The Ancient Qinhuang Post Road

The Ancient Qinhuang Post Road

The Ancient Qinhuang Road is located 30 kilometers from Shijiazhuang and 5 kilometers east of Jingxing County. It runs parallel to the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan Highway and Railway. Surrounded by towering mountains and situated in a strategically treacherous area, this location served as a vital transportation hub connecting Shanxi and Shaanxi to the capital, making it a fiercely contested battleground throughout history. The ancient post road stretches approximately 100 li, winding through the Taihang Mountains and built along mountain ridges and valleys. The history of this road dates back to the Qin Dynasty, when it served as a crucial passageway connecting ancient Yan and Zhao states. It was also a strategic chokepoint controlling both Hebei and Shanxi provinces. After Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China, he established a network of post roads centered around Xianyang, and the Jingxing section was a vital part of this main route. Surrounded by towering mountains and situated in a strategically treacherous area, this location served as a vital transportation hub connecting Shanxi and Shaanxi to the capital, making it a fiercely contested battleground throughout history. Historical battles such as the Qin general Wang Jian’s campaign against Zhao in 229 BC; Han general Han Xin’s famous victory against overwhelming odds at the Battle of Julu in 204 BC; the suppression of the An Lushan Rebellion in 756 AD by Tang generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, who defeated rebel general Shi Siming; and the 1900 AD Battle of the Gengzi Year where Qing general Liu Guangcai resisted the Eight-Nation Alliance, all took place here.

The ascending stone path leading to the ancient road is fairly steep, with remnants of stone horses and beasts—some standing, some lying down, and some broken—lining the roadside, along with stone statues of civil and military officials from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Passing through a mountain pass, a grand pass suddenly comes into view: this is the Dongtianmen Gate, which guards the ancient post road. Its plaque is inscribed with four blue-background golden characters reading “Westward to —”. Dongtianmen is a fortress-like gate, consisting of an eastern pavilion and a western pavilion, less than 50 meters apart. The peaks to the north and south soar directly toward the two pavilions, forming a unified whole, with the pavilions positioned in the center like two iron locks firmly securing the pass. As you approach the fortress, the ancient post road gradually emerges. Two deep and long wheel ruts stretch beneath the gate arch, each about 50 centimeters deep, deeply embedded in the thick, smooth bedrock surface. The paving stones are a faint bluish color, having been polished mirror-smooth over centuries of being trodden by wheels, horse hooves, and eroded by wind and rain.

Along the road, roughly every 20 meters, there is a protruding stone ridge nearly 30 centimeters high. These ridges served as resting stops for heavily loaded carts going uphill and as gradual descent aids on the slope. This gives us an idea of just how difficult and perilous it was for supply carts to pass through this section in ancient times.

Beneath the gate tower lies a section of bedrock that is noticeably lower than the sections at either end. This is because, over the years, the ruts created by constant vehicle passage became so deep that they obstructed movement. Since the gate structure above prevented repairs, the only solution was to flatten the ruts. However, new ruts would form again, continuing to impede traffic and requiring flattening once more—a cycle that repeated continuously, naturally wearing the road surface lower over time. Even so, the remaining wheel ruts today are still over 30 centimeters deep.

This ancient post road has been preserved intact because, during the late Qing Dynasty, when the Zhengtai Railway was constructed, this perilous and difficult stretch gradually faded from memory. Today, this “witness” that has endured thousands of years of trials and tribulations—and miraculously survived—still gazes upon the dramatic changes around it, carrying with it the weight of profound millennia-old history and culture.

Scenic Area Address: Baiwangzhuang, Shang’an Town, Jingxing County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province

Transit Route: Take a bus from Jingxing to Shang’an Town, and get off at Baipiguan en route.

Driving Route: Shijiazhuang — Xinhua Road — National Highway 307 — Baipiguan — The Ancient Qinhuang Post Road.