Meiguan Ancient Post Road (Meiguan Ancient Road)

Meiguan Ancient Post Road (Meiguan Ancient Road)

Meiguan Ancient Post Road (Meiguan Ancient Road) is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Meiguan Ancient Road is divided into two scenic areas: the one in Nanxiong City, Guangdong in the south, with a ticket price of 40 yuan, and the one in Dayu County, Jiangxi in the north, with a ticket of 25 yuan. The establishment of the pass at Meiguan Ancient Road began in the Qin Dynasty. Later, the gate tower was destroyed in war. Therefore, from the Han to the Tang Dynasties, the area was only called Meiling (Mei Mountain), without the name of a pass. It was not until the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty when the gate tower was built that it became known as Meiguan Ancient Road.

Meiguan Ancient Post Road

Meiguan Ancient Post Road has remained largely intact after more than two thousand years of history.

Meiguan is a natural barrier spanning the provinces of Jiangxi and Guangdong. The area features steep mountains and facing peaks, making it a strategic military location throughout history. Comrade Chen Yi once waged a three-year guerrilla war here and left behind the famous poem series “Three Poems at Meiguan.” Meiguan was also a vital trade route between ancient Jiangxi and Guangdong, earning the title “First Pass of Lingnan.” The construction of the Meiguan Post Road began during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, connecting inland regions with the “Maritime Silk Road,” which had significant historical importance for boosting the economy of Jiangxi and Guangdong.

“Red Plum Blossoms on Yuling” is a famous local attraction. At Meiguan, one can witness the unique phenomenon of southern branches shedding blossoms while northern ones begin to bloom, hence the region is also poetically referred to as the “Land of Plum Blossoms.”

The Meiguan Ancient Road was commissioned to be excavated in the fourth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty by Zhang Jiuling. A gate tower, built with bricks and stones and facing north while lying east-west, was erected atop the mountain ridge, closely connected to the cliffs. The plaque above the gate tower originally featured inscriptions by Jiang Jie, the prefect of Nanxiong in the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era—“Southern Yue’s Mighty Pass” on the north side and “First Pass of Lingnan” on the south. Today, only about 8 kilometers of road remain on both sides of the gate tower. It is now a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Meiguan Ancient Post Road has remained intact through over two thousand years of vicissitudes. Meiguan is a natural barrier spanning the provinces of Jiangxi and Guangdong. With steep mountains and facing peaks, it has been a strategic military location throughout the ages. Comrade Chen Yi once fought a three-year guerrilla war here and composed the famous “Three Poems at Meiguan.” It was also a crucial trade passage between Jiangxi and Guangdong in ancient times, known as the “First Pass of Lingnan.” The Meiguan Post Road was first constructed during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, linking inland areas with the “Maritime Silk Road,” playing a vital role in boosting the economy of Jiangxi and Guangdong. “Red Plum Blossoms on Yuling” is a well-known local sight, where one can observe the rare phenomenon of southern plum branches shedding blossoms while northern ones begin to bloom—earning the area the poetic name “Land of Plum Blossoms.”

Address: At the foot of Meiling Mountain, 10 kilometers south of Dayu County, Ganzhou City

Type: Historical Site / Ancient Road

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Ticket Information:

Public Price: 25.0 yuan

Special Notice

If entering the scenic area from Nanxiong City, Guangdong, the ticket price is 30 yuan.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units