The Museum of Chinese Plank Roads: Mingyue Gorge and the Cliffside Path of the Three Kingdoms

The "Museum of Chinese Transportation" on the Cliffs

1.Located in the Chaotian District of Guangyuan: City, Sichuan Province, about 40 kilometers from the city center, Mingyue Gorge Ancient Plank Road (Mingyuexia) is a breathtaking testament to ancient Chinese engineering and a vital section of the historic Shu Road. Situated in the upper reaches of the Jialing River, the gorge features steep, knife-like cliffs and deep, rushing waters. It is renowned as the "First Danger of the Shu Road" and the "Museum of Chinese Plank Roads" because it preserves the most complete and thrilling examples of ancient cliffside plank roads in China. The site showcases the ingenuity of the ancients who, faced with the impassable "Bird's Way," chiseled holes into the sheer rock face, inserted wooden beams, and laid planks to create a road suspended above the turbulent river. Walking here offers a visceral connection to the line from Li Bai's famous poem: "The Road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky",.

A Strategic Choke Point of the Three Kingdoms

Mingyue Gorge is deeply steeped in the history of the Three Kingdoms period. It served as a critical grain transportation route for Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu Han, during his six Northern Expeditions. Later, the general Jiang Wei utilized the natural dangers of the gorge to defend the Shu Kingdom against the Wei army. The plank road witnessed countless legendary military feats, including the burning of plank roads to cut off pursuit and strategic ambushes. The gorge was a decisive battleground where the fate of dynasties hung in the balance. Visitors can see the square holes carved into the cliffs—remnants of the ancient structure that once supported armies and supplies—and imagine the smoke of signal fires and the clash of iron that once echoed through the valley,.

The "Bird's Way" and Natural Wonders

The scenic area is not just about history; it is a geological marvel. The gorge cuts deep into the mountains, with red sandstone cliffs rising like screens on both sides, earning the name "Emerald Screen Red Cliffs" (Cuiping Danya). The area is famous for the "Bird's Way" (Niadao), a narrow, steep path that simulates the difficulty of ancient travel where only birds could fly across. The modern restoration includes a safe but thrilling plank road that allows visitors to walk suspended over the Jialing River. On clear days, one can see the snow-capped peaks of the Qinling Mountains in the distance. The gorge is also a place of seasonal beauty: in spring, wild azaleas bloom; in summer, it is a cool retreat with high negative oxygen ions; and in autumn, the red leaves cover the mountains, creating a stunning contrast with the emerald river,.

A Convergence of Culture and Nature

Beyond the plank road, Mingyue Gorge is rich in cultural heritage. It preserves hundreds of cliffside inscriptions (Moya Shike) from the Tang, Song, and Qing dynasties, left by scholars and officials who traveled this difficult path, including famous figures like Lin Zexu. These inscriptions record the awe of ancient travelers at the gorge's danger and beauty. The site also features the Cultural Square, where visitors can explore the history of the Shu Road through reliefs and sculptures. Whether you are tracing the footsteps of the Red Army who marched through here in 1935, admiring the calligraphy on the rock face, or simply gazing at the fog rising from the river, Mingyue Gorge offers a profound blend of heroic history and majestic nature,.