Outdoor Hiking: One-day Tour of the Ancient Road Village in the Jinkouhe Grand Canyon

Spring is in the air, and it's time to make the most of the springtime by trekking through China's most beautiful canyon to explore the mysterious cliffside ancient village. The Ancient Road Village in the Jinkouhe Grand Canyon was once cut off from the world, with travel solely dependent on a nearly vertical mule path carved out of the cliff face, creating this heavenly road above the clouds. Some parts of the path go through cave tunnels, and the narrower sections require stooping to proceed. As you search for the path and step on the cliff edges with boulders overhead, it's quite thrilling. "It's not that Tiger Leaping Gorge isn't worth visiting, but the Ancient Road Village offers better value for money," and "Even the six major sects attacking the Bright Summit didn't have this many people," recently, with the splendid spring weather, the Ancient Road Village in Yongli Yi Ethnic Township, Hanyuan County, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province, has become a new internet-famous check-in spot. The cliffside plank road is bustling with tourists, shoulder to shoulder. The Ancient Road Village has a history of over 400 years. Initially, the villagers relied on vine ladders to descend from the cliffs to the Dadu River, which was very dangerous. In the 1960s, during the construction of the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, the engineering team welded steel ladders to facilitate the villagers' travel. In 2018, a cableway to the outside world was built, making access more convenient. The Ancient Road Village was originally named Gulu Village, named after the sound of stones rolling down the cliffs, 'gulu gulu.' It is a Yi ethnic village located on the cliffs beside the Dadu River, and the Ancient Road Village is also known as 'the Yi village on the ladder to heaven,' 'the village on the cliff.' Hiking suggestions for the Ancient Road Village: For a medium-short hike, start from Laiziping to the Erdaoping cableway station, about 4 kilometers, round trip 5-6 hours; for a long hike, start from the Erdaoping cableway station to the Ancient Road Village ladder, about 6 kilometers, round trip 8-9 hours. Road conditions: The distance from the foot of the mountain to Laiziping halfway up the mountain is about 1km. This section, except for the steep start, becomes wide open and relatively flat after turning over a platform, with little difficulty, taking about 1h; the path from Laiziping to the Erdaoping cableway station is more challenging and is the essence of the Ancient Road Village hiking route. The 'Mule and Horse Ancient Path' refers to the section from Laiziping to the Erdaoping cableway station: a heavenly road carved out of the cliff face, with a deep abyss on the other side fenced off by iron chains, uneven road surface, and exhausting to walk. Good walking shoes are essential for this approximately 3km stretch with a 1000m elevation gain, and the difficulty is self-evident. After taking the cable car to the opposite Banjiu Mouth cableway station, walk along the road for about 2km to reach the Ancient Road Village village committee. The slope is gentle, and the road is basically not difficult. The cableway station charges 80 yuan for a round trip, 50 yuan for one way, and closes at 5:30; it's possible to charter a car down the mountain from the Erdaoping cableway station for 260 yuan per car; parking costs 10 yuan, and overnight parking is 30 yuan; both Laiziping and the Ancient Road Village have dining and accommodation options. Tips: Self-driving is recommended. Nearby attractions include the Jinkouhe Grand Canyon, the famous 'Water Highway' is located here, a 7-8 kilometer stretch of national road that is toll-free; the Railway Museum; and White Bear Gully, a very niche free waterfall attraction at the border between Jinkouhe and Ya'an, with narrow roads that are not easy for cars to pass. The above three attractions can be visited along the way. For more hiking strategies for the Ancient Road Village, it is suggested to refer to Ctrip and make a good plan.