“The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky.” Along the ancient Shu Road, at the junction of the Yangping Pass–Ankang Yang’an Railway line, there is…

　　The phrase “The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky” aptly describes the challenges of the ancient Shu Road. At the junction where the Yangping Pass meets the Yang’an Line heading to Ankang, lies a town called Yangping Pass. The Baoji–Chengdu Railway, which has the highest number of tunnels, runs through this area. Yangping Pass Town is situated in the Jialing River valley, west of Ningqiang County in Shaanxi Province. It serves as the seat of the Yangping Pass Township government. To the south of the town lies Chicken Cock Mountain, to the north stands Silver Screen Mountain, and in the center is Zi Long Mountain. The Jialing River flows from the northeast to the southwest through the town area, while the Sandao River and Hanjia River join from the southeast bank, and the Qinghe River from the north bank. The terrain is complex and the scenery majestic, long famed as a strategic mountain pass. The Baoji–Chengdu Railway crosses just north of the town, and the Yang’an Railway begins here. Additionally, three highways pass through the town, making it a key transportation hub at the convergence of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.

　　The Book of Sui

　　(Treatise on Geography) provides a detailed description of the ancient military-strategic importance of Yangping Pass: “It controls the west to Sichuan and Shu, connects the north to Qin and Long, is backed by Jing Mountain, faces the lofty Dingjun and Zhuobi Mountains ahead, flanked by the White Horse and Golden Ox Mountains on the right, guarded by the Yunwu and Baizhang Mountains on the left, and embraced by the Han, Black, and Jin rivers. It is one of the most perilous places under heaven.” As a result, ancient Yangping Pass has long been regarded as the “Throat of Shu” and the “Gateway to Hanzhong,” prompting the saying, “No place in Hanzhong is more treacherous than Yangping.”

　　I have climbed the city walls of Yangping Pass many times in the afternoon. Under the soft glow of the setting sun, a faint cold breeze drifts intermittently down from the valley, brushing my face. The fading light and the desolate wilderness blend into one, drawing you deep into reflections on history, time, and the past—the feeling becomes all the more profound. Perhaps that’s what nostalgia feels like.

　　In Yangping Pass, I saw the very spot where Zhuge Liang performed his Empty Fort Strategy. The square-shaped gate tower, built from blue bricks, is nothing particularly striking—but it is precisely this unassuming little structure that became the most successful real-life example of Sun Tzu’s “Empty Fort Strategy.” Zhuge Liang calmly played the zither atop this small tower. Because he was known for his caution, the master strategist Sima Yi, who knew him too well, was frightened away despite leading an army of 100,000 troops. He immediately retreated 20 li, giving Zhuge Liang the time he needed to redeploy his forces.

　　The mighty pass remains, though the events of the past have faded like smoke. As crisscrossing roads and railways have turned once-impassable terrain into accessible pathways, the remnants of the ancient Yangping Pass—its surviving walls, ancient stone inscriptions, and deep trenches—still seem to tell stories of glory and honor. The serene old town is now radiating new vitality.