Jianmen Pass

The Shu Road ran from the Guanzhong plain into the Sichuan basin through mountains so difficult that Li Bai wrote it was harder than climbing to heaven, and Jianmen was its narrowest point: a gap in a long wall of cliff, wide enough for a gate and little else, where a small force could stop an army. Zhuge Liang fortified it in the Three Kingdoms and it was fought over repeatedly. The rebuilt gate tower stands in the cleft, and paths climb the ridge above on cliff walkways with long views along the escarpment. Sections of the old plank road survive nearby, along with ancient cypresses planted along the route.

History

The pass lay on the Shu Roads into Sichuan, and its gate is linked with Zhuge Liang, chancellor of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms, who found the place a natural stronghold while repairing the plank roads and had a gate built; after him Jiang Wei held it, and it became the key pass on the routes into Sichuan. In 1932 the Ming gate was pulled down for a road, leaving only its base; a new gate was built in the 1980s, burned in 2005 and was badly damaged in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and the present one dates from 2009 (Wikipedia, Jianmen Pass).

What's there

• The cleft and gate - the narrow gap through the cliff wall.
• The ridge walkways - paths pinned along the escarpment above.
• The plank road - surviving sections of the cliff-side timber route.
• The ancient cypresses - old trees lining the Shu Road corridor.

When to go

April to June and September to November; summer is hot and humid, winter cold with ice on the walkways. Mist along the escarpment is common in spring.

Good to know

The gate tower is a modern rebuilding. Ridge walkways involve steep steps and exposure. Entry plus cable car adds cost. English interpretation is minimal.

Nearby

Guangyuan lies north; Zhaohua ancient town is nearby.

Key facts