NEAR CHENGDU: MOUNTAINS, ANCIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND ALCOHOL WORKSHOPS

NEAR CHENGDU

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Qingcheng Huanglongxi Historic Town (40 kilometers southeast of Chengdu) faces . Facing the Jinjiang River to the east and nestles against Muma Mountain to the north.It was a large military stronghold for the ancient Shu Kingdom. The head of the Shu Han State in the Three Kingdoms period was seated in Huanglongxi, and for some time, the general government offices for Renshou, Pengshan, and Huayang counties were also located here. The ancient town has preserved the Qing dynasty architectural style, as seen in the design of its streets, shops, and buildings.

Anren Historic Town (in Dayi County, 40 kilometers west of Chengdu) was the hometown of Liu Wencai, a Qing dynasty warlord, landowner and millionaire. His 27 historic mansions have been well preserved and turned into museums. Three old streets built during the Republic of China period are still being used today by residents. Museums in Anren have a rich collection of more of than 8 million pieces of relics and artifacts. A museum dedicated to the memorial of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake was built in 2010.

Liu's Manor Museum (in Anren) is the former residence of the Liu family and the big landlord Liu Wencai. It covers an area of 70,000 square meters, and consists of two big architecture groups. The buildings are very luxurious, and include various shapes such as rectangles, squares and terraces. It was converted into a museum in October 1958. It now houses an extensive collection of over 27,000 cultural relics, including a suit of rosewood desks and chairs with marbles in it. In addition, 8 of them are embedded with 27 colorful pearls. The manor exhibits the life of Liu Wencai, which consisted of four parts, and shows the day-to-day life of the affluent landlord. The museum is an ideal place to learn about Neoteric and Modern Chinese history. Hours Open: 8:00am-5:00pm Admission: 50 yuan;- Getting There: take a bus from Chengdu Railway Station or Jinsha Bus Station to Anren, the price is 10 yuan;

Jianchuan Museum Cluster

Jianchuan Museum Cluster (in Anren, 50 kilometers west of Chengdu) consists of 15 museums which showcase China's largest private collection of artifacts amassed during the last 60–70 years mainly founder, Dr. Fan Jianchuan, the museum’s founder. The complex features more than two million historical and cultural artefacts housed in a complex covering two square kilometers. The museums are organized by four major themes: Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), the ‘Red Era’, the Wenchuan earthquake, and Folklore & Culture.

Julie Makinen wrote in Los Angeles Times: Jianchuan Museum Cluster is “a sprawling complex”that cost an estimated US$200 million. “Besides the Red Era buildings, the cluster includes museums focusing on other politically sensitive events; seven look at the 1931-45 Sino-Japanese War, and three focus on the 2008 earthquake here in Sichuan province that killed more than 68,000 people. A visit to the complex is dizzying. Each building is several thousand square feet, and is dedicated to its niche, be it Mao badges or propaganda mirrors, or the contributions of the American Flying Tigers during the Sino-Japanese War. A visitor could spend three days here and not see everything. [Source: Julie Makinen, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2012]

“Fan Jianchuan has embarked on a quest to collect, preserve and display millions of objects, documents and recordings from the Cultural Revolution: photos, diaries, letters, pots and pans, marriage certificates, a piano. Fan's real passion was collecting. Among his holdings, amassed through a network of antique dealers as well as donations, are two tons of Mao badges; 30 tons of written self-criticisms, in which Chinese were forced to criticize their behavior or thinking; 100 tons of newspapers; more than 100,000 music recordings; thousands of videotapes; and 100,000 letters.

“Hundreds of private museums have sprouted up in China in the last decade as the nation's nouveaux riches have built pavilions to showcase their collections of paintings or porcelain and assert their status. But Fan is one of the few who has dared to focus on history, let alone the recent past...Fan may keep interpretive signage to a minimum, but the physical design of his displays often conveys powerful messages.”

Many “touchy subjects” are addressed. “One is the Great Leap Forward, Mao's 1958-61 attempt at rapid industrialization that ended in massive famine. He's also gathering items on contemporary problems, such as migrant workers, food safety and the 2011 high-speed train crash in Wenzhou that killed 40 people and exposed corruption in the nation's public railway system. "When the Sanlu tainted milk powder incident broke out, I rushed to the supermarket and told the shop assistant, 'My baby enjoys eating Sanlu.' So I was able to buy two boxes," Fan said. "After the Wenzhou train accident, we were able to collect some doors and windows from the wreckage."

“In a country where offering a perspective that veers from the party line can bring harsh consequences — activists, artists and others have faced detention, fines and surveillance for speaking out or appealing what they say are unfair decisions by local authorities — Fan regards the fact that he's been allowed to proceed as a heartening sign of progress.”

Red-Era Museums at the Jianchuan Museum Cluster

Qiang Tower

Julie Makinen wrote in Los Angeles Times: “From floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the narrow entry corridor at the Red Era Daily Necessities Museum is bathed in a blood-red light. There is no map, no brochure, no choice of direction; the architecture forces visitors forward, over glowing panels labeled by year: 1966. 1967. 1968. A few dozen paces later: 1976.A roar comes from a sea of Red Guards in Tiananmen Square, chanting rabidly, captured in a film clip from the era. Mao Tse-tung strides into the frame, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. [Source: Julie Makinen, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2012]

“The dawn of the Cultural Revolution in 1966 brought a decade of chaos, violence and persecution that ripped China apart. Friends denounced friends, parading them in dunce caps through the streets. Roving mobs smashed religious relics to bits. Mao was elevated to the status of a god, his face stamped onto billions of lapel pins worn like talismans. Then it was over. The Communist Party declared it all a grave error. Even now, authorities and many average citizens have no stomach for looking back on the era.

“Zhang Ming, a professor in the political science department at People's University in Beijing, said Fan's interest in topics such as the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward helps fill a void left by the state. "The government is not interested in these issues," Zhang said. "If you look at the Communist Party's 60 years of rule in China, there are 30 years they don't want to talk about."

Other than his kindergarten report card, the first things Fan can remember collecting were printed denunciations of his father. He was 9 years old. "In 1966, my dad was attacked. He lost his freedom. He was criticized," Fan recalled. "He needed me to gather up any brochures, notices or posters that contained information about him, to show it to him," so he could minimize the damage to his reputation.

“The Red Era Mirror Museum — featuring thousands of wall mirrors imprinted with various propaganda slogans that were manufactured during the Cultural Revolution and displayed in people's homes — is a disorienting maze reminiscent of a boardwalk-style Hall of Mirrors. Visitors gazing into the reflecting glass can see how even a simple act like checking one's appearance became an opportunity for the state to impart a lesson.

“But not all of Fan's carefulness can be chalked up to a need to dance around official red lines. Those who lived through the Cultural Revolution have varying perspectives on how to assess what transpired. “A woman in her 60s from Jiangsu province, touring the Mao Badges museum with her husband, said she worked in a factory during the Cultural Revolution, and recalled with a smile that she had a small Mao badge while the bosses had big ones. Asked how she looks back on that period now, the woman hesitated. Her husband shot her a stern look. "It's just Chinese history," she said, evasively. "I can't comment on it." Her husband interjected: "We have a good life now." Quickly drawing conclusions about an event that touched 800 million people and twisted through 10 years will take a long time, Fan says. "As long as the relics are here, in 10, 20, 30 years," he said, "the history will get clearer and clearer."

Man Behind the Jianchuan Museum Cluster

Julie Makinen wrote in Los Angeles Times: Jianchuan,Fan “is one of China's most obsessive collectors and one of its wealthiest men. Since 2005, he has used his fortune and savvy to open five museums devoted to different aspects of what he calls the "Red Era." Construction of a sixth has just been completed, and he envisions a total of 12.“"From my museum, you can understand the degree of opening and reform," said Fan, 55, sipping tea and puffing through a pack of Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes. "I want to do things actively, but I want to keep it stable.... Even when I'm talking to you now, I feel butterflies in my stomach. Because if anything in your article is too ahead of its time, it might cause trouble for the museum." [Source: Julie Makinen, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2012]

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Dujiangyan “He paused. "But that's not the most important reason why I became a collector. My dad also told me I had to be responsible, to contribute to society and not be afraid to take risks. That influenced me greatly." “Dressed in camouflage pants and a black T-shirt, Fan talked passionately about his childhood in Sichuan, and his teenage years, when he earned 9 cents a day growing sweet potatoes, rice and corn as one of millions of educated "intellectual youth" forced into rural labor.

“Later, Fan parlayed a teaching job at a military college into a position as vice mayor of a small town. But in the early 1990s, he quit. After working for a Hong Kong businessman for about a year, Fan borrowed money from friends and a bank to build hotels and commercial and residential properties. By 2007, he ranked No. 397 on the Hurun Report's China Rich List, with his wealth pegged at US$270 million.

“Fan said the idea for the museums began to gestate in 2000, and in 2002 he obtained 80 acres in Anren. In 2005, he opened the Museum Cluster and has been expanding it continuously. "In the beginning I thought museums were so sacred that only the country can build museums," Fan said. "Then I realized my relics are not any worse than the National Museum's collections." Fan's wealth and party connections haven't hurt him, and some say his remote location has given him more latitude.

“At times, supporters in provincial-level positions have looked the other way. Fan has also embraced specific strategies to deal with potential objections. For starters, the cluster has a motto, displayed on placards: "We don't speak, we let history speak." Introductions are kept brief, with few sweeping statements citing death tolls or other statistics. Fan also takes care to avoid hot-button words, hence the "Red Era" in the museum names, instead of "Cultural Revolution." Instead of drawing up plans and turned them in for approval, Fan builds first and then sees if anyone will try to stand in his way."From what I know, he didn't have to say exactly what he was building," Zhang said. "He just started to build, and when he wanted to add something he did it in a way that was not very direct."”

Tianyi Workshop for Jiannanchun Alcohol

Site of Tianyi Workshop for Jiannanchun Alcohol (75 kilometers north of Chengdu) is one of the Sites for Liquor Making in China that was nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Jian Nan Chun is a Da Qu liquor produced in Mianzhu. Its history dates to the Tang Dynasty (618–907), while production at the Jian Nan Chun “Tian Yi Lao Hao” Distillery dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The distillery and related remains are located west of central Mianzhu, in areas including Chapan Street, Qipan Street, and Gunzipo. [Source: State Administration of Cultural Heritage, People’s Republic of China]

The site includes part of the former “Tian Yi Lao Hao” Distillery and the workshop owner's residence. Archaeological remains include fermentation pits, ovens, wells, airing halls, barns, drainage channels, soaking pools, distillation equipment, and wine vessels. The main remains cover about 1,500 square meters (16,100 square feet), while remains of other contemporary workshops cover about 120,000 square meters (1.2 million square feet).

The Qing Dynasty remains form several distillery clusters arranged along streets in a “shop at front, pit at back” layout. The preserved workshops show the complete liquor-making process, from storing and soaking raw materials to cooking, preparing and mixing fermentation materials, spreading and airing, fermentation, and distillation. Both Da Qu and Xiao Qu fermentation pits are found at the site, with different pits used to produce different types of liquor. The source describes this combination as unique among known Chinese distillery archaeological sites.

Qiang folk religion Silver Turtle Temple

Archaeological surveys identified brewing remains covering about 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) around the “Tian Yi Lao Hao” Distillery. More than 100,000 square meters (1.08 million square f eet) of additional Qing Dynasty brewing remains have been identified nearby. Underground brewing structures and supporting facilities are largely preserved, while some remains are still being excavated. Modern buildings that cover parts of the site are being removed, and the “Tian Yi Lao Hao” buildings are being repaired and protected.

The site retains good authenticity and integrity. Most excavated remains are preserved underground, with plans to excavate and display parts of the old workshops. A conservation master plan completed in January 2006 designated a key protection zone of 0.145 hectare (0.36 acre), a general protection zone of 0.645 hectare (1.59 acres), and a construction-control zone of about 4 hectares (9.9 acres).

The Jian Nan Chun brewing tradition has been passed down through generations, and its history is documented in historical records. The large site contains the main elements of traditional liquor production and provides evidence of the development of regional Chinese liquor-making. Its location is the site of the Tianyi Workshop for Jiannanchu Alcohol in Mianzhu City, Sichuan Province, at approximately 30°09′–31°42′ N and 103°54′–104°20′ E. “Jian Nan Chun "Tian Yi Lao Hao" Distillery and its relics, compared with other brewing relics, are greatly featured. The liquor made by Jian Nan Chun "Tian Yi Lao Hao" Distillery is excellent region-featured Chinese aromatic liquor. Its brewing technique has been handed down from generation to generation. Its history has been clearly recorded, which is indicating there were lots of historic events about it.

The relics spread a large area of about 120,000 square meters, composed by several street-side workshop clusters in a "shop at front, pit at back" style. The relics contain rich heritage and entire production factors, revealing the whole process from raw material storage, cooking, ferment preparation, ferment mixing, spreading and airing to distilling, which is the only one among China's famous distillery relics. The Da Qu pit and Xiao Qu pit both are in one site; different pits producing different liquors. No distillery relics like this had been found in the previous archaeological discoveries. In that the modern buildings are not taking much seizure and the underground relics are well maintained, it will do good to the further excavation, protection and exhibition of the site. Location: Site of Tianyi Workshop for Jiannanchu Alcohol, Mianzhu City, Sichuan Province, N30 09-31 42 E103 54-104 20.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Dujiangyan Irrigation System (60 kilometers northwest Chengdu) is an ancient project that contains several dams, canals and water diversion schemes that turned this part of Sichuan into the "land of abundance." Situated on the Min River and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dujiangyan was launched by Governor Li Bing of the Qin State in 256 B.C., during China's Warring States Period (476-221 B.C.). Dujiangyan Dujiangyan is the oldest and the only preserved dam-free water diversion irrigation infrastructure in the world.

Dujiangyan is the only existing ancient hydro-power project, featuring diversions without a dam, in the world. It is widely regarded as the "ancestor" of the world's hydro-power culture, with a history dating back over 2,200 years. It also functions as a means for preventing floods and plain shipping. It is still in use today, irrigating over 5,300 square kilometers of the region's land. Dujiangyan is known as one of the "three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.)." The other two are the Zhengguo Canal in Shaanxi Province and the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi Province.

Construction of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System began in the 3rd century B.C. It was built by Qin Libing and his son to control flooding and divert water for irrigation. The system consists of a dam area and an irrigated area. Its main functions include water diversion and irrigation, flood control, sediment discharge, water transportation, and urban water supply. [Source: National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO]

Dujiangyan has three main structures designed to control flooding and provide water to farmland. The irrigation system is located near the city of Dujiangyan, which also has several well-known historic and scenic sites, including the Two Kings Temple, Dragon-Taming Temple, and Anlan Suspension Bridge.

Anlan Suspension Bridge is one of China's Five Ancient Bridges. It was rebuilt in 1974 using reinforced concrete and steel, with its height reduced by about 100 meters (328 feet). A plan was also proposed to create museums for eight contemporary Chinese artists, including Zhang Xiaogang, Wu Guanzhong, and Yue Minjun, on an 18-acre (7.3-hectare) site. The project was disrupted by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Dujiangyan Inner Stream

Travel Information: Dujiangyan is also one of China's better-known touristic spots, with many historic sites surrounding the area. In late July according to the lunar calendar, Dujiangyan holds many activities in Two Kings Temple including local operas. Admission: 90 yuan (US$14.22) per person; Getting There: 1) By Bus: You can take bus No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 102, 103, 201 to Dujiangyan. 2) By Express Railway: take express railway from Chengdu City to Dujiangyan. The prices are from 5 yuan to 15 yuan. 3) By Coach: take coach at Chengdu Chazidian Bus station and get off at Dujiangyan Passenger Center. The price is 16.5 yuan per person. UNESCO World Heritage Site site: UNESCO Web Site: Travel China Guide Travel China Guide ;

Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. According to UNESCO: “ Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system began in the 3rd century B.C. This system still controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. Mount Qingcheng was the birthplace of Taoism, which is celebrated in a series of ancient temples. [Source: UNESCO]

The Dujiangyan irrigation system, located in the western portion of the Chengdu flatlands at the junction between the Sichuan basin and the Tibetan Plateau, is an ecological engineering feat originally constructed around 256 B.C. Modified and enlarged during the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, it uses natural topographic and hydrological features to solve problems of diverting water for irrigation, draining sediment, flood control, and flow control without the use of dams.

Today the system comprises two parts: the Weir Works, located at an altitude of 726m, the highest point of the Chengdu plain 1 kilometers from Dujiangyan City, and the irrigated area. Three key components of the Weir Works control the water from the upper valley of the Minjiang River: the Yuzui Bypass Dike, the Feishayan Floodgate, and the Baopingkou Diversion Passage. Together with ancillary embankments and watercourses including the Baizhang Dike, the Erwang Temple Watercourse and the V-Shaped Dike, these structures ensure a regular supply of water to the Chengdu plains. The system has produced comprehensive benefits in flood control, irrigation, water transport and general water consumption. Begun over 2,250 years ago, it now irrigates 668,700 hectares of farmland.

The site is important because: 1) “The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, begun in the 2nd century B.C., is a major landmark in the development of water management and technology, and is still discharging its functions perfectly.” 2) “ The immense advances in science and technology achieved in ancient China are graphically illustrated by the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.”

Dujiangyan and the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008

The historic city of Dujiangyan was badly damaged by the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008 and was one of hardest hit large population centers. More than 10 percent of the buildings were destroyed, including a high school, where 900 students were attending mid-afternoon classes, and a large market. Describing the scene there three days after the quake, AP reported: “police and militias...pulverized rubble with cranes and backhoes while crews used shovels to pick around larger pieces of debris. On one side street, about a dozen bodies were laid on the sidewalk, while incense sticks placed in a pile of sand sent smoke in the air as a tribute and to dull the stench of death."

Lin Yang of Time reported; “Buildings are now just heaps of brick and concrete and corpses lie on the sidewalks. The rescue operation resembles an army assault. Military vehicles, ambulances and mobile kitchen are everywhere, Soldiers search for survivors in the debris and step in to control emotional crowds of victims’ relatives. Through the night loudspeaker-equipped trucks cruised the streets, appealing for calm: “The State Council, the Central Committee, the Sichuan, Chengdu and Dujiangyan governments are trying their best to help. Earthquakes are not something that mankind can avoid."

A 70-year-old man in Dujiangyan who was looking for his grandson in the rubble of a school told Time, “After the quake hit, I ran to the school and started removing rubble, I uncovered several children. Some we dead, some still alive, But I couldn't find my grandson."

A survivor in Dujiangyan told AP, “When the earthquake happened, our home collapsed really quickly, and I heard my father yell, “Help, help, help." Another told the Yomirui Shimbun. “The sudden violent jolt from beneath me really shocked me. It felt like my heart was popping out of my body."

Mount Qingcheng

Qingcheng Shan (60 kilometers west of Chengdu) is a 1,600-meter-high "Green City Mountain," with 108 temples, monasteries and pavilions scattered among its craggy peaks and lofty trees. Zhang Daolin, a founder of Taoism, used to preach here so this place is sometimes considered the birthplaces of Taoism, one of the most influential religions of East Asia over a long period of history.

Located to the southwest of Dujiangyan, Mount Qingcheng faces the Sichuan Plai and Minjiang River, and extends over an area of 200 square kilometers. It has 36 peaks, eight large caves and 72 small caves. Its main peak, Laoxiao Peak, rises up to 1,260 meters. Many temples can be found here. Criterion (vi): The temples of Mount Qingcheng are closely associated with the foundation of Taoism,

In 2000, UNESCO included Mount Qingcheng, together with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, on its World Heritage List. According to UNESCO: Mount Qingcheng, dominating the Chengdu plains to the south of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, is a mountain famous in Chinese history as the place where in 142 CE the philosopher Zhang Ling founded the doctrine of Chinese Taoism. Most of the essential elements of Taoism culture are embodied in the teachings of Taoism that emanated from the temples that were subsequently built on the mountain during the Jin and Tang dynasties. The mountain resumed its role as the intellectual and spiritual centre of Taoism in the 17th century. The eleven important Taoist temples on the mountain reflect the traditional architecture of western Sichuan and include the Erwang Temple, the Fulong Temple, the Changdao Temple built over the place where Zhang Ling preached his doctrines, and the Jianfu Palace (formerly the Zhangren Temple).

UNESCO World Heritage Site site: UNESCO Web Site: Travel China Guide (click attractions) Travel China Guide ; Admission: 90 yuan (US$14.22) per person.

Wolong Nature Reserve: Home of the Giant Panda

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Wolong Nature Reserve (120 kilometers northwest of Chengdu, two hour by bus from Chengdu) is the panda reserve most visited by Western scientists and tourists. The terrain is rugged and the bamboo forest are so dense that likelihood of seeing a panda in the wild is rare. Tourists are often restricted from going much of anywhere anyway. Most visitors stay close to the big research center and veterinary hospital. Wolong means “sleeping dragon."

Set up in 1963, Wolong Reserve covers 500,000 acres (800 square miles) and is home to about 150 pandas as well 20 kinds of reptile, 280 species of bird and 4,000 species of plant . Among the 96 mammal species are endangered golden monkeys, which travel in groups up to 300 animals; takin, a strange looking animal related to the musk ox; and tufted deer, which have odd-looking, protruding canine teeth. Around 3,000 people, most of then members of the Tibetan-like Qiang minority, farm some of the slopes in the reserve.

Wolong is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hikes of varying length are available in the park along clear streams and mountains ridges and through pine forests. Occasionally people catch glimpses of panda droppings.

Jiajin Mountain

Jiajin Mountains (100 kilometers west of Chengdu as the crow flies, a few hours by car) is the home of pandas and was the first snow mountain on the route of the Long March and the place where the First Red Army joined forces with the Fourth Red Army. It is now a national forest park known for its rich botanical and zoological resources and pandas. The Jiajin Mountains are is part of the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries-Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 2006.

One person posted in Tripadvisor: I've been up and over Jiajin mountain pass on several occasions on bike and motorcycle. If it’s a clear day you can get amazing views. Its just over 4000 meters so there can be a little snow as late as April. Its much less traveled then the other large pass Balangshan near four sisters so I like it more for that reason. However, many times it can be foggy and you can ride down for a long ways before you get through the clouds.

There are some people selling bbq food at the top and along the way down. That road all the way to Lushan or going the other way to Danba is really nice. I haven't done any hiking there, but I imagine there are plenty of options around the top and on the way down I see some great places.

ShuDao

ShuDao (near Guanyuan, 150 kilometers northeast and east of Chengdu, Coordinates: N32 11 13 E105 32 11) is an ancient road system in Guangyuan, Bazhong, Mianyang, Deyang, Nanchong and Dazhou Prefectures that was was nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015. It connects central China with the mountainous southwest, and has existed for more than 2,300 years. Located south of the Daba and Qinling Mountains, it is known for roads winding through the steep mountains of northern Sichuan. The heritage route includes historic towns, Taoist and Buddhist temples, and other cultural remains set within mountainous landscapes. The area also has important biodiversity, including giant pandas, takins, Chinese monals, red pandas, and giant salamanders. The property covers 3,627 square kilometers (1,401 square miles), with a buffer zone of 2,840 square kilometers (1,097 square miles). [Source: National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO]

Shudao is an example of cultural exchange between the Yangtze and Yellow River civilizations. For more than 2,000 years, it connected northern and southern China and also witnessed cultural exchanges between China and India. Cliff inscriptions, historic towns, and ancient buildings along the routes record cultural development dating from the 4th century B.C.

Shudao is also an important example of the ancient Chinese courier and transportation system. Because the Qinling and Daba mountains made travel difficult, the routes provided a major access to remote areas of southwestern China and contributed to the formation and unification of the Chinese state. Ancient post pavilions, stores, stations, gate passes, and surviving sections of roads provide evidence of the former imperial courier system.

The routes also demonstrate ancient road-building techniques in mountainous areas. Builders constructed roads across rugged terrain and plank paths along steep cliffs. Tens of thousands of Chinese cypress trees line sections of the routes. Some are more than 1,000 years old and have trunks more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) in diameter. The cypress corridor extends for more than 200 kilometers (124 miles), forming a distinctive cultural landscape.

Shudao is associated with major historical events, including the Qin unification wars, the Three Kingdoms period, and large population movements during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The routes opened southwestern China, which had been isolated by the Qinling and Daba mountains, and are associated with numerous military, social, cultural, and economic events and literary works.

The property also contains landscapes of karst, Danxia, graben basins, and anticline landforms. At Guangwu, large karst peak clusters and steep U-shaped valleys are covered by dense Fagus forests. Springs, waterfalls, and rhododendron flowers add to the landscape, particularly in autumn when the forests produce extensive displays of red leaves.

Shudao contains biodiversity considered globally significant. The property includes 19 protected areas and is home to endangered species such as giant pandas, takins, Chinese monals, red pandas, and giant salamanders. Tangjiahe is believed to have the world's highest population density of wild takins. The area is also an important refuge for Fagus species, with 45 percent of the world's species of the genus found there. More than 15,000 hectares (37,100 acres) of primitive Fagus forest are found in the property, including forests dominated by Fagus pashanica, which occurs nowhere else in the world.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Nolls China Web site; CNTO; Perrochon photo site; Beifan.com; University of Washington; Ohio State University; UNESCO; Wikipedia; Julie Chao photo site

Text Sources: CNTO (China National Tourist Organization), China.org, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, China Daily, Xinhua, Global Times, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Updated in July 2020