Live Your Best Lives
I have some questions that I would like to ask you who are reading this article on your mobile phone screen.
Would you still write with a fountain pen or brush? Would you send a handwritten letter to someone you miss far away? Would you still read paper publications instead of electronic ones? Would you still take a leisurely train to a distant place you longed for? ...
Picture @Photo.net
As times change and society progresses, the internet has unnoticedly evolved from 4G to 5G. It seems we've become accustomed to the fast-paced modern life. However, some historical traditions and lifestyle habits are gradually being discarded...
The 13 places I want to introduce to you today were once glorious a hundred years ago or even longer. They were considered extremely important transportation hubs, undertaking the politics, economy, trade and exchanges between the two places. However, today, a hundred years later, no one cares about them.
Will these ancient roads, long forgotten by history, really disappear in the near future?
I believe you, like me, share a deep sense of historical responsibility, hoping to see it not only through its disappearance but also through its exposure to the wider public. So, spend a day or two exploring, treasure hunting, and capturing this historical memory, buried centuries ago, with your family or friends.
Anhui & Zhejiang
The Huihang Ancient Road is the first of the "Top Ten Outdoor Routes in Zhejiang Province". It is very famous throughout Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. It combines the best of humanities and landscapes and is a classic entry-level outdoor route for new hikers.
The ancient road is more than 20 kilometers long. Before the opening of the Hangzhou-Anhui Highway, it was a shortcut for people from Huizhou, especially Jixi, to reach Shanghai and Hangzhou. It was an important channel for trade between Huizhou merchants and Zhejiang merchants in ancient times.
Jiangnan's First Pass is the highlight of the Huihang Ancient Road. The magnificent stone plank path carved from the thousand-foot cliffs is breathtaking. Walking along the ancient path, you'll be greeted by the shimmering, ever-changing, and colorful scenery of Xiaoyao Valley, which complements the majestic pass and the ancient road, creating a natural landscape painting.
Hangzhou, Zhejiang
After nearly a thousand years, many of the ancient Wuyue Trails no longer exist. The only one that remains largely intact today is about 12 kilometers long, with streams running along one side of the entire trail.
Along the way, you'll find lush greenery, splashing springs, waterfalls, canyons, and a stunning Tianchi Lake, each telling its own story. This is a year-round hiking route and a classic in East China.
Tianchi Lake in western Zhejiang, located at an altitude of 1,100 meters, has clear and deep blue water, where the water and sky are one color. The surrounding mountains are gently rolling, and the view is wide.
This is also the main habitat of wild sika deer, a national first-class protected animal. The good natural environment has attracted many wild animals, and if we are lucky, we may also see sika deer and goats.
After lunch at Tianchi Lake, we walked through the forest of Tianlong Grand Canyon. Walking at a brisk pace on the main ancient road dominated by bluestone terraces will make you feel relaxed and happy.
In the spring season, you will occasionally encounter some colorful wild flowers that you cannot name. From time to time, there will be stone bridges one after another, about 5km long, with gurgling water all the way and beautiful scenery.
Huzhou, Zhejiang
Because of tea cultivation in the south, many historical and cultural relics related to tea have been left behind. These relics are connected by ancient roads and exist in the form of linear cultural heritage. Among them, the most valuable ones are those related to Lu Yu.
This famous tea scientist in the Tang Dynasty loved tea all his life and was proficient in the tea ceremony. He not only left many stories and footprints in Huzhou, but also had an indissoluble bond with Huzhou.
Xiamu Mountain, with its lush bamboo forests and clear, swift streams, has long been known as "Mogan Mountain scenery, Xiamu mountain waters." At the peak lies Xiamu Spring, also known as "Heavenly Lake." Passing through the village, you reach the Xiamu Mountain Reservoir, and all the way up along the reservoir is a sea of bamboo.
The chirping of birds and the gurgling of springs in the woods are inspiring. Strolling along the ancient incense-burning path, the mountains curve around the road, and endless tea fields appear before us.
Wuxi, Jiangsu
The Junzhang Ancient Road is located in the hilly hinterland on the east bank of Meiliang Lake in Binhu District, Wuxi. It has a history of hundreds or even thousands of years. It was the only way for mountain people to travel before the emergence of roads in the 1970s.
It is named after its main peak, Junzhang Mountain. The total length of the Junzhang Ancient Trail is about 20 kilometers. It has now been divided into six sections by the highway, and you can descend at the junction of each section.
Spring is the season for flowers to bloom. The second section passes through Dafunan Village, which is a super beautiful ecological natural village. There are orchards everywhere here. Cherry blossoms, pear blossoms, peach blossoms, and rape blossoms along the way are blooming, which always slows down your pace and makes you not want to walk fast.
Wuyuan, Jiangxi
The Wuling Ancient Road is one of the classic hiking routes in Wuyuan. The route is long but not difficult. It crosses the five mountains of Wuyuan and allows you to see the ancient villages and rape flowers in the mountains of Wuyuan.
After crossing the Wuling Mountains and walking along the ancient path to Jiangwan Town, you're bound to find surprises. A visit to Jiangwan is a must, especially when visiting the famous "Jiangling" area. The terraced rapeseed fields covering the mountains are truly classic and beautiful.
"Our state's mountains and rivers are known for their extraordinary beauty, and the occasional outstanding people should be like this; without traveling the heavenly Five Ridges, how can one understand the poems of the two Cheng brothers in the human world?"
The "Wuling Road in Heaven" in the poem refers to the five ancient post roads connecting Huangmao to Jiangwan. In spring, the Wuling Ancient Road never ceases to amaze us with its ancient mountain villages and fields of rapeseed flowers.
Mengli Ancient Road & Xiake Ancient Road & Xihong Ancient Road
One route connects three ancient roads, presenting the history, culture and beautiful scenery of Huizhou before your eyes.
A dreamlike ancient trail, its very name evokes yearning. The ancient mountain village of Muli, where seas of clouds can be seen over 200 days a year. Nanping, a culinary wonderland, slowly simmered over time, finally reveals its essence. On a hike, you'll encounter Bishan Bookstore, hidden within a 200-year-old ancestral hall.
From Xidi to Hongcun, the ancient roads of the two world cultural heritage sites are connected, allowing you to encounter the dreamlike flower fields of Huizhou.
The Xiake Ancient Trail revisits the neglected Qiyun Mountain and the Danxia Plateau, which is as famous as Huangshan Mountain. Among the green mountains and mist, there are immortals and Taoist spirits, where poetry and distant places are both available.
Wuhu, Anhui
The Westbound Ancient Road is located in the west of Fengyu Village, Eqiao Town. It has a history of more than 800 years. It is about 2.5 kilometers long and 1 meter wide. It consists of 3,868 ancient stone steps of various shapes that wind their way from the depths of the mountains.
After hiking through the ancient trail and climbing over a hill, you can overlook the Xiangshui Stream, which is full of water and gurgling, especially in the rainy season, and is even more spectacular.
On rainy days, the sound of water is unique, making a "dong dong clang clang" sound, like golden gongs and drums beating together, the sound is clear and bright, hence the name "Xiangshuijian".
The sea of rapeseed flowers in Xiangshuijian complements the blue sky and clear water, covering the sky and surging, which is breathtaking. The fields are crisscrossed with ditches, densely covered with river networks, and neatly arranged farmhouses, presenting a natural water town pastoral scenery.
Shaanxi & Sichuan
The Qin-Shu Ancient Road is a road for economic, political and cultural exchanges between Shaanxi and Sichuan. This road has countless stories and legends, as well as endless beautiful scenery.
Hiking along three ancient paths: the Tangluo, Baoxiang, and Jinniu trails, you'll feel like you've been transported back to a time when horses and carriages crisscrossed the land and pedestrians hurried by.
There are many historical sites along the ancient road. Passing by cliff carvings, murals, ancient buildings, inscriptions, etc., it is like walking through art and legends.
Admire the two scenic avenues, Taiyang Highway and Gaojiang Highway, stroll along the most beautiful rural roads, and feel the breath of nature in the pure spring.
Then check in at several ancient mountain towns and stop at primitive villages, where scattered houses and curling smoke are peaceful and beautiful.
Chongqing & Chengdu
"Ancient road, west wind, thin horse, setting sun, heartbroken man in the distant place"
This well-known Yuan Dynasty song describes the hardships and helplessness of travelers.
The Liangtingguan Ancient Road was the main road from Chongqing to Chengdu in history. It was also an important land transportation route for medicinal materials from northwest Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and other western regions to leave Sichuan.
In today's world with convenient transportation, we can travel back to ancient times with our children, explore the ruins of ancient roads, experience the fierce collision between reality and history, understand the difficulties that previous generations faced when walking on ancient roads, and think about the changes in human travel methods.
This is not only a natural sightseeing route suitable for parent-child hiking, but also a route for visiting ancient sites and experiencing the cultural and historical heritage of old Chongqing.
Guangyuan, Sichuan
In Huangbai Village, Jiange County, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province, there is a section of the Jinniu Ancient Road built in the pre-Qin period. This was the only way for ancient people to travel between northern Sichuan and southern Shaanxi.
Along the way, towering cypresses and ancient trees form forests, and stepping on bluestone slabs smoothed by the ancients, historical scenes unfold one after another. Walking along the ancient Shu Road, which dates back more than 2,000 years, the dim flashes of swords and the distant neighing of horses and men, every inch of this land is steeped in rich history.
In addition to the light hike along the Ancient Shu Road, we'll also experience Jianmen Pass, known as the most dangerous pass on the Shu Road, up close. This pass still boasts numerous valuable relics, including ancient bridges, buildings, inscriptions, temples, city ruins, and roadside trees. It's one of the earliest, longest-used, and best-preserved man-made ancient post roads in ancient Chinese history.
Climb Jiange Pavilion, walk along the Bird Path, enjoy a panoramic view, experience the most dangerous and exciting part of the Ancient Shu Road, and listen to the drums and horns of the Three Kingdoms.
Qionglai, Sichuan
The Southern Silk Road was an ancient international route in southwestern China, running through Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, connecting Myanmar and India, and leading to Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Europe. Along with the Northwestern Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road, it served as a major channel for international transportation, trade, and cultural exchange in ancient China.
In Qionglai, Chengdu, there is a section of the Southern Silk Road. It is a paradise hidden in the mountains. During the hike, you can see historical sites, bamboo forests, and vast fields of rapeseed flowers.
Feel the rich historical and cultural atmosphere and breathe in the beauty of spring.
Qingyuan, Guangdong
Located in Qingxin District, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, the Hecang Ancient Trail is a unique hiking trail in Qingyuan. The trail is approximately 10 kilometers long, with a maximum elevation gain of about 320 meters. It's not a very difficult hike.
There are few villages nearby, and the area is sparsely populated. The vegetation is lush and pristine, making it a great place for hiking. Several kilometers of the road are made of primitive stone steps. I heard that this was a road built by people here in the past to go to the market.
During the hike, you can also explore the Hecang Cave. The rocks here were formed over many years. The ingenuity of nature and the magnificent rocks are surprising.
Beijing
The Jingxi Ancient Road, with the "Xishan Road" as its main artery, connects various branch roads running north and south. The Central Road, South Road, and North Road are its main components. Countless fascinating stories, including those of ancient wars, interethnic exchanges, religious activities, fortifications and border defenses, as well as the ancient road, west winds, and skinny horses, are scattered or linger along its flanks. These stories embody the economy and culture of that era.
The Ancient Road in Western Beijing has a history of thousands of years. The profound cultural heritage it contains and the splendid culture of the Yongding River Basin are superimposed on each other.
Every ancient road contains a legendary story. Spend a day or two on the weekend, take your family to retrace the historical path, learn about the history of changes from ancient times to the present, enjoy the scenery and taste the delicious food along the way, and make the most of the good time.
