Muzart Pass
| Muzart Pass | |
|---|---|
Xiata Valley looking south, Muzart Pass turns right before the snow-capped mountains | |
| Elevation | 3,582 m (11,752 ft) |
| Traversed by | Xiata Trail (夏塔古道) or Xiate Trail (夏特古道) |
| Location | between Ili Prefecture and Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang, China |
| Range | Tian Shan |
| Coordinates | 42°21′32″N 80°47′53″E / 42.359°N 80.798°E |
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| Muzart Pass | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 木扎爾特達坂 | ||
| Simplified Chinese | 木扎尔特达坂 | ||
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The Muzart Pass, Muz-art Pass, or Muzat Pass (Chinese: 木扎尔特达坂) is a high mountain pass that crosses the Tian Shan mountains in Xinjiang, China. It connects the city of Aksu in Tarim Basin with the city of Yining (Kulja) in the upper Ili River valley. It is located on the county boundary between Zhaosu County in Ili Prefecture and Baicheng County in Aksu Prefecture. The route over Muzart Pass is more commonly referred to as Xiata Trail (Chinese: 夏塔古道) or Xiate Trail (Chinese: 夏特古道) by the Chinese, Xiata being the name of the village in Tekes River valley at the base on the northern side of the route.
China National Highway 219 is in the process of being extended to cross Tian Shan connecting Zhaosu County with Wensu County in Tarim Basin. There are two routes under investigation -- the western and shorter route will traverse Muzart Pass.