WEY Decodes for You | National Highway G318 @ 1314KM, This is Yichang, a Must-Drive in a Lifetime!

On September 10, the China Automobile Culture Grand Tour and the Autumn Journey of National Highway G318, led by the prestigious Chinese luxury SUV — WEY VV6, arrived in Zhijiang, Yichang. At Jinhu National Wetland Park, they unveiled Yichang Station’s “Highway Code” — 1314KM, and unveiled the “A Must-Drive on 318” signboard for Zhijiang.

Wang Shanqing (second from right), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Zhijiang Municipal People's Congress, Liu Qing (center), Vice Mayor of Zhijiang Municipal People's Government, He Qingyan (first from left), Director of Zhijiang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Li Keqi (second from left), Founder of I Love Driving Media, and Lu Zhijun (first from right), Vice President of RV and Camping Association of Hubei Self-driving Tour Association, jointly unveiled Yichang Station’s highway code.

Attending leaders, guests, and convoy members took a group photo together.

Located at the exit of the Xiling Gorge, controlling the Bashu region upstream and leading to Jingzhou and Xiangyang downstream, Yichang has historically been known as the “Gateway to the Three Gorges.” The cultures of Ba and Chu, the Three Gorges, and the Tujia people blend and evolve here. The hometown of Qu Yuan and Wang Zhaojun, and a world-renowned city of hydropower, the “Highway Code” of 1314KM symbolizes “a lifetime together,” representing both the affection of the people of Yichang for their city and the love of the city for this highway.

Zhijiang is the eastern gateway to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and also the eastern gate of Yichang. It got its name because “the Shu River branches here like a tree’s limbs.” As one of the birthplaces of the Chengbeixi and Daxi cultures, Zhijiang is known as the “Water Town of the Three Gorges, Pastoral Zhijiang.” As the first signboard check-in point for the Yichang Station, Zhijiang welcomed the convoy with its beautiful scenery, delicious food, and warm enthusiasm. The Yangtze River branches here, National Highway 318 heads westward from here, and the Autumn Journey of National Highway G318 continues after exploring Zhijiang.

Liu Qing, Vice Mayor of Zhijiang Municipal People's Government, waved the starting flag to announce the commencement of the Autumn Journey of National Highway G318 Zhijiang Station tour.

The VV6-led official convoy toured Jinhu National Wetland Park in Zhijiang.

Members of the Yichang Huajv WEY Car Club attended to welcome the convoy.

Convoy members then visited Bubusheng Cloth Shoe Culture Village to closely experience the exquisite cloth shoe craftsmanship. The dedication to craftsmanship and attention to detail resonate well with the core brand spirit of the VV6.

On the evening of September 9, the Welcome Ceremony for the China Automobile Culture Grand Tour and the Autumn Journey of National Highway G318 in Zhijiang was held at Zhijiang International Hotel, featuring folk performances, displays of Zhijiang specialty products, and promotions of Zhijiang’s tourism resources for convoy members.

To commemorate this unique journey and pay tribute to this great highway, the event organizers custom-made 70 touring license plates, which were gifted to “faces” along the way who have a connection to National Highway 318 or automobile culture. The organizers also created 70 exclusive commemorative license plates for Yichang Station, each representing a year from 1949 to 2019. These 70 plates symbolize 70 years of Yichang’s development.

Li Keqi, the event’s planning initiator, presented a commemorative license plate to a representative of Zhijiang’s self-driving community.

The custom Yichang Station license plates are available for limited distribution to those around the world who love Yichang and National Highway 318. Simply share your story or connection with Yichang or the 318 Highway, and you may have the chance to successfully apply for a license plate. Together with other stations along the route, these will form the special expression of 2520 (70 plates × 36 stations), which translates to 2 (love) 5 (me) 2 (love) 0 (you) — love China, and be recorded in the history of the cultural dissemination of National Highway G318.

Scan the code to apply for a Yichang Station commemorative license plate.

The China Automobile Culture Grand Tour and the Autumn Journey of National Highway G318 were planned and initiated by I Love Driving Media, with the prestigious Chinese luxury SUV — WEY VV6 as the lead vehicle. It is guided by the Shanghai Automobile Culture Festival Organizing Committee, the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, and the Tourism Transport Work Committee of the China Highway Society. From August 30 to October 4, spanning 36 days and covering 36 stations from Shanghai to the China-Nepal border, the event collaborates with local governments, enterprises, research institutions, national self-driving associations, and clubs. With a user-oriented perspective, it offers an in-depth experience and collective exploration of G318, paying tribute to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China through a cultural celebration of the highway.

People's Video, as the official video platform, provided full live coverage and will also search along the way for 70 special “faces” to pay tribute to this great highway.

Scan the code to view the People's Video #NationalHighwayGrandTour# special page.

VPHOTO, as the official instant imaging platform, will accompany the journey with a relay of photographers.

Scan the code to view the live image broadcast of the event.

This event is a key step in the “productization” of the National Highway G318 highway IP, following the initial introduction of “building National Highway 318 into China’s first self-driving tourism industry economic belt” into the Two Sessions in 2016, the planning and definition of the "National Highway G318"; the professional field survey from an industrial perspective in 2017, jointly completing the pilgrimage journey with the self-driving industry and mapping out the “A Must-Drive on 318” travel map; and the thorough communication with 31 local management departments along the route in 2018, jointly completing the preaching journey, and gaining unanimous agreement on the conception and creation plan of the highway IP. This event truly launches the “A Must-Drive on 318” highway IP product, marking a significant move to bring the National Highway into the hearts of more Chinese people.

It should be noted that after 69 years of development, the actual mileage of National Highway 318 has changed somewhat, and its function is undergoing transformation. To record the era memory and historical status of this highway, I Love Driving Media proposed the concept of “Highway Code” this year — based on the official mileage data of Highway 318, a mileage number with special significance is selected at each “A Must-Drive” station as the “Highway Code.” The “Highway Code” can be used in any area within the station and does not represent the actual mileage of a specific location.

Acknowledgments

[Chief Strategic Partner]

Chinese Luxury SUV - WEY WEY

[Guiding Units]

Shanghai Automobile Culture Festival Organizing Committee | International Mountain Tourism Alliance

Tourism Transport Work Committee of the China Highway Society

[Official Video Platform]

People's Video

[Official Real-Time Video Platform]

VPHOTO

[Official Travel Service Strategic Cooperation]

Professional off-road self-driving one-stop travel service - Huaxia 318

[Official Designated Beverage]

Qingfengdu Plant-Based Drink

[Parade Vehicles]

Chuanyue Auto Club China | Yonda Auto Pickup Base | China 599 Auto Club

[Representatives of Top 100 Clubs]

Dianxing Self-Driving Club

[Map Navigation Cooperation]

Baidu Maps

[Modified Car Culture Promotion]

CAS Modified Car Exhibition

[Aftermarket Strategic Cooperation]

AC Automotive

[RV Promotion Platform]

21st Century RV Network

[Official Cooperative Car Rental Platform]

eHi Car Services

[Official Cooperative Gas Station]

Shell Gas Station

[Tire Support]

Cooper American Goodyear Tires

[Motorcycle Transport Service]

51 Yunche

[Parade Vehicle Wrapping]

Wenzhou Lucheng District Songtai Phantom & Mirage Auto Beauty Center

TQ land

[Cultural Tourism Industry Strategic Cooperation]

SMART Resort Real Estate Expert Committee

Camping World | Zhixue Academy | Zhihui

[Official Designated Research Institution]

Yunjie Liangshu

[Event Promotion Partner]

Jiushi Sports

[Automotive Culture Promotion Strategic Cooperation]

Shanghai Auto Museum

[Air Rescue]