Guanlong North Branch Road

　　 An ancient “Liang Valley Route” that ran parallel to the “Guanlong North Branch Road” on the eastern foothills of the Xiao Long Mountains. It started southeast from Guguan in the northwest of Long County, Shaanxi (about 20-plus kilometers from Ma’an), flowed upstream along the river, entered the territory of Ma’an Township through Narrow Stone Gorge (the border between Huating and Long County, Shaanxi), crossed through mountain valleys, exited at Zhulin Temple in today’s Zhuanglang County, reached the South Shuilo River and onward to Longyou, stretching approximately over 50 kilometers

　　On the eastern foothills of the Xiaolong Mountains lies the site of the Xihua Township government, which we passed on our way up the mountain today. Nowadays, the east-west highway is well-connected, but there seems to be no major north-south road. In fact, in ancient times, the north-south road was far more important than today’s east-west highway. This north-south road was called the “Northern Branch of the Guanlong Route,” also known as the “Huizhong Road” as marked in the Historical Atlas of China. According to the pre-Qin classic Zhuangzi·Zaiyou, the Yellow Emperor once sought enlightenment from the Kunlun sage Guangchengzi. His first journey began at Shouqiu in what is now western Shandong. After crossing mountains and rivers, he followed the Jing River to reach the Kongtong Mountains. However, Guangchengzi not only refused to impart wisdom but also reprimanded him, saying, “The leaves have not even sprouted, yet you seek fruit.” Many years later, when the Yellow Emperor was a hundred years old, he made a second trip to Kongtong. As recorded in the Supplementary Annals of Huating County: he traveled via Mount Wuyue (now Long County, Shaanxi), came from the southern part of the Longdi region, and once camped at the northwest of Xiawan (now Shen’yu Township, Huating), an area referred to by locals as the “Huangdi Residence.” On this occasion, Guangchengzi taught him the art of governance, thus laying the foundation for human civilization and making the Yellow Emperor one of the ancestors of the Chinese nation.

　　The road once traversed by the Yellow Emperor developed over the dynasties of Xia, Shang, Zhou, and through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods into a fixed route known as the “Northern Branch of the Guanlong Route,” starting from Long County in present-day Shaanxi. It led along a tributary river into Huating territory, passing west of the county seat and continuing northwest through Jingyuan, Pingliang, and Pengyang to Guyuan. This road served different roles in various historical periods, hence its names varied. The Records of the Grand Historian · The Basic Annals of Qin Shi Huang state: “In the 27th year (220 BC), the First Emperor toured Longxi and Beidi, exited Jitou Mountain, and passed through the Huizhong Road.” The Book of Han · The Basic Annals of Emperor Wu of Han record: “In the winter of the fourth year of Yuanshou (107 BC), in the tenth month, he visited Yong (now Fengxiang, Shaanxi), worshipped at the Five Altars, opened the Huizhong Road, and then proceeded north out of Xiao Pass (now Pengyang, Ningxia).” Because both the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han traveled along the “Northern Branch of the Guanlong Route” through Huizhong, intimidating the Xiongnu, the road came to be known as the “Huizhong Road,” gaining prominence and enduring to this day. The “Huizhong Road” also served as an intersecting route among the southern, central, and northern thoroughfares of the eastern section (Longxi section) of the Silk Road. During the Tang Dynasty, it connected various passes in Yuanzhou to resist Tibetan invasions, and in the Song Dynasty, fortifications and strongholds were established along the former Tang-era passes to defend against Western Xia incursions. The Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian refers to the southern section of the “Huizhong Road” as the “Huangshihe Road of Yizhou (Huating),” while the Du Shi Fang Yu Ji Yao also calls the northern section (Pingliang City) the “Huolonggou Road,” considered the fourth most perilous route during the Mongol invasions.

　　During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the rise of maritime transport, this “Silk Road” declined. However, the remnants of beacon towers and fortresses along the ancient route can still be faintly traced, and historic sites such as the Stone Arch Temple, Chaoyang Temple, and the Jian’gou Stone Buddha statues offer glimpses into the past.