Xiulong Ancient Trail

Xiulong Ancient Trail

The Xiulong Ancient Trail is a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.

The Xiulong Ancient Trail runs from Xiuning County in Anhui Province to Longshan Street in Suian County, Zhejiang (an old county name, now part of Chun’an). From Xiuning County to Tunxi, it heads southeast, passing through Hengguan, Chengtian, Shimen, and Xiaotianlong (the border between Xiuning County and Suian County) in She County, all the way to Longshan Street in the former Suian County of Zhejiang. It crosses the main peak of the Baiji Mountain Range, Xiaotianlong, from where you can look north toward Huangshan City and east toward Qiandao Lake. The 31-kilometer section from Hengguan to Xiaotianlong is entirely paved with flagstones; the section from Hengguan to Shimen is 6 to 9 chi wide, while the section from Shimen to Xiaotianlong is 3 to 4.5 chi wide. The terrain along the trail gradually rises from north to south. Xiaotianlong is the main ridge of the Baiji Mountains, with an elevation of over 1,300 meters.

Legend has it that this trail was established in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. When Zhu Yuanzhang traveled from Zhejiang into Anhui, he passed through this area and led soldiers and civilians to construct the path. It was said to have sixty li of flagstone road—twenty li uphill (now abandoned), twenty li on the mountain (well-preserved), and twenty li downhill (partially interrupted). Locals refer to the Xiulong Ancient Trail as “sixty li of winding road: twenty li uphill, twenty li along the ridge, and twenty li downhill.”

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Huangshan City