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"Alas, how dangerous and high it is! The Shu Road is as difficult as climbing to the sky." In the 8th century AD, Li Bai stood on the dangerous Shu Road, wiping the sweat dripping from his forehead, and sighed sincerely.
In fact, when Li Bai wrote this poem, the Shu Road already had a thousand-year history. As early as the Warring States Period, our ancestors worked day and night to build a "Sky Road" on the cliffs that could be walked on.
Ancient Shu Road-Jianmen Pass
Coincidentally, in the 15th century AD, on the other side of the world, in the Andes Mountains, the people of the Inca Empire were also actively engaged in infrastructure construction. They used stones to build roads, build homes, and maintain terraced fields along the mountainside.
Inca Trail
Similar stories have been played out countless times in every corner of the world. Due to the needs of life, business, military affairs, and government, countless people have been on the road. They were road builders, scholars, and merchants... Some built magnificent palaces with their own hands, while others wrote poems and songs that have been sung for thousands of years.
Time has lost its voice, only stone can speak. The Ancient Shu Road, the Huihang Road, the Inca Trail... these ancient roads, embodying the painstaking efforts and wisdom of the ancients, still exist today. Though somewhat weathered, they offer a glimpse into their past and a glimpse into their glorious past.
Huihang Ancient Road
We have already launched two classic cultural hiking routes - the Double Pilgrimage Route. Last year, we opened the door to cultural hiking with thousands of tourists.
Walking in the wilderness of Spain, we visited medieval stone bridges, heard the church bells, and occasionally met strangers who did not speak our language but were full of kindness; on the Kumano Kodo in Japan, we strolled through the thousand-year-old cedar forest, and every step was like a conversation with the ancients, and we gradually understood the weight of the word "pilgrimage".
Measure the thousand-year-old ancient roads with your feet, and touch the warmth of history with your fingertips. The tourists-style cultural hiking series is now online!
From the sword energy of Shu Road to the galaxy of Tang poetry, from the legend of Hui merchants to the legacy of Edo, from desert roses to the sacred land of the Andes, this time, we will not only walk through mountains and rivers, but also trace the millennium civilization, sing with Li Bai, trek with the caravans, hold swords with the warriors, and find the ultimate beauty and romance of humanistic hiking.
"The ancient Shu Road holds half the history of China!" When Li Bai marveled at the difficulty of the Shu Road with his "Alas!" sigh, this "tunnel of time and space" had already existed for millennia. Every stone here bears a legend: Zhuge Liang's footsteps during the Northern Expedition, his feather fan gently waving; Xuanzang's final chanting before his westward journey; Lu You's sigh as he "riding a donkey into Jianmen in the drizzle"... Countless heroes, scholars, and poets have traveled this route, making it truly the "Chinese Pilgrimage Road."
The Ancient Shu Road, the world's oldest and longest-used official post road, comprises a network of numerous ancient routes, of which the Jinniu Road is the best preserved. We've selected three sections of the ancient road: Lanma Wall, Dachaoyi, and Tianxiong Pass, along with three established attractions: Jianmen Pass, Cuiyun Corridor, and Qianfo Cliff, offering a comprehensive tour of the Shu Road.
Product manager Monkey, a native of Jiange, is familiar with the culture and customs of northern Sichuan. After studying classics and documents and visiting the site, he repeatedly polished the design and turned his homesickness into a travel design, specially customizing the Shu Road badge, pass certificates and souvenirs for the route.
The Shu Road emphasizes "focusing on culture over hiking," with just the right amount of intensity. When you tire, sit by the trail and listen to the stories told by your tour guide. Standing before the 7,000 statues at Thousand Buddha Cliff, a local guide explains how Tang Dynasty craftsmen carved the Buddhas from the cliffs. The most surprising part is the immersive storytelling performance in Zhaohua Ancient City—when the wake-up call is struck, you become a Shu Han soldier obeying Zhuge Liang's orders.
Have you ever tried hiking through the lines of poetry that have been passed down for thousands of years?
The Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang is a thousand-year-old ancient road engraved with poetry. It runs from Hangzhou and Shaoxing on the banks of the Qiantang River, through the Cao'e River and Shanxi River, to Mount Tiantai. This winding mountain and water corridor of more than 200 kilometers has attracted more than 400 Tang Dynasty poets to wander along it, leaving behind more than 1,500 poems handed down from generation to generation.
Along this eastern Zhejiang Tang Poetry Route, we discover the most dazzling "star traveler"—Li Bai. He visited Zhejiang four times, including Shanzhong three times, and left behind over 20 poems related to eastern Zhejiang, including "Dreaming of Wandering on Tianmu Mountain, Chanting a Farewell Song," "The Song of a Yue Girl," and "Dawn View from Tiantai," bringing the romance of eastern Zhejiang to its peak.
We've designed an immersive "Hiking with Li Bai" itinerary, starting at Xixing Ferry, ascending Kuaiji Mountain to reminisce about history, enjoying the beauty of Shanxi River in Xinchang, following the path of Xie Gong at Tianmu Mountain, and finally reaching Tiantai to "seek the immortals and seek the truth." As your fingertips glide over the mottled railings of Sima Hui Bridge, you'll suddenly understand why Li Bai, who "refused to dwell in dragon towers and phoenix palaces," so gravitated toward this landscape, steeped in poetry and wine.
The average daily pace of 9 kilometers allows the body to catch up with the soul. We've added unique experiences to this route, including immersive experiences led by professional guides from the Tang Poetry Road Museum. Visitors can meditate at the Stone City, often mentioned by Li Bai, and pray at the Xinchang Big Buddha Temple, experience copying sutras, and visit Tianmu Pavilion at night. In Banzhu Village, they'll embark on a tour of ancient architecture.
As scholars have said: "Without Li Bai, the road of Tang poetry would lack a bit of immortality; without eastern Zhejiang, Li Bai's poems would lack a bit of chivalry." From Xixing to Tiantai, from the starting point to the end point, a journey spanning thousands of years of pursuit and distance, completing a spiritual baptism.
When Mingming learned about the development of a new cultural hiking route, he said, "As a product manager, I always want to show you a different Huizhou. This is not the ink painting background in the travel brochure, but the real life hidden in the cracks of the bluestone slabs."
The ancient Huizhou area (now Huangshan City, Jixi County, Xuancheng and Wuyuan County, Jiangxi) is the core carrier of Huizhou merchant culture, Huizhou-style architecture and Huizhou ancient roads. These ancient roads have witnessed the struggles of historical figures such as Hu Xueyan and Hu Shi, and carry the collective memory of "If you did not cultivate in your previous life, you would have been born in Huizhou."
This is a hiking route linked together by the "Huizhou Merchants Spirit", starting from the ink-scented enlightenment in the Jixi study, to the first step out of the mountain on the Shexian Ancient Road, then to the return home in glory in Huizhou Prefecture, and finally to the "seeking immortality and asking for the way" on the Xiuning Merchant Road. Each step is a slice of the ancients' life and also our silent dialogue with history.
Immerse yourself in Huizhou's extraordinary natural landscapes, literature, and architectural culture. Each day, you'll experience a different natural wonder—clear waters in the canyon, pristine earthen buildings, Huizhou-style architecture, Danxia landforms, and more. Over four days, you'll traverse 40 kilometers without feeling tired.
The Huizhou Merchants' Path encompasses East China's classic, flagship ancient route, the Huihang Ancient Road, as well as lesser-known hiking trails, led by tour guides who roam ancient Huizhou year-round. Unlike the sightseeing nature of standard hiking routes, the cultural hiking series features tour guides who share stories of Huizhou merchants along the way, stopping at rock sites to learn about the past. Experiences like Hui ink gilding and She inkstone carving are also included, offering a dynamic and tranquil experience of Huizhou culture.
Rather than calling this a hiking trail, it's more like a gift prepared by product managers for everyone who dreams of "Jiangnan"! Let's explore the ancient village on foot and write down our own humanistic insights in the blank spaces left by Hui-style architecture.
While the Kumano Kodo Trail is already renowned among hiking enthusiasts, our team discovered this "time-loved post road" in central Honshu. One of the five major Edo-era official routes connecting Kyoto and Tokyo, the Nakasendo Trail still retains its intact cobblestone pavement and centuries-old traditional townhouses. Compared to the grandeur of Kumano, this area feels more like a living, breathing Ukiyo-e painting, capturing Japan's cultural DNA with every step.
The most distinctive section of the Nakasendo Trail is Magome-Tsumago, which we chose as the highlight of our hike, allowing everyone to experience the charm of the Edo period firsthand. Along the way, you can see century-old cedar trees, teahouses, and rural scenery.
Think this is just a cultural tour? We've specially connected with the Northern Alps, known as the "Roof of Japan." The day before, we've visited an old house in Narai-juku or soaked in a hot spring inn near Nagano. The next day, we'll journey into the most beautiful valleys of Kamikochi. Where the historic townhouses collide with the imposing snow-capped mountains, you'll discover that nature and humanity are never separated in Japan.
Miyagi, a product manager who has lived in Japan for 5 years and has 8 years of experience in Japan-related tourism, personally went to the Nakasendo in early April this year to explore the route, looking for delicious food and comfortable accommodation along the way, and carefully polishing it to strive for a perfect experience.
If you are tired of sightseeing and want to truly understand a country through your own steps, Nakasendo will be like an old friend, waiting for you to knock on the door of time.
Is your impression of the Middle East only war and desert?
Jordan, a hidden gem in the Middle East, lies at the junction of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It boasts a unique charm in terms of history, culture, and scenery. Due to the wars in neighboring countries, Jordan is often misunderstood. However, it is actually one of the safest places in the Middle East and a great place for travel. This hidden gem, with its beautiful scenery and few people, offers a wealth of fun attractions!
We anchored our itinerary on the "Dana-Petra" golden section, which is the most abundant essence of Jordan's natural landscape and cultural elements. It has the Dana Wildlife Sanctuary, the world heritage site of Petra Ancient City, etc. These two major highlights are connected by the ancient trade route.
This itinerary was born out of a product manager's obsession. Founder Lin Momo led her team on three trips to Jordan, thoroughly researching every detail of the itinerary. This gave us a local perspective beyond what other tours offer. While other groups are still exploring Petra's main entrance, we take you into the lesser-known "Little Petra," tracing the Mujib Gorge and spotting wildlife in the Dana Wildlife Sanctuary—experiences not offered by regular tours.
This isn't a route designed for quick check-ins, but rather the product manager for Tourists Style, Kangaroo, and the Middle East and Africa product manager, Qingyun, with their original aspirations of "making hiking a story worth telling," along with the support of the Jordan Tourism Board. We've brought you the Jordan National Trail. Everyone is welcome to explore this route, filled with little surprises.
When talking about South America, the Inca civilization is a period of history that cannot be avoided. The Inca Empire spanned six South American countries and was connected by a passage, which is the world-famous Inca Trail. It perfectly combines archaeological sites, Inca civilization, Andean culture and stunning natural landscapes. It is an experience that anyone who loves history and adventure should not miss.
We specially chose Machu Picchu, the most representative part of the Inca Trail. It is known as the "New Seven Wonders of the World" and is the most important archaeological site in South America. As the end point of the Inca Trail, hiking to Machu Picchu has a sense of reaching the end of a pilgrimage, similar to the last 100km of hiking on the Spanish Camino de Santiago.
Most trips to Peru include a visit to Machu Picchu, but few hike the entire route, and even fewer combine it with a visit to the unique South American floating islands. When designing our itineraries, we've specifically included an experience with the indigenous people of the floating islands, allowing tourists to experience South America more deeply.
Finally, we have waited for the relaxation of visa and flight policies. This pilgrimage, polished with professionalism and sentiment, may make you understand: a true humanistic hike is to let history walk down from the stone tablets. It is not just a tourist attraction check-in, but a real understanding of history.
Explore a new way to explore the world of hiking. Each route is a carefully curated cultural exploration, led by a cultural leader and accompanied by a guide who shares anecdotes from ancient times to the present. Enjoy a light hike and a deep understanding of the world of hiking! The routes are all entry-level, designed for light travel with no difficulty threshold, so lovers of both culture and hiking can take the plunge.
Each cultural hiking route will add some unique cultural experiences, such as local home visits, intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, fireside chats, etc., to experience local culture. Every step you take counts!
Tourist-style cultural hiking series has been launched. Register to join the tour and receive a "pass certificate"
Get a special stamp every time you participate in a cultural hike
Collect 5 stamps and redeem them for the [Xingyong Ancient and Modern Collection Gift Box]
Tourist-style cultural hikes: Let every step you take become a chapter in civilization
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