road map

mianchi
On July 5, starting from Renqiu, driving 740 kilometers along the Daguang, Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao, and Lianhuo Expressway, and arriving in Mianchi County, Henan Province in the afternoon.

Mianchi 1
When staying at Mianchi Hotel, the conditions are good and the price is high.

Mianchi 2
Mianchi has a long history and has tourist attractions such as the "Yangshao Culture" ruins. This time, no arrangements were made, but only took a look at the "Ancient Qin and Zhao Huimeng Platform" after dinner.

Mianchi 3 (Huimeng Park)
The ancient Qin Zhao Huimeng Platform is located in the Huimeng Ecological Park in the southwest of the county.

Mianchi 4 (Alliance Monument Pavilion)
"Historical Records" records that during the Warring States Period, King Zhaoxiang of Qin proposed to King Huiwen of Zhao to hold an alliance in Mianchi, and Lin Xiangru accompanied the King of Zhao there. During the drinking ceremony, the King of Qin coerced the King of Zhao to drum the zither and ordered the historian to record it in the history of Qin, embarrassing the King of Zhao. Lin Xiangru strongly requested the King of Qin to attack the fou, and also ordered the historian of the State of Zhao to record the history of Zhao. Qin officials refused to accept this and threatened Zhao to cede 15 cities to celebrate the King of Zhao's birthday. Lin Xiangru also forced Qin to cede the capital of Xianyang to celebrate the King of Zhao's birthday. tit-for-tat, the king of Qin failed to get an advantage and had to make peace with the King of Zhao. Soldiers from both sides buried their weapons in order to show friendship, and they formed a platform for the alliance.

Mianchi 5 (Alliance Monument)
To commemorate this period of history, a stele pavilion was built on the Huimeng Platform in the Ming Dynasty. It was later damaged and rebuilt many times. It is now rebuilt in 1985. The platform is 14 meters high and the pavilion is 8 meters high. The stone tablet in the octagonal pavilion is engraved with the "Ancient Qin and Zhao Alliance Platform".

Qinling
On July 6, continue westward along the Lianhuo Expressway and arrive at Qinling Mountains at noon. The Qinling Mountains start from southern Gansu in the west and west Henan in the east. The main section traverses southern Shaanxi. The south slope has a humid climate and is the water source of the Han River. The north slope has steep mountains and spectacular scenery. The Qinling Mountains are the dividing line between north and south of China, and there are many stories, which is one of the highlights of this trip.

Qinling Mountains 1
In ancient times, to enter Sichuan from Xi'an, one had to cross the Qinling Mountains and first reach Hanzhong. There are four ancient plank roads leading from Xi'an to Hanzhong, from east to west are Ziwu Road, Tangluo Road, Baoxie Road, and Chencang Road, all of which have many historical stories. The arrangement this time is to spend half a day visiting Ziwu Road from north to south, and check in to the watershed; spend one day crossing the Qinling Mountains from Tangluo Road, the most beautiful scenery; spend another half a day visiting the Longmen Plank Road of Baoxiao Road from the south end; Abandoning Chencang Road, this trip came into contact with three of the four ancient roads.
Ziwu Road starts from Ziwu Valley in Zhongnan Mountain in the Qinling Mountains in the north and ends at Ziwu Town in Xixiang County in Hanzhong in the south. It has a total length of 330 kilometers and is named after it crosses Ziwu Valley.

Qinling Mountains 2
After the Hongmen Banquet, when Liu Bang went to Hanzhong to take office, he sent Zhang Liang to burn down the Ziwu Road plank road. Prosperity was restored during the Tang Tianbao period because Imperial Concubine Yang liked to eat lychees from Fuzhou, south of her hometown, south of the Qinling Mountains. She needed a post horse to gallop along the Ziwu Road. There was a saying,"The red world rides a concubine laughing, but no one knows it's lychees." It is also called "Litchi Road". The current G210 National Highway is built on this basis.

Ziwu Avenue watershed
The main check-in point on Ziwu Road is the watershed, which is located 997 kilometers away from the G210 National Highway. There is a "Qinling Mountains" stone tablet, and on both sides are stone walls engraved with the "Yangtze River System" and the "Yellow River System". To the south of the stone tablet are the Yangtze River waters and to the north are the Yellow River waters.
The watershed is 2100 meters above sea level and is the highest point on the G210 National Highway, not the highest point of the Qinling Mountains. The northern slope of this section of the Qinling Mountains is relatively steep, and the distance from the watershed to Xi'an is relatively short, only 65 kilometers to the city center. The 28-kilometer uphill road after entering the mountain from Fengyukou has a height drop of more than 1400 meters. There are mountains and water, and the scenery is very good, but the slope is steep and there are many turns, so the speed needs to be controlled well.
Turn back from the watershed, continue west for 100 kilometers to Zhouzhi County, and check into Hanting Hotel.

Zhouzhi 1 (hotel room)
Zhouzhi is located 80 kilometers west of Xi'an City and at the northern end of Tangluo Road. This accommodation was mainly due to the convenience of crossing the Qinling Mountains tomorrow. Zhou Zhi's historical celebrity is Li Yong, a philosopher named Erqu, who was born in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. He was one of the "Three Great Scholars in the Sea" during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. He has 46 volumes of "Erqu Collection".

Zhou Zhi 2 (statue of Li Yong)

Tangluo Road
On July 7, we crossed the Qinling Mountains along the G108 National Highway built on the basis of Tangluo Road and headed for Hanzhong.

Tangluo Road 1
Tangluo Road runs from Luoyu in Zhouzhi County in the north to the Qinling Mountains and exits Tangshui River Valley in Yang County in the south. The entrance and exit are each named after the place name. It has a total length of 240 kilometers. It is the closest and most dangerous of the four plank roads from Chang 'an to Hanzhong in the past

Tangluo Road 2
During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei established a military base for attacking Wei in Hanzhong. When fighting for advance and retreat, Tangluo Road was the first choice. Tangluo Road was once prosperous in the Tang Dynasty, but was abandoned in the Southern Song Dynasty and has not been used since then.

Tangluo Road 3
It is said that during the "Anshi Rebellion", the death of Ma Weipo of Imperial Concubine Yang was a substitute. His true body traveled south from Maweipo, reached Hanzhong via Tangluo Road, followed the Han River into the Yangtze River, went to Yangzhou, mixed in brothels, and then went to Japan. Bai Juyi's "Song of Eternal Regret" has the following words: "In the soil under the Mawei Slope, there is no empty dead place for jade face." When I wrote the poem, it was only 50 years after the Anshi Rebellion, so I should be able to get real materials. Others say that they have followed the footsteps of Concubine Yang in Japan and visited the temple and cemetery where Concubine Yang is dedicated. There is a Quanyong Temple in Japan, which still houses a statue of Guanyin of Consort Yang. There is even a Japanese girl who produced documentary proof and claimed that she is a descendant of Consort Yang.

Tangluo Road 4
The Tangluo Road is the area with the best ecological environment in the Qinling Mountains. The "four treasures" of the Qinling Mountains: giant pandas, golden monkeys, crested ibis, and takins all live here. There are the "golden monkey reserve" in Zhouzhi County, Foping County "Panda Valley" and Yang County "Crested Ibis Reserve". It was originally planned to have all three protected areas blocked, but an accident occurred: a car forgot to refuel when setting out, and the fuel tank reached the bottom!

Tangluo Road 5
There are no gas stations in the high mountains 120 kilometers from Zhouzhi to Foping. Now 50 kilometers away from Zhouzhi, there is really no place in the village. A lucky man has his own destiny. When he was in trouble, a motorcycle drove over and hurriedly asked for help. This person is actually a car mechanic in a roadside shop, and he has gasoline at home! Got on the motorcycle and picked up a bucket. The problem was solved, but time was delayed. When we arrived at the golden monkey reserve, the scenic area was closed. It turned out that the reserve was a cooperative project with the university. The school was on holiday and there were no students to feed the monkeys, so it was closed. The Panda Valley behind it was probably not visible in the wild, and the captive ones were no different from zoos. They simply stopped looking and headed straight for Hanzhong.

Tangluo Road 6
The scenery along Tangluo Road is still very beautiful. However, I didn't expect that the mountains in the Qinling Mountains would be so high, the veins would be so wide, and the roads would be so curved. However, the road surface was very flat and relatively wide. As long as you are careful about corners and control the speed, there will be no problem with safety.

Tangluo Road 7
Lunch is settled in Foping County.

Foping County
Arrive in Hanzhong in the afternoon and check into Hanting Hotel.

Hanzhong

Hanzhong 1

Hanzhong 2

Hanzhong 3
Hanzhong is a famous historical and cultural city. It is named after the Han River and is known as the "Land of Abundance" and the "Little Jiangnan in the Northwest".

Hanzhong 4
Hanzhong is the birthplace of the Han family. Liu Bang rose here and established the Han Dynasty for more than 400 years. The titles of the Han Dynasty, Han people, Han people, Chinese language, and Han culture have been inherited from then on to this day. Hanzhong is a place full of legends. Xiao He chased Han Xin on a moonlit night, Han Xin built a plank road and secretly built Chencang, Liu Bei established himself as the King of Hanzhong, Huang Zhong attacked Xiahou Yuan with a sword on Dingjun Mountain, Zhao Yun defeated Cao's army on the bank of the Han River, Zhuge Liang left Qishan six times, etc., all happened here. Li Du and other literati and poets also left many ink poems here. There are many things to see, and this time only the Baijiang Terrace and Guhan Terrace in the urban area were arranged.

baijiang platform
July 8
The Praying General Altar is located on the south side of the South Ring Road in Hanzhong. It is said that it was built by Liu Bang of the Western Han Dynasty to pay homage to heaven and earth and Han Xin as a general.

Baijiang Altan 1
The Praying General Altar consists of two earthen platforms in the north and south. The south platform is more than 3 meters high. It is surrounded by white marble railings and has a statue of Han Xin on it. There are stone steles on the east and west sides of the stage. The east stele is engraved with the "General Worship Platform" and the west stele is engraved with the "General Worship Altar of Han Xin". Is it "Taiwan" or "altar"? I don't understand.

Baijiangtan 2

Baijiang Altan 3
There is a pavilion built on the North Terrace, with a plaque of the "Praying General Altar" hanging on it, with flying eaves and raised corners, giving a powerful momentum.

Baijiang Altan 4

Baijiang Altan 5
There is an "Unparalleled National Talents" exhibition room on the back west side of Beitai, which mainly introduces Han Xin's life and achievements.

Baijiangtan 6
There are not many things to see in the park, and the beautification is good, especially the small environment on the west side is quite beautiful.

Baijiang Altan 7

Baijiangtan 8

Baijiangtan 9

Baijiang Altan 10

Guhantai

Guhantai 1
The Ancient Hantai Terrace is located 500 meters north of Baijiang Altan and is the site of Liu Bang's palace in Hanzhong. After the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Bang was granted the title of King of Han by Xiang Yu. Uncle Tian, the prefect of Hanzhong, built a 7-meter-high terraces architectural palace for Liu Bang here. It faces south and is divided into three stages, with a typical Qin and Han court architectural style.

Guhantai 2
"Leaving this land behind is still the foundation of the Han family." Later generations regard this high platform as a symbol of the foundation of the Han Dynasty.

Guhantai 3
The buildings on the stage now follow the original style and layout of the ancient Han Terrace, with three courtyards rising step by step from south to north. Hanzhong historical materials and cultural relics are displayed indoors, so the Ancient Hantai also has a name-Hanzhong City Museum.

Guhantai 4

Guhantai 5

Guhantai 6
The most beautiful building in the ancient Han Terrace is the Wangjiang Tower built during the Southern Song Dynasty, also known as the Tianhan Tower. It has both north and south architectural styles and is located at the highest point of the ancient Han Terrace.

Guhantai 7

Guhantai 8
The two attractions are not big. It is still early after viewing them in the morning. We leave Hanzhong and continue moving forward, arriving at Mian County at noon.
Mian County is located 50 kilometers west of Hanzhong, located on the western edge of the Hanzhong Basin. As the south exit of the ancient Baoxian Chute, many historical relics are left. This time, the Shimen Plank Road and the Wuhou Tomb are arranged to visit.

Mian County

Baoxiao
The Shimen Plank Road Scenic Area is located in the Baogu Mountain Valley at the southern end of the ancient Baogu Slope, 20 kilometers northwest of Hanzhong. It is a 4A-level scenic spot. The terrain of Baogu Mountain is steep, with lush peaks, clean and elegant; Shimen Reservoir has high gorges and flat lakes, rippling blue waves and beautiful scenery.

Shimen Plank Road 1

Shimen Plank Road 2

Shimen Plank Road 3 (Baosi Shop)
The Baogu ramp starts from Baogu Mouth in Hanzhong in the south and reaches Xieyuguan in Mei County in the north. Holes are dug along the cliffs of the river valley. Crossbars are beams, standing trees are columns, and wooden railings are laid on top, forming a plank road with a total length of more than 230 kilometers. It is one of the four passages from ancient Hanzhong to Xi'an.

Shimen Plank Road 4

Shimen Plank Road 5
The ancient plank road is extremely thrilling and spectacular when traveling in the air. It is as the saying goes,"Shu Road is difficult, it is difficult to reach the blue sky", and the praise chute is also known as the "crown of Shu Road".

Shimen Plank Road 6

Shimen Plank Road 7
The most famous part of the Baoxiao Road is Shimen. It is a doorway located on the bank of the Bao River at the southern end. It is only more than 16 meters long, less than 4 meters high, and a little more than 4 meters wide. The terrain here is special and the rocks are hard, making it impossible to build a plank road. The ancients used fire and water to dig this hole. This project, which does not seem to be a "project" today, is the world's earliest artificially built traffic tunnel. The original stone door has been submerged under water, but the current stone door is being replicated.

Shimen Plank Road 8
Baoxie is an ancient road full of stories. At the southern end is Baosi Pu, the hometown of Baosi, the protagonist of King You of Zhou's bonfire drama, and at the northern end is Wuzhang Yuan, where Zhuge Liang died. Han Xin's "Ming Xiu Plank Road", Zhuge Liang's Sixth Journey to Qishan, and Emperor Xuanzong's death in Sichuan to escape the Anshi Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty all originated from this ancient road.

Shimen Plank Road 9

Shimen Plank Road 10

Shimen Plank Road 11
The construction of Shimen Reservoir caused the ancient plank road and Shimen, as well as Baosi's hometown, to be submerged in the water. However, there are still some relics of the ancient plank road downstream of the reservoir dam.

Shimen Plank Road 12
The east side of Shimen Plank Road Scenic Area is under construction and is not open.

Shimen Plank Road 13 (Reservoir Dam)

Shimen Plank Road 14 (Shimen Reservoir)
Stayed at Lanting Hotel in Mian County that night.

Tomb of Marquis Wu
On the morning of July 9, visit the tomb of Marquis Wu.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 1
The tomb of Marquis Wu (Zhuge Liang) is located at the foot of Dingjun Mountain, four kilometers south of Mian County. Zhuge Liang left Qishan for the sixth time and died of illness in Wuzhangyuan at the northern end of the Baoxian Road. He was buried here according to his will.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 2
The cemetery is a large temple with three courtyards connected together. Entering the gate of the cemetery, you will find a piece of green pines and cypresses, quiet and simple.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 3
In the main hall and courtyard, there are many stone tablets praising Zhuge Liang's poems and records on the restoration of tombs and temples. The shrine in the hall is dedicated to the statue of Zhuge Liang, with bookboys standing on the left and right, and Zhang Bao and Guan Xing on both sides of the shrine. The east-west wing room is a sculpture exhibition introducing Zhuge Liang's life.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 4

Tomb of Marquis Wu 5
Behind the hall is Zhuge Liang's tomb, which is shaped like a bucket and is five or six meters high. It is surrounded by white marble guardrails, and the story of Zhuge Liang's life is carved on it.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 6
There is a four-corner pavilion in front of the tomb, with a plaque inscribed "Shuanggui Liufang" hanging inside. There are two tombstones in the pavilion. One is the "Tomb of Marquis Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty" erected by Zhao Jian, the magistrate of Shaanxi Province in the Ming Dynasty, and the other is the "Tomb of Marquis Zhuge Liang of the Han Dynasty" erected by Prince Guo, the 19th brother of Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 7
There is a tall yellow fruit tree growing on the grave. According to Chinese cultural traditions, trees cannot be planted on the grave. Therefore, people believe that this tree that grew by itself is the embodiment of Zhuge Liang's wife Huang Achou, who sheltered her husband from the wind and rain on the tomb.

Tomb of Marquis Wu 8

Tomb of Marquis Wu 9
We left Mian County at around 9 a.m. and headed for Chengdu along the Beijing-Kunming Expressway.
(To be continued)