Guangyuan & Jianmen Pass

The throat of the ancient Shu Road: Jianmen Pass, the mightiest pass under heaven; the thousand-year-old cypresses of Cuiyun Corridor; Huangze Temple, home of Wu Zetian; the Thousand Buddha Cliff; Zhaohua Ancient Town and Qingmuchuan, a town where Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu meet.

Guangyuan sits on the northern edge of the Sichuan Basin, with the Jialing River running through its territory. It borders Hanzhong in Shaanxi and Longnan in Gansu to the north, and is the gateway into Sichuan along the ancient Shu Road (the Jinniu Road), known as the "Gateway to Northern Sichuan." This destination is centered on Guangyuan city, extending south to Jianmen Pass in Jiange County and north to Mingyue Gorge in Chaotian District and Qingmuchuan Ancient Town in Ningqiang County, Shaanxi. The main sights fall into three groups: in the city, Huangze Temple (the only temple in China dedicated to Wu Zetian), the Thousand Buddha Cliff rock carvings and Phoenix Mountain; on the southern route, Zhaohua Ancient Town, Jianmen Pass and the ancient cypresses of Cuiyun Corridor, the classic Three Kingdoms Shu Road culture route; on the northern route, the ancient plank road at Mingyue Gorge, the Zengjiashan summer retreat and Qingmuchuan, at the junction of three provinces. The climate is humid subtropical monsoon: spring (March–May), with rapeseed flowers and fresh greenery, and autumn (September–November), with red leaves and clear skies, are the best times to visit; summers are cool in the mountains, and winters occasionally bring rain or snow. Getting there: the Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway and the Lanzhou–Chongqing railway meet at Guangyuan Station, and Xi'an and Chengdu are each about 2 hours away; Jianmen Pass has its own Jianmenguan Station, and the drive from the city to Jianmen Pass takes about 1 hour. We suggest 2–3 days: one day for the city's grottoes plus Zhaohua Ancient Town, one for Jianmen Pass plus Cuiyun Corridor, and an additional day north to Mingyue Gorge or Qingmuchuan. The mountains at Jianmen Pass are steep, and the Bird Path and Ape Path demand stamina, so take care in rainy weather. Local specialties include the Jianmen tofu banquet, Guangyuan steamed cold noodles and "Empress" steamed cold noodles.

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