said, "Now charging stations are gradually appearing in towns and villages along the route, which gives me peace of mind. My box truck can now carry more local specialties and make more trips." In Zhenjiang Town, bordering Jilin, four fast-charging stations were built at a prominent bridgehead by the roadside, and a 2,000-square-meter cultural square was opened for overnight parking of up to 20 self-driving vehicles, complete with drinking water and restrooms, providing a warm resting spot for travelers. Similar changes are springing up at multiple points along G331.

New Activities: Scenic Spots Host Events and Folk Customs Get Fresh Twists

Recently, online travel platform Fliggy released its "2026 Summer Travel Report," showing that hotel bookings in Liaoning destinations have surged 91% year-on-year, with Jinzhou and Dandong leading provincial growth. With the influx of visitors, how does Dandong keep up? Dandong continues to polish its "Pampering Visitors, Listening to Advice" service brand, creating new integrated scenarios and business forms for culture, sports, and tourism. Qingshangou has launched a live-action water wedding performance of Manchu folk customs, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in local traditions; the Grand Canyon rafting season extends through September, letting visitors ride the waves along the river; and the scenic road at the big bend of the Yalu River has been newly paved—scenic spots along G331 are constantly "refreshing." "I visited Dandong 10 years ago, and this time I brought my family to retrace G331. The changes are enormous," said Yu Hong, a tourist from Shanghai. "Even traditional red tourism sites have added new projects, with many novel activities integrated into the cultural and natural landscape. It's very appealing."

Beyond the scenic spots, sports events are also drawing crowds to this highway. Kuandian has deeply linked the "Northeast Super" league with tourism, setting up six viewing points where watching games, drinking, and dining go hand in hand. During the events, some scenic spots along the route offer free admission to out-of-town tourists. Shifting from "see-and-go" tourism to "deep experiences," Dandong is cultivating cultural tourism IPs with greater recognition and reputation, encouraging more visitors to make "G331 a must-drive in their lifetime." The deep integration of culture, tourism, sports, and commerce has not only boosted tourist numbers but also showcased the city's image and driven local economic development.

New Chains: Unleashing the "Multiplier Effect" of Cultural Tourism Consumption

Traveling along G331, another tangible impression emerges: the tourism industry is thriving, and villagers' pockets are bulging. Dandong's spring strawberries and blueberries are already famous far and wide, serving as a major income source for local farmers. By August and September, it's the season for Yanhong peaches. Liu Renjun, a peach farmer in Hekou Village, Changdian Town, has over 10 acres of orchards with more than 500 peach trees. Following the village's lead in live-streaming online sales, his e-commerce sales account for one-fifth of total output. "G331's popularity has brought more self-driving tourists and presented us with a rare opportunity," he told reporters. "I'm a classic case of living off the mountains and rivers—I not only sell peaches, hazelnuts, and chestnuts online but also run a small restaurant by the national highway, where fish like the Yalu River's fine-scaled fish, minnows, and carp have become signature dishes."

With traffic flowing into the mountains along the national highway, roadside vendors can hardly keep up with business. At the big bend of the Hun River, numerous stalls line the highway. Wang Guilan mainly sells ice pops, beverages, and local specialties like hazelnuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, and boiled corn. "I sell over 500 yuan a day, and this isn't even peak season," Wang said, full of expectation for the busy period. "When October brings the crowds, my stock won't last a single day." Under the self-driving tourism boom, new formats like camping and RV travel are rapidly emerging. Li Xingguo and his wife, who set out from Xi'an, have been traveling along G331 in their campervan for over 40 days, exploring as they go. Their next stop is Hushan Great Wall, where they plan to stay a few extra days.

"Hushan Village sits right at the foot of the Great Wall, with G331 passing by the village entrance and G228 also starting here," said Wang Chunhai, Party Branch Secretary and Village Committee Director of Hushan Village. The village has revitalized its cultural square to create an RV campsite, equipped with RV parking spaces, water and electricity supply, self-service camping facilities, and a small farmers' market, converting tourism's "emotional value" into "economic value." Leveraging cultural tourism resources, Hushan Village has formed a matrix of specialty industries, cultivating 600 acres of blueberries, establishing a professional cooperative, and building the "Gifts from Hushan" specialty agricultural product brand. Along the Ai River Bridge to Hushan Village's fifth group, 12 large-scale farm stays and guesthouse restaurants have clustered, receiving an average of about 100,000 tourists annually, with tourism and related service revenue reaching roughly 3 million yuan per year. In Hushan Village, the effectiveness of cultural tourism in empowering rural revitalization is becoming increasingly evident.

Seizing the "Golden Grand Outer Ring" opportunity, Dandong is refining premium routes, promoting the "By the Yalu River, Dandong Is Wonderful" brand, polishing the "Hero City" reputation, creating shared new spaces and scenarios for locals and visitors alike, extending industry chains, and generating new value. Boosting industry and enriching people through roads, a new chapter of border prosperity is unfolding.