CHENGDU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Sandra Dorothy Carpenter paused to catch her breath as visitors inched forward against the rock, testing each foothold on the narrow cliff path -- barely wide enough for a single step.
"I did it because I wanted to do it," she said. "But many people had to use that pass because that was the way across."
Carpenter, a former vice principal of Wuhan Yangtze International School, was among a group of American visitors retracing a section of the ancient "Shudao." Stretching more than 1,000 kilometers through cliffs, rivers and forests, the road system has endured for thousands of years.
The visit, part of a China-U.S. exchange program in Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province, offered a close look at the "Shudao," a vast network of plank roads, fortifications, stone carvings, ancient towns and ecosystems that connected the Guanzhong Plain with the Sichuan Basin in ancient times.
"Climbing the 'Shudao' is more difficult than reaching heaven," leaving one with no recourse but to "sit and sigh deeply, with a hand on the chest," Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai once wrote. Such words capture the arduous journey and profound impact of this legendary road system.
Yet the road is no longer just about hardship. In Zhaohua ancient town, the "Shudao" reveals a quieter side, serving not only as a route of passage but also as a place where life continues to unfold around it.
At a pavilion tucked beside the ancient government compound, where officials once retreated after court sessions, Carpenter's fellow traveler James Weaver paused to reflect on the idea of contemplation as part of governance.
"The leader would take time to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of his work and think about how to improve," said Weaver, a former independent advisor to the World Bank.
Further along, at Mingyue Gorge, the story of the road unfolds in layers. Ancient plank roads cling to the cliffs while boats once navigated the river below. Today, railways and expressways run alongside them, compressing different eras of movement into a single stretch of landscape.
The road system illustrates the close link between transportation and cultural exchange, said Peter Ditmanson, a historian at Yuelu Academy of Hunan University, calling for greater efforts to tell the story of the "Shudao" as part of world history, a network that connects different cultures and regions.
If the road carries memory, it also carries responsibility.
In the Cuiyunlang section of Jian'ge County, more than 7,000 ancient cypress trees line the route, some over 2,000 years old. Their survival depends not only on time, but on care, a system of protection that has been passed down across generations.
Historically, officials were required to account for the number and condition of trees when transferring responsibilities. Today, each outgoing county head of Jian'ge has taken the responsibility.
Technology has joined tradition. Drones and sensors monitor tree health. Digital records track each trunk. Caretakers are assigned. Insurance policies are in place. Even a national highway has been rerouted to reduce pressure on the ancient grove.
"Long-term heritage protection requires long-term commitment, something Guangyuan has mastered," said Steven Paul Carpenter with the AmCham China Central China Chapter.
Li Hui, an official with Guangyuan's publicity department, said the city has introduced regulations and planning measures, while pushing forward conservation projects. The "Shudao"-related project has been included on China's World Heritage tentative list.
At the same time, the heritage is being integrated into contemporary life. Night tours, lantern festivals and immersive performances now attract visitors, while educational programs bring students to explore the route firsthand.
According to official data, hiking tours along the ancient "Shudao" have attracted over 2.1 million visits since September 2023.
For Sandra Dorothy Carpenter, the experience was more than a journey through landscapes.
Touching the ancient trees, she felt a connection across time. "It feels like touching history," she said. "It connects me to this country and to the people who built this corridor." ■
