Yinping Ancient Road

Yinping Ancient Road

The Records of the Three Kingdoms states: During the Three Kingdoms period, Sima Zhao ordered Zhong Hua and Deng Ai to lead troops in an attack on Shu. They were blocked by the Shu Han general Jiang Wei north of Jianmen Pass and failed to break through after a long siege. Deng Ai then turned back via the Jinggu Valley, reached Yinping Commandery, traversed hundreds of miles of perilous mountain paths, and arrived at Jiangyou Pass. The defending Shu general Ma Miao opened the gate and surrendered. Deng Ai's forces then advanced rapidly southward, captured Mianzhu, and pressed on straight to Chengdu. The last Shu emperor, Liu Shan, surrendered, leading to the fall of the Shu Kingdom. From then on, the historical remnants of Yinping Ancient Road were left behind.

Yinping Ancient Road starts from Yinping Capital, today's Guyiba in Wen County, Gansu Province (the site of the old Wen County city), passes through Wen County’s urban area, crosses Motian Ridge in Qingchuan County, goes through Tangjiahe, Yinping Mountain, Mazhuan Pass, and Jingjun Mountain, and reaches Jiangyou Pass in Pingwu County (now Nanba Township), spanning a total of 265 kilometers. This fully matches the “Seven Hundred Li of Yinping Road” recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, as at that time, one li was calculated as 360 paces. By this calculation, one modern Chinese li is approximately equal to 1.33 li during the Three Kingdoms period, which aligns perfectly.

Yinping Ancient Road has always been a treacherous and rugged path. Throughout history, aside from local farmers, it was only used when absolutely necessary for war. The Ming Dynasty general Fu Youde once led troops along this road. During the Long March, the Red Army—accompanied by [name redacted]—also passed through here, and later the People’s Liberation Army used this route when entering Qingchuan. The most perilous section of Yinping Road is Motian Ridge. Its northern and western slopes are relatively gentle, but the southern face is a sheer cliff with no passable path. It was here that Deng Ai wrapped himself in felt and slid down the ridge, crossed Motian Ridge, and struck directly at Jiangyou Pass to conquer Shu. Today, a winding path has been opened on the southern side of the ridge, locally called the “Nine Turns.”

At the top of Motian Ridge, at an altitude of 2,730 meters, there is a large grassland where the grass is unique. Every summer, it blooms with red flowers. When the mountain wind blows, it looks like a huge, bright red flag waving on the mountain. Some say the grass originally bloomed red, but after the Red Army fought here, the blood of revolutionary martyrs dyed the land red, causing the grass to bloom red. Thus, local farmers named this grassland “Red Flower Grassland,” though its original name was “Dazhuyazi.” This shows the people’s deep remembrance and gratitude toward the Red Army.

At the summit of Motian Ridge, there once stood a temple dedicated to Zhuge Liang (Kongming). Due to years of neglect, the temple has now collapsed, leaving only the walls. The Kongming Stele of those times also once stood here. The Long’an Prefecture Annals records: “Today, there is a Kongming Stele on Motian Ridge, but the inscriptions have worn away and are illegible.” Chapter 117 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms says: “Deng Ai, Deng Zhong, two thousand soldiers, and mountain-clearing pioneers all arrived at Motian Ridge. Just as they were adjusting their armor and weapons to move forward, they suddenly saw a stone tablet by the path inscribed with ‘Written by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.’ The text read: ‘When two fires first rise, someone will cross here; two warriors vie for supremacy, and soon both shall perish.’” Of course, this is the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms mythologizing Zhuge Liang. But Zhuge Liang was an outstanding military strategist in history. He may have also foreseen the possibility of Wei forces attacking Shu via Yinping Road and set up defenses on Motian Ridge—a testament to his genius. In 1935, [name redacted] saw this stele during fighting here, and it is recorded in his memoirs. Though the stele is now gone, it is certain that it once stood atop this mountain enduring over a thousand years of wind and rain.

After turning through the Nine Turns and crossing the Motian Ridge Bridge, you arrive at Nantianmen (South Heaven Gate). Here, surrounded by mountains, deep valleys, murmuring streams, birdsong, and cicada chirps, you feel as if you’ve ascended to a heavenly realm. Below Nantianmen is a rock face like a mirror. Elders say that Deng Ai once wrote the four large characters “Deng Ai Passed Here” on this cliff. Washing the wall with water would make the words appear, and when dry, they would vanish. Unfortunately, part of it was destroyed during road construction.

Along Yinping Ancient Road, there are many relics left by Deng Ai, such as the whetstone where he sharpened his blade, Yinheshan Mountain where he stamped his seal, Xueyashan Mountain where his soldiers shook dust off their shoes while resting, Luoyigou Valley where he lost his clothing, and Shanjianping where he trained troops. Nearly every spot has discoverable traces and many legendary tales.

Exploring or traveling along Yinping Road is tiring, but it is also immensely enjoyable and full of wonder.

Scenic Spot Location

Qingchuan County, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province

Opening Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Scenic Area Ticket:

Admission: 55 RMB

Sightseeing Bus Ticket: 60 RMB

Warm Reminder:

The scenic area is quite cold in the morning and evening, so bring warm clothing.

You may want to bring some snacks.