Alashankou

Alashankou (Chinese: 阿拉山口; pinyin: Ālāshānkǒu) or Alataw Pass is a border town in Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. It is a port of entry by both railroad and highway from Kazakhstan as part of the Eurasian Land Bridge. The town is named after the Dzungarian Gate (Ala Shankou in Chinese), a pass connecting the two countries through the Dzungarian Alatau mountains. West of the pass, the port of entry on the Kazakhstan side is Dostyk. Alashankou is 73 kilometers from Bole, 460 kilometers from Ürümqi, and 580 kilometers from Almaty.