CHENGDU -- The opening of the first expressway to directly reach Jiuzhai Valley in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Monday has halved the driving time from Chengdu, the provincial capital, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site to just four hours.

The G8513 expressway, stretching about 246 km from Jiuzhai Valley to the city of Mianyang in Sichuan, features two lanes in each direction and is designed for a speed of 80 km per hour.

Built in Northwest Sichuan, a cold, high-altitude region with complex terrain, its construction followed the principle of maximum environmental protection, minimum ecological damage and maximum natural restoration, avoiding excessive excavation and filling and reducing land use, according to the developers.

Ending the absence of expressways in Pingwu county and Beichuan Qiang autonomous county of Mianyang, the G8513 will also serve as a major corridor linking Sichuan with Gansu province, Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Jiuzhai Valley, also known as Jiuzhaigou National Park, is known for its spectacular waterfalls, lush forests, serene plateau lakes and karst rock formations.

Located in the mountains on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is one of the most acclaimed tourist destinations in China.

The number of tourists visiting Jiuzhai Valley has surged rapidly in recent years, according to Guo Xiaomin, deputy director of the Jiuzhaigou administration. The national park has welcomed 5.075 million visits so far this year, a year-on-year increase of 26.81 percent, including 296,000 visits by foreign tourists, up 52.51 percent from the year-earlier period.

The expressway also provides visitors an easier access to Bao'en Temple, a location featured in "Black Myth: Wukong," an internationally renowned, Chinese-developed AAA role-playing video game.