24 Turns Anti-Japanese War Highway

　　The world’s highway marvel and the greatest bend in wartime history—24 Turns Anti-Japanese War Highway is located one kilometer southwest of Qinglong County. It is an iconic section of the Stilwell Road, starting at Dashuigou and winding up the slopes between the Qinglong Mountain Range and Mopan Mountain.

　　The 24 Turns Highway is ingeniously designed. From Dashuigou at the foot of Qinglong Mountain to the Ya Pass, the straight-line distance is about 350 meters, with a vertical drop of approximately 266 meters. Built along a 60-degree slope in an “S” shape that follows the mountain’s contour, the road twists and turns all the way to the pass, covering a total length of about 4 kilometers with 24 sharp bends—hence the name “24 Turns.” It stands as an outstanding example in the history of treacherous highway construction. Viewed from below, it resembles a dragon ready to take flight; seen from above, it looks like a coiling dragon gracefully descending the mountain. From the Qinglong Mountain viewing platform, when shrouded in mist, a thin layer of fog floats halfway up the mountain, making the 24 Turns appear as if a dragon is dancing amid the clouds—an awe-inspiring and magical sight.

　　The 24 Turns Pass was anciently known as Ya Pass, a vital gateway into Yunnan in ancient times. In the past, Ya Pass was described as: “Phosphorescent lights gathering at night, gibbons crying in the daylight, mournful cries echoing everywhere—until gradually peace was restored.” Ya Pass was a strategic stronghold where “one man could hold the pass against ten thousand,” making it a fiercely contested site throughout history. The grandeur and peril of Ya Pass were immortalized in poetry during the Ming and Qing dynasties: “A bird’s path carved through the void, clouds connecting to the Milky Way. Forests shattered by barking dogs, roads lost in the night. Flowers on trees freeze, village fires lose their red glow. Leaning on my staff by the plum blossoms, I ask the old path where it leads,” and “Winding paths slice through the clouds, peaks dyed in the hues of sunset. A thousand layers of bird-tracked trails.”

　　In ancient times, this was a winding post road lined with towering trees. Legend has it that Ma Yuan, the famed General Shouting Marquis of the Eastern Han Dynasty, passed through here during his southern campaign. On a scorching day, as both men and horses suffered from exhaustion and thirst, a warhorse scraped the earth with its hoof, and a clear spring gushed forth. After drinking, both men and horses quenched their thirst. Later, a temple called “Yongquan Temple” was built beside the spring, with a teahouse outside for travelers to rest. Inside the temple was enshrined the statue of Shouting Marquis, beneath which lay a horse-watering pool. An ancient inscription reads: “Sweet Spring.” Nearby on the mountainside are cliff inscriptions such as “Relic of the Sweet Spring,” “Scenery of Yunling Mountain,” and “A Thousand Layers of Bird Paths.”

　　The 24 Turns Anti-Japanese War Highway was first surveyed in January 1928 by Jia Shanxiang’s team, dispatched by the Guizhou Provincial Road Administration (headed by Ma HuaiChong, styled Mingliang, a native of Qinglong) from Huangguoshu to Pan County. Later, engineer Zhou Yueshan led a team for further surveying, design, and construction. The project was extremely arduous, relying on hammers, steel drills, and drills to cut through rocks. Due to the rudimentary tools and the turbulent wartime conditions, construction of the 24 Turns Highway proceeded intermittently until it was finally completed and opened to traffic in September 1936.

　　During the war, the Japanese cut off maritime and air transport routes, making the Yunnan-Guizhou Highway the sole corridor for international aid to China—a “lifeline” for transporting war supplies. The 24 Turns Highway was a critical and perilous section of this route, with sharp curves and narrow lanes that often led to congestion and frequent accidents. To ensure that over 3,000 vehicles from China and the U.S. could transport 4.5 million tons of international aid supplies to the front lines within three months, the U.S. Army’s China Theater Headquarters established a “Highway Improvement Project Team” in Qinglong. Designed by U.S. military engineers, the “1880th Engineer Battalion” stationed at Jiangba Camp (Wu Family Courtyard) in Shaziling worked alongside over a thousand local laborers from various ethnic groups in Qinglong in 1942 to modify the 24 Turns Highway—straightening curves, widening the road surface, and reinforcing the roadbed. Qinglong laborers brought their own food and utensils, camping in the wild and working day and night with hammers and drills. After the renovation, the 24 Turns Highway successfully facilitated the delivery of 450,000 tons of international aid supplies to the front, making a tremendous historical contribution to the war effort. The upgraded 24 Turns Highway symbolizes the camaraderie between the Chinese and American people in the fight against fascism during World War II, serving as a bridge of enduring friendship.

　　On May 25, 2006, with approval from the State Council, the 24 Turns was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, gaining fame both domestically and internationally as a renowned tourist attraction. Visitors from around the world flock here to witness the wonders of the 24 Turns.

　　In recent years, the 24 Turns has hosted numerous significant events, including the “Retracing the Anti-Japanese War Route” commemoration for the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Anti-Japanese War and the Anti-Fascist War, the 2nd “Pan-Pearl River Delta” Auto Rally (Guizhou Leg and the 1st Stilwell Highway Guizhou Qinglong Section 24 Turns Hill Climb Race), and China’s 1st Stilwell Highway Qinglong 24 Turns Hill Climb Race. These events were covered by media outlets such as CCTV International News Channel and Guizhou TV. On August 25, 2007, 18 major TV stations across China—including CCTV, BTV, TJTV, CQTV, GZTV, YNTV, SECMC, ZJTV, HEBTV, SDTV, NJTV, ATV, and Phoenix Satellite TV—gathered at the 24 Turns. Currently, Qinglong County is actively preparing documentation to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for the 24 Turns, restoring sites such as Yongquan Temple and the Horse-Watering Pool, aiming to establish the 24 Turns as a world-renowned tourist destination.