Shimen Pass

　　Shimen Pass is locally known as "Nayiqiang," with "Nayi" meaning an immortal’s cave and "Qiang" meaning a mountain pass — essentially, a pass that even immortals find difficult to traverse. On the cliff face of Shimen Pass, there are five Tibetan inscriptions in total. The first, second, and third are messages from devotees to the 17th Karmapa of Tibetan Buddhism, which read: “We believe in you, we respect you, Karmapa.” The fourth is the Buddha Shakyamuni’s saying “Namo Amitabha.” The fifth one expresses a wish that “the mountain deities protect all travelers passing through here, keeping them safe on their journey, free from ghosts or falling rocks.” On the side of the pass, there are two rock formations shaped much like umbrellas, called the Stone Umbrellas. At the top of the cliff, there is a flat area surrounded by a rare species of palm tree. These trees shed their shells once a year; taller ones grow to be about 5–6 meters high, while most are around 1–2 meters. According to experts, they are a unique plant species found nowhere else in the world, with only several hundred remaining. From 2001 to 2004, during the Dragon Boat Festival period over four consecutive years, several large pythons of varying colors emerged from caves to bask in the sun. The longest was about 10 meters long. The appearance of these giant pythons added to the mystique of Bingzhongluo. Historical records of giant pythons at Shimen Pass go back as early as 300 years ago in Buddhist scriptures, with more recent sightings dating back 50 years. Legend says that the Tibetan inscriptions on the cliff face were mantras meant to subdue the giant pythons, referred to as "dragons" by local ethnic groups.

　　The road next to Shimen Pass is a vital route connecting northern Nujiang with the ancient Tea-Horse Road in Tibet. Before this road was built, horse caravans from Zayü County’s Zayul Township in Tibet had to use this human and animal trail to transport goods to Bingzhongluo. Even though the road is now open, horse caravans still come to Bingzhongluo to deliver supplies. The horse caravan culture and religious culture in Gongshan are deeply intertwined, giving the horse caravan tradition a long and rich history. Due to complex terrain and environmental challenges, after the liberation of Gongshan, a state-run horse caravan team was established, tasked with transporting goods to Dulongjiang. In 1999, after the Dulongjiang Highway was completed, the state-run caravan team was disbanded. In 2000, the former state-run caravan team was invited by the provincial government to participate in an event delivering Pu’er tea to Beijing. In 1997, Yunnan Television filmed a documentary titled "The Last Caravan," chronicling the human and animal trail from the county town to Dulongjiang. In 2003, renowned Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang shot the documentary "Delamu" on the Tea-Horse Trail from Bingzhongluo to Tibet, which caused a sensation in Japan.