Xuling Ancient Trail

Qiongling Ancient Trail

Qiongling Ancient Trail

Start/End (Passing) Points: From Shuikou Village in Shanmen Town, passing through Lianshan Village, to Lingbian Village in Wencheng County.

Total Length: 6 km

Overview and Main Features: The Qiongling Ancient Trail is located between Shuikou Village in Shanmen Town, Pingyang County, and Lingbian Village in Wencheng County. It earned its name Qiongling (meaning “Soaring Ridge”) due to its towering, sky-piercing peaks. A local saying goes, “Qiongling soars to the heavens, and even a distant ridge takes half a year to cross.” Since ancient times, the Qiongling Ancient Trail has served as a vital route connecting areas such as Shanmen in Pingyang County to Rui’an (now part of Wencheng). Zhu Mu of the Southern Song Dynasty recorded in his “Fangyu Shenglue”: “Nan Yandang is located in Pingyang County, extending from Qiongling in the north to Shiling and Xi in the south — a fifty-li area all known under the name of Yandang.” The Qiongling Ancient Trail runs from southeast to northwest, following the mountain’s contour. Its southeastern end connects Shuikou Village and Caomen Village in Huaixi Community, Shanmen Town, while its northwestern end links to Lingbian Village in Juqi Town, Wencheng County. The entire trail is about 6 km long, paved with irregular stone slabs, with a width of 0.8 to 1.4 meters, and reaches a maximum elevation of 899.9 meters. Looking up at Qiongling, its peaks seem to pierce the clouds, giving a true sense of its grandeur and steepness. From the mountain’s base to its ridge, there are over 3,400 steps, resembling a giant staircase — hence the pavilion halfway up the mountain is named “Tiyun Pavilion” (Cloud-Laddering Pavilion).

Source: Zhejiang Provincial Forestry Bureau

Shuikou Village: Shuikou Village…… Detailed information on Shuikou Village++

Further Reading:

· Top Ten Cultural Ancient Trails in Zhejiang