The Qinhuang Ancient Road

The Qinhuang Ancient Road

The Qinhuang Ancient Road is located 30 kilometers from Shijiazhuang and 5 kilometers east of Jingxing County. The Shitai Highway and Shitai Railway run alongside it. Surrounded by rugged mountains and situated in a strategically vital location, it served as a key thoroughfare connecting Shanxi and Shaanxi to the capital, and was a fiercely contested military stronghold throughout history.

The ancient post road extends for about a hundred li, running through the Taihang Mountains and constructed within the mountain ridges and valleys. The history of this post road dates back to the Qin Dynasty. It was once a crucial passageway connecting the ancient states of Yan and Zhao, controlling the strategic throat between Hebei and Shanxi provinces.

The ascending stone path leading to the ancient road is fairly steep, with remnants of stone horses and beasts—some standing, some lying, and all weathered and incomplete—lining the roadside, along with stone statues of civil and military officials from the Ming and Qing dynasties. After rounding a mountain pass, a majestic gateway suddenly comes into view: this is the Dongtianmen (East Heaven Gate), which guards the ancient post road. The gate is inscribed with four blue-background gold characters reading “Westward to —”. Dongtianmen is a fortified pass, consisting of an eastern tower and a western tower, with the two less than 50 meters apart. The northern and southern peaks rise sharply on either side of the towers, blending seamlessly into one, while the central towers stand like two iron locks, firmly securing the pass.