The Qitian Ridge Ancient Trail

The Qitian Ridge Ancient Trail

The Qitian Ridge Ancient Trail is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guangdong Province.

The Qitian Ridge Ancient Trail is located in Shunquan Village, Dabianbian Town, Lianzhou City, Qingyuan. Though not as bustling as the Dayuling, it is actually older. It boasts the earliest ancient trail among the Five Ridges. For military strategists during the feudal era, its strategic importance was also significant — the Yangshan Pass on the ridge even used its treacherous terrain to block the advance of the Han army, helping fulfill the imperial dream of Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue.

The Qin-Han Dynasty Qitian Ridge Ancient Trail was the earliest official route from the inland to Lingnan. The vanguard of advanced Central Plains culture spread through this “strategic throat.” The Qin troops led by Zhao Tuo were the trailblazers. During the reign of Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Grand Minister of Agriculture Zheng Hong was ordered to widen this road. “Once this road was opened, the voices of the Central Plains drew nearer, and then talents emerged south of the Five Ridges, trade flourished, and the customs of remote borderlands transformed.” (Zizhi Tongjian · Biography of Zheng Hong) Today, in Shuntouling, Dabianbian Town, Lianzhou City, there remain over eight thousand eight hundred ancient stone steps of the trail, along with historic sites such as Nantianmen Gate, Guangyin Pavilion, Huaiqing Pavilion, the old post station, and Shunquan Well.

Shunquan Village: The Shunquan Village Committee is located north of Dabianbian Town, about 12 kilometers from the town center, with a population of 2,135 and cultivated land area of 1,570 mu. The village has extensive forested mountainous areas and rich agricultural resources, primarily growing rice as its staple crop. In recent years, it has vigorously developed cash crops such as corn, potatoes, lilies, and flue-cured tobacco, further adjusting and optimizing its agricultural structure. Rural infrastructure, including roads and water conservancy facilities, is relatively well-developed. The village administers seven natural villages: Shuntouling, Shijietou, Dagiquan, Wayouping, Laopu, Tangzichong, and Aotou. … More detailed information about Shunquan Village ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units