Brave Men's Slope

Brave Men's Slope

Brave Men's Slope gets its name from Mao Zedong’s famous quote, “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true hero.”

As you enter the Huxiao Rock scenic area and walk forward, you’ll come to a fork in the path. Going straight takes you along a slope planted with Wuyi Rock Tea, but if you follow the arrow and take the other path, look up to see a towering peak that seems to pierce the clouds. A series of zigzagging stone steps climb from the bottom up at an angle of 60 to 70 degrees. The steps are narrow, winding, and sometimes so steep that you have to use your hands and feet to climb — ascending them feels like climbing a ladder to the sky. This very ladder is the Brave Men's Slope.

Halfway up the stone steps of Brave Men's Slope, you’ll come across an ancient brick gate. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see the name “Jiyun Pass.” It earned this name because it sits at the junction of valleys, where swirling clouds gather and disperse with the changing weather.

Jiyun Pass is perched atop a cliff and is the only passageway through the gorges that allows entry and exit from the east and west. Often shrouded in thick fog, it serves as a natural defensive barrier — easy to defend but hard to attack — making it a strategic military stronghold. Continuing upward from Jiyun Pass and climbing roughly another 600 stone steps, you’ll finally reach the summit of Huxiao Rock.

There are two paths on Brave Men's Slope: one going up and one going down. The upward path is tough — looking up, it resembles a straight, giant dragon, and it demands a lot of physical effort. Some visitors, after reaching the top, remark, “Brave Men's Slope truly lives up to its name — I’m drenched in sweat!” The downward path is shorter and leads more quickly to the end, but you’ll miss many beautiful sights. Since most visitors want to take in the stunning views, they choose to climb up. Going up leads to famous attractions such as the Destiny Bridge.

Source: Fujian Provincial Department of Tourism Development