Dusong Pass and the Ancient Post Road

　　Dusong Pass was a crucial pass built by the Southern Song Dynasty capital Lin'an (now Hangzhou) to defend against northern invaders. The Tongzhi Edition of the "Annals of Anji County: Historical Sites" records: "Dusong Pass was constructed with stone during the Song Jianyan era (1127–1130) when military conflict arose, and was named Dusong Pass." "Dusong Pass — in the ninth year of Yongzheng (1731), Prefect Shen Mengxi built six barracks for soldiers, which were renovated by imperial order in the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859) and destroyed in the eleventh year (1861)."

　　The Ancient Post Road was actually a vital shortcut on the overland route from Lin'an (now Hangzhou) to Jiankang (now Nanjing). The surviving section stretches approximately 1,200 meters from Shuangxikou Guanshang Village in Dibu Town, Anji County, to Dusong Village in Bai Zhang Town, Yuhang District. The "New Book of Tang: Treatise on Geography" states: "In the second year of the Baoli era (826) of the Tang Dynasty, Yu Hang County Magistrate Yao built a raised road connecting to the northwest highway, over a hundred li in length, straight and wide, sparing travelers the troubles of mountains and rivers." The "Yuanhe Junxian Tuzhi" records that the Hangzhou–Xuanzhou Post Road spanned 496 li from northern Hangzhou to Xuanzhou, with post stations established before the Ming Dynasty. Dusong Pass was one of the post stations during the Song and Yuan periods. The Guangxu Edition of the "Xiaofeng County Annals" notes: "Dusong Pass is situated atop Dusong Ridge. From Tianmu Mountain heading north, overlapping ridges and valleys stretch in loops for hundreds of li, with Dusong Ridge standing prominently among them. The ridge path is steep and narrow; to the southeast it leads directly to Lin'an, while to the northwest it runs through Anji toward Guangde, marking the contested zone between cavalry and infantry forces from Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

　　The surviving section of Dusong Pass and the Ancient Post Road from Shuangxikou Guanshang Village in Dibu Town, Anji County, to Dusong Village in Bai Zhang Town, Yuhang District, retains the charm of the ancient post road with beautiful scenery and well-preserved historical features. It still serves as a village path today. In 2006, Dusong Pass and the Ancient Post Road were designated as part of the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council as ancient architecture dating from the Song to the Qing Dynasties.