Dihua Cultural Tourism Scenic Area along the Shangyu Ancient Road

　　The Shangyu Ancient Road Cultural Tourism Scenic Area project takes National Highway 312 (Shangzhou District, Shangluo City – Danfeng County – Shangnan County) as its main axis, with China’s ancient indigenous civilization as its keynote, and features important content such as historical stories and relics from the Shangyu Ancient Road during the pre-Qin period, the lifestyle of the region where the Qin and Chu cultures merged, and the natural ecological resources of the Qinling Mountains and Danjiang River. It establishes cultural and historical creative experience spaces, tourism spaces, and cultural reproduction spaces.

　　In the initial phase, it forms a large-scale, composite collaborative cultural tourism zone consisting of six major cultural tourism scenic areas. In later stages, with ongoing historical and archaeological discoveries, it will gradually evolve into a belt-like honeycomb structure composed of units such as ancient post stations, passes, roads, villages, stockades, towns, and cities. It will become a dynamically developing cultural and leisure tourism destination that integrates four major concepts: the “Historical and Cultural Heritage Corridor of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods,” the “National Lifeline Landscape Corridor,” the “Specialized Post Station and Farm Leisure Resort Corridor,” and the “Industrial Innovation and Development Corridor.”

　　The Shangyu Ancient Road was opened in the late Shang and early Zhou dynasties, also known as the “Wuguan Road,” “Shangshan Road,” or “Shangzhou Road.” It originates from Shangluo City in Shaanxi Province and extends to Qiyu Town in Neixiang County, Henan Province, spanning approximately 600 ancient li, roughly aligning with the modern National Highway 312 that crosses the region. The ancient road consists of the Dan River (Danjiang) waterway and the overland route through the Qinling Mountains, which served as the national lifeline, passing through 17 towns, post stations, and their surrounding areas (including 13 post stations in Shangluo).

　　The Shangyu Ancient Road was the birthplace of the Shang state and one of the cradles of Chu culture. It served as a strategic passage for the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to govern the southern regions, a focal point of contention between the Qin and Chu states during the Warring States period, and a strategic fulcrum for the Qin state to turn the tide and unify China. Since ancient times, it has been rich in historical events and relics such as the ancient state of Shaoxi, the flight of Duke of Zhou to Chu, Zhang Yi’s deception of Chu, Shang Yang’s reforms, the hermitage of the Four Elders, and the ancient city of King Ling. The traces and works of figures such as Monk Wu Ye, Monk Yixing, Li Bai, Han Yu, Li Zicheng, Li Xiannian, and Jia Pingwa have also been passed down. This is a military and transportation route, a path of reform and progress, a corridor of cultural integration, a channel of humanistic influence, a trade and business route, and an ecological wellness route, embodying both natural beauty and human culture.