Xinhua News Agency, Chengdu, April 3, Title: Sichuan Guangyuan: Hiking the Ancient Shu Road

Xinhua News Agency reporters Xue Yubin, Zhao Yining, Xiao Yonghang

The ancient road in spring, bowing his head is a warm and quaint bluestone slab, looking up is an ancient cypress tree covering the sky, the wind is rustling in his ears, and the air is filled with the fragrance of plants and trees. As I walked on the hike, I could hear the ringing of horses coming from a distance, and a traveler was passing by the corner with a bamboo basket on his back.

This is the ancient Shu Road in Guangyuan, Sichuan, located at the junction of Sichuan and Shaanxi, connecting the Guanzhong Plain and the Chengdu Plain. The Shu Road was once a major transportation route that runs through the north and south. Now, after thousands of years of wind and frost, the ancient charm has not diminished and new colors have become a hiking route in the hearts of many people.

This year, the ancient Shu Road hiking activity will start in late April. Taking advantage of the spring, hiking enthusiasts will visit this thousand-year-old ancient road to experience the fun of the interweaving and fusion of humanities and nature. Guangyuan City has held two consecutive walking tours of the ancient Shu Road and launched three ancient Shu Road hiking routes. According to statistics from the Guangyuan Municipal Government, since September 2023, the number of tourists participating in the ancient Shu Road walking tour has reached 600,000.

A tourist is photographing ancient cypresses on Shu Road. Photo by Meng Libo

More than two thousand years ago, when Qin unified the six kingdoms, the Shu Road was built and cypress trees were planted to measure the length of the road. The Shu Road comes from the Qinchuan in Guanzhong, winding through the Qinling Mountains and the Bashan Mountains. Countless heroes, literati and poets pass through this road and enter Sichuan. It witnessed Zhuge Liang steadily occupying Jianmen Pass and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled into Shu. Li Bai once sighed that "the yellow crane can't fly over yet", and Lu You "rided a donkey into Jianmen from here in a drizzle."

Now, the construction of transportation infrastructure has achieved a transition from "difficulty in Shu Road" to "difficulty in Shu Road": the Beijing-Kunming Expressway, Baocheng Railway, Xicheng High-speed Railway, and Jialing River Waterway are intertwined in northeastern Sichuan, and transportation modes such as roads, railways, waterways, aviation, and pipelines are available... The convenience of modern transportation makes Shu Road no longer "difficulty in the sky", and the ancient Shu Road adapts to people's new needs in the new era.

"The 'Shu Road' hiking route is well-known both at home and abroad for its unique historical charm and humanistic feelings. We have systematically repaired the core sections of Cuiyun Gang on the Jinniu Road, integrating elements such as ancient cypress protection, intangible cultural heritage experience, mountain sports and other elements into the hiking scene, attracting many hiking enthusiasts, and allowing the ancient shu Road to rejuvenate new vitality and vitality in the new era." Liao Xingquan, member of the Standing Committee of the Jiange County Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department of Guangyuan City, said.

In March 2025, tourists were hiking on the horse-blocking section of the ancient Shu Road. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Yining

There are more than 12,000 ancient cypress trees still exist in the local area, the oldest is over 2,300 years old. They are scattered on both sides of the stretched Shu Road. Hikers can observe the mottled and rough branches of the ancient trees at close range, and the raised roots are winding at their feet.

"The thousand-year-old cypress gives Shu Road an experience like a Wizard of Oz. While walking, it is easy to resonate with the ancients, and my heart is very calm." Xi'an tourist Zhang Yang was amazed at the deep cultural heritage under his feet and in front of him.

Hike the Shu Road, slow down and observe carefully, and you will discover the ingenuity of craftsmen a thousand years ago. Xu Chengjie, deputy director of the Cultural Tourism and Health Industry Development Center of Jiange County, Guangyuan City, introduced: "The horse-blocking wall is like a fence of a modern expressway, preventing horse tourists from falling from falling from mountain roads; the chiseled mark line is like today's speed bumps to prevent slopes and slipping on rainy days; in order to adapt to the terrain, craftsmen directly shape the original mountain into steps and build a turbulent road, which is quite ingenious."

The ancient Shu Road was once open to traffic, so the road section was relatively smooth and suitable for traveling of all ages. Many hikers took their families and pets to explore the secrets and seek the secluded. Outdoor sports enthusiast Guo Yan said: "Come here with your children, you can personally feel the ancient Shu culture, be close to nature and understand history."

Cuiyunlang Ancient Cypress taken on November 7, 2024. Xinhua News Agency (photo taken by Lan Hongguang)

This year's Ancient Shu Road Walking Tour is about to open. Wang Zhuang, secretary of the Party Leadership Group of Guangyuan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, said: "This year's hiking tour will pay more attention to the display of Shu Road culture, the participation of market entities and the application of new technologies, and improve the supporting service capabilities of hiking, so that more tourists can hike the ancient Shu Road in all seasons, and deeply experience the long history and beautiful scenery of Shu Road."

"Three million long distances of 100,000 trees. Green cloud corridor, blue smoke protects." The poems of Qiao Bo, the magnificent image of this ancient road in the Qing Dynasty. The spring breeze blows, and the pine and cypresses rustle all over the mountain. They have listened to the transactions of business and travelers and the tone of poets, and now they have supported the shade for hiking tourists.