Songjiang Horse Trail

　　    The trail starts from Houzhai at the northern foot of Liangshan Mountain, winds southward, crosses Qinglong Mountain and Goutou Mountain, rides over the Three Mountains, twists and turns, passes through Heifengkou, and leads directly to the Songjiang Fortress on Tiger Head Peak. It served as a crucial route for the rebel soldiers to transport provisions, report news, stand guard, and defend against attacks.

　　    Legend has it that there was originally no such path on Liangshan. After Songjiang arrived on the mountain, in order to facilitate the transport of supplies and the deployment of troops, he was determined to build a major road connecting the front and rear fortresses. However, the journey from the main fortress to the rear one required crossing numerous peaks including the Three Mountains, Goutou Mountain, Gouzhuo Mountain, and Aozi Mountain—a winding route several li long, overgrown with thorny thickets and jagged rocks, shrouded in darkness under the dense foliage, making the climb extremely arduous. Due to wartime necessity, Songjiang spent forty-nine days searching but failed to find a suitable route.

　　    Just as he was worrying over the matter, Songjiang had a dream one night in which he heard the sound of galloping hooves.

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　　    Clip-clop

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　　    grew louder as it approached. Overjoyed, Songjiang thought: if horses can run here, there must be a proper road. He quickly looked toward the sound and saw a great white dragon horse charging toward him. Upon seeing Songjiang, the horse turned and galloped back the way it came, its hooves pounding out a smooth, wide road that stretched from Tiger Head Peak, across the Three Mountains, over Gouzhuo Mountain and Aozi Mountain, winding its way onward. The next day, Songjiang followed the path he had seen in the dream and, upon inspecting the terrain, confirmed it was indeed an excellent route. He then ordered Jin Dajian to lead soldiers in carving a road along the mountain’s contours, filling gullies with stones and building bridges where needed—eventually completing a mountain path suitable for troop and horse movement.

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　　    Songjiang Horse Trail

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