Yinping Ancient Road

　　According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, during the Three Kingdoms period, Sima Zhao ordered Zhong Hui and Deng Ai to lead troops in an expedition against Shu. They were blocked north of Jianmen Pass by the Shu Han general Jiang Wei, who held them off for a long time. Deng Ai then withdrew his forces to Jinggu Valley, reaching Yinping Commandery. He traversed hundreds of miles of treacherous mountain paths, arriving at Jiangyou Pass. The defending Shu general Ma Miao surrendered by opening the gate. Deng Ai’s army then advanced swiftly southward, capturing Mianzhu and pressing on to Chengdu. The last Shu emperor, Liu Shan, surrendered, leading to the fall of the Shu Kingdom. This campaign left behind the historic legacy of the Yinping Ancient Road.

　　The Yinping Ancient Road starts from Yinping Du, today’s Guyi Dam in Wen County, Gansu Province (the site of the old Wen County city), passes through Wen County town, crosses Motian Ridge in Qingchuan County, and continues through Tangjiahe, Yinping Mountain, Mazhuan Pass, and Jingjun Mountain, eventually reaching Jiangyou Pass in Pingwu County (now Nanba Township). The total length is 265 kilometers, which matches exactly with the “700-li” Yinping Road recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms — given that a li at that time was measured as 360 paces. By this calculation, one modern Chinese li is roughly equivalent to 1.33 li from the Three Kingdoms period, which aligns perfectly.

　　Since ancient times, the Yinping Ancient Road has been a perilous and rugged path. Throughout history, aside from local farmers, it was used only when absolutely necessary for military campaigns. The Ming Dynasty general Fu Youde once led troops along this road. During the Long March, the Red Army also passed here under the leadership of [name redacted], and later the People’s Liberation Army marched through during the campaign in Qingchuan. The most dangerous section of the Yinping Road is Motian Ridge. Its northern and western slopes are relatively gentle, but the southern face features sheer cliffs and precipices with no passable paths. It was here that Deng Ai famously wrapped himself in felt and slid down the mountain, breaching Motian Ridge to strike directly at Jiangyou Pass and bring down the Shu Kingdom. Today, the southern side of the ridge has been developed with a winding footpath, locally referred to as the “Nine Turns.”

　　At the top of Motian Ridge, at an altitude of 2,730 meters, there lies a vast meadow with uniquely colored grass. Every summer, the grass blooms with bright red flowers. When the mountain wind blows, it looks like a huge, vivid red flag waving atop the mountain. Some say the grass originally bloomed red, but after the Red Army fought battles here, the blood of revolutionary martyrs stained the land, causing the grass to bloom red ever since. As a result, local farmers named this meadow “Red Flower Meadow,” though its original name was “Dazhu Ya Zi.” This reflects the deep respect and gratitude of the people toward the Red Army.

　　At the summit of Motian Ridge once stood a temple dedicated to Zhuge Liang (also known as Kongming). Due to years of neglect, the temple has now collapsed, leaving only its walls standing. In the past, a stele commemorating Zhuge Liang was also erected here. The Long’an Prefecture Annals recorded: “On Motian Ridge, there is now a stele of Kongming, its inscriptions worn away and illegible.” Chapter 117 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms states: “Deng Ai, Deng Zhong, two thousand soldiers, and rock-clearing pioneers all arrived at Motian Ridge. Just as they were adjusting their armor and weapons to continue their march, they suddenly spotted a stone tablet by the roadside inscribed with ‘Composed by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.’ The text read: ‘When two fires first arise, someone will cross here. When two warriors contend, they will soon perish of their own accord.’” Of course, this is the author of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms mythologizing Zhuge Liang. But Zhuge Liang was indeed an outstanding military strategist in history. He may have foreseen the possibility of Wei forces attacking Shu via the Yinping Road and set up defenses on Motian Ridge — a testament to his genius. In 1935, [name redacted] saw this stele during battles here and documented it in his memoirs. Though the stele no longer exists, there is clear evidence that it truly once stood atop this mountain, enduring over a thousand years of wind and rain.

　　Passing the Nine Turns and crossing the Motian Ridge Bridge, you arrive at Nantianmen (South Heaven Gate). Here, surrounded by mountains, deep valleys, murmuring streams, birdsongs, and cicada chirps, you’ll feel as if you’ve entered a celestial realm. Below Nantianmen is a cliff face resembling a mirror. Elders say that Deng Ai once wrote the four large characters “Deng Ai Passed Here” on this rock wall. By pouring water on it, the characters would appear, and when dry, they would vanish again. Unfortunately, part of it was destroyed during road construction.

　　Along the Yinping Ancient Road, there are many relics left by Deng Ai, such as the whetstone where he sharpened his sword, Yinheshan (Seal-Pressing Mountain) where he stamped orders, Xueyashan (Shoe-Dust Mountain) where his soldiers shook dirt from their boots while resting, Luoyigou (Lost-Clothing Valley) where he lost a piece of clothing, and Shejianping (Archery Training Ground) where he trained his troops. Nearly every site offers discoverable remnants and numerous legendary tales.

　　Exploring or traveling along the Yinping Road is strenuous, yet filled with joy and endless fascination.