Ruins of the Yellow River Plank Road

Ruins of the Yellow River Plank Road

The ruins of the Yellow River Plank Road are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The ancient plank roads along the Yellow River are located on the steep cliffs close to the river on the northern bank downstream of the Sanmenxia Dam, with a total of two. One is higher above the water, and the other is lower, both carved out next to the impact zones of the rocky cliffs.

Before the Tang Dynasty, China’s capitals were mostly built in the Guanzhong region. To ensure the supply of grain and fodder to the capital Chang’an and the garrisons in the northwest, large quantities of grain had to be transported annually via the Yellow River to the Guanzhong area — this was the historically renowned Yellow River transport system. But Sanmenxia, a vital section of this route, is known for its perilous waters, where about eighty percent of the boats passing through were swallowed by the river. “The Ghost Gate lies deep in shadows a hundred pole-lengths wide; the Human Gate is narrow, tighter than a prison gate. Boatmen cry out at the crossing as blood is spilled, their lives as light as a feather in the face of death.” Starting from the Western Han Dynasty, during every dry season, large amounts of manpower and resources were mobilized to dredge this section of the Yellow River and to carve out plank roads. These so-called plank roads were narrow stone paths chiseled into the steep cliffs on both sides of the river. Where the path broke off, rows of deep square holes were drilled, wooden stakes inserted, and planks laid to form a walkway — enabling boatmen to pull ropes and navigate upstream.

Today, when visiting the ancient plank road, you can still find square holes and ox-nose-shaped perforations carved one after another into the cliff walls along the road. These square holes are scattered across the entire length of the cliff walls, numbering around eight or nine hundred. In ancient times, wooden stakes were driven into these holes to help people climb up the cliffs. The “ox noses” were used to tie ropes for boatmen to hold onto, and in rough weather, boats could also be tied up nearby. The exact time when the plank roads were carved remains unknown. The earliest existing stone inscription dates back to the first year of the Pinghe era during the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty (50 AD). However, this inscription was carved on a rebuilt section of the plank road, indicating that the original construction must have occurred even earlier. The plank roads also feature inscriptions from the Wei, Sui, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Location

Sanmen Village, Sanmen Town, Pinglu County, Shanxi Province

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units