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Guide to Hiking China's Old Road to Shu

        Day One Time: 6¼ hours                         Distance: 8 miles
             Day Two Time: 6¼ hours                        Distance: 9 miles
             Start: Temple by Jianxi Bridge                Difficulty:  medium  
                                

This hike out of Jianmenguan is one of my favorites because it leaves
the highway far behind and cuts deep into the mountains. The first day
you travel over a flagstone road in fairly good repair with some long
spectacular stretches of stone steps. Most of the road is through
fields or woods of cypress and smaller trees. You pass through some
traditional villages, as well,  with wooden houses whose slightly
saggy tile roofs slope down over porches supported by wooden
pillars on stone bases. Baskets hang on the walls, yellow corn from the
eaves, and once quite elegant lattice windows hang askew on their
hinges. There are views down into the valley as you climb, and, looking
back,  you can clearly see the break in the 72 peaks of the Daba
Mountains where the highway passes through the Sword Gate Pass
(right bottom).  You can stay the night in the very small town of Dachao
and continue on the next day to Zhaohua. The old road on the second
day has been partly paved over, but otherwise the hike is still nice with
the Tianxiong Pass and views of the Jialing River the highlights.


Hike 12 Jianmenguan to Zhaohua

Hike 15 Fengzhou to Sanchayi


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                                         ©Hope Lindsey Justman