West Imperial Road at Mount Tai

West Imperial Road at Mount Tai

The West Imperial Road is located in the historic ancient town of Xia Zhang, dating back to the Qin Dynasty. Situated at a strategic pass, it has been known through the ages as the “Imperial Road of Nine Provinces.”

In ancient times, Xia Zhang was called “Ao Yang Li” (with “Ao” meaning flat land at the foot of a mountain), named so because it lies to the south of Ao Mountain (the ancient name for Phoenix Mountain). In the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era during the Song Dynasty (

1012

), after the local county of Feng Fu expanded the Erlang Temple here, two families surnamed Xia and Zhang settled in the area. Later, as the Xia and Zhang families prospered, in the second year of the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty (

1910

), the place was renamed Xia Zhang.

Ancient Xia Zhang, located at a strategic pass, has been known through the ages as the “Imperial Road of Nine Provinces.” According to the “Xia Zhang Commune Chronicle Materials” preserved by the Tai Shan District Archives and the “West Baita Zi Stele” of Xia Zhang,

: the Imperial Road of Nine Provinces was built in the Qin Dynasty

,

and underwent renovations throughout the dynasties. During the Song Dynasty, it was still a vital transportation route to the capital and the mandatory passage from Nanjing to Beijing. In the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Song Dynasty (

1012

), the Song Dynasty established the Xia Zhang Post Station here. It was staffed with a postmaster, post carriers, ceremonial guards, drummers, and cannon squads. Ceremonial equipment included firing cannons and playing music according to the rank of the dignitaries passing through, as well as arranging ceremonial guards to welcome them. Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty also passed through this road from the direction of Feicheng when he went to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony. Therefore, Xia Zhang has been an ancient imperial road since the Song Dynasty and is

the “West Imperial Road” of Mount Tai

. In the old days, between the North Gate and South Gate of Xia Zhang was the ancient Xia Zhang Post: the North Gate, called “Jade Emperor Gate,” was built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era. It had two stories—the upper floor had three rooms housing statues of the Heavenly Emperor, Earthly Emperor, and Human Emperor. The lower floor was an arched tunnel built with blue stones of uniform length, width, and thickness. The South Gate, called “Three Officials Gate,” featured statues of the Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Human Official, and was built in the 33rd year of the Kangxi era (

1694

). In the past, these north and south gates were the two entrances to the Xia Zhang village, with pedestrians passing through. The North Gate was demolished in

1996

, while the South Gate still stands, though its upper part has partially collapsed. Below the arch of the South Gate and extending toward the North Gate in a southwest-northeast direction lies an old post road, paved with bluestone slabs, about a zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) wide. Due to the long passage of time, the road surface has been deeply worn down by pedestrians and the tracks left by carts are clearly visible, offering a vivid glimpse into history’s vicissitudes.

The Xia Zhang Post remained prosperous through the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Today, the nearby village “Ji Ming Fan” (literally “Rooster Crows Upon Return”) is said to have been named after Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, who was returning from a southern tour when he heard the rooster crow upon arriving here. In the 33rd year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (

1694

), the Qing government established a horse relay station at the original site of the Xia Zhang Post. The horse relay station was also part of the courier system and served as the state’s communication hub. It was staffed with officials, several sentries, and nine fine horses. All official correspondence was dispatched by horseback riders from the station. At that time, the jurisdiction of the Xia Zhang Post and Horse Relay Station spanned

40

li, connecting to the post station of Tai’an County to the east, the Feicheng Post Station to the west, the Dongxiang Post Station to the south, and the Daxinzhuang Post Station to the north. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, in the second year of the Xuantong era (

1910

), after the completion and opening of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, the role of the Xia Zhang Post and Horse Relay Station diminished. That year, the Xia Zhang Post was abolished and the area was renamed Xia Zhang Town.

According to the “Xia Zhang Commune Chronicle Materials” preserved by the Tai Shan District Archives and the “West Baita Zi Stele” of Xia Zhang: the Imperial Road of Nine Provinces was built in the Qin Dynasty and underwent renovations through the dynasties. During the Song Dynasty, it was still a vital transportation route to the capital and the mandatory passage from Nanjing to Beijing. In the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Song Dynasty (1012), the Song Dynasty established the Xia Zhang Post Station. It was staffed with a postmaster, post carriers, ceremonial guards, drummers, and cannon squads. Ceremonial equipment included firing cannons and playing music according to the rank of the dignitaries passing through, as well as arranging ceremonial guards to welcome them. Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty also passed through this road from the direction of Feicheng when he went to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony. Therefore, Xia Zhang has been an ancient imperial road since the Song Dynasty and is the “West Imperial Road” of Mount Tai. Along this route, the “Jade Emperor Gate,” “Three Officials Gate,” and “Xia Zhang Post” are distributed from north to south, along a post road paved with bluestone slabs, about a zhang wide. Due to the long passage of time, the road surface has been deeply worn down by pedestrians and the tracks left by carts are clearly visible, offering a vivid glimpse into history’s vicissitudes. Here, centered around ten thousand mu of ancient pear orchards, attractions such as the Mount Tai Pear Garden Homestay, Juxian Leisure Center, and Tai’an Prince Hunting Ground leisure venues have been developed, providing tourists with services including dining, entertainment, leisure, tea ceremonies, saunas, guest rooms, fishing, and hunting—offering visitors a chance to experience the wild spirit and freedom of the ancients. The China Mount Tai Stele Forest, backed by a grand classical-style garden architectural complex, showcases poems, odes, couplets, and travelogues praising Mount Tai through the dynasties. With steles as the medium, it has collected over 1,500 works from both Chinese and international celebrities, national leaders, and art masters, making it yet another highlight of Mount Tai’s cultural landscape.