Last updated 2026-11-12 — Aizhai is located 15 kilometers west of Jishou City. It is surrounded by towering, precipitous mountains. On its northern slope, there is a vertical drop of 440 meters with a gradient of 70 to 90 degrees. As vehicles spiral their way up from the base to the top, they make 13 sharp turns, offering passengers breathtaking panoramic views along the way. Aizhai was the most treacherous section of the Hunan-Sichuan Highway, built in the 1930s. In 1987, the local government erected a 5.7-meter-tall, nearly one-ton bronze statue of the "Pioneer Road Builder" at the mountaintop to commemorate the laborers who lost their lives during the construction of the highway. Below the Aizhai slope lies a distinctive Miao ethnic village with strong Western Hunan characteristics. The village features a harmonious blend of gray-tiled stilted houses and verdant stone-paved paths, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.