Jianmen Pass 剑门关Jiànmén Guān

Why go to Jianmen Pass

Jianmen Pass is a narrow cleft where sheer cliffs part to let the ancient road from Shaanxi through into Sichuan, guarded by a rebuilt gate tower. A visit means a full day of steep stone stairways and cliff-hugging plank paths, with a cable car to save the climb. The adventurous can tackle the Yuannao Path, a trail without handrails up a near-vertical cliff, climbed in a helmet and safety rope.

The story

Tradition says Zhuge Liang fortified the pass for the Shu Han state, and in 263 his successor Jiang Wei held it against a Wei army, only for Shu to fall when another Wei general slipped round by a mountain shortcut and forced Chengdu to surrender. Some five centuries later Li Bai's poem 'Hard Roads to Shu' made it famous as a place where one defender could hold off ten thousand.

What to see at Jianmen Pass

• Jianmen Pass Gate Tower 剑门关楼: The rebuilt gate tower stands where the old road squeezes between the cliffs, and it is the picture most visitors come for. The present building dates from 2009, after fire in 2005 and the 2008 earthquake destroyed earlier versions.
• Bird Path 鸟道: A cliff trail that climbs the rock face in tight zigzags from around the middle of the mountain. It is exposed and steep, so it suits confident walkers.
• Yuannao Path 猿猱道: The harder of the two cliff routes, climbed in a helmet and on a safety rope. It is the scenic area's adrenaline option and is sometimes paused for maintenance or weather.
• Cuiyun Corridor 翠云廊: A stretch of the old Shu Road lined with ancient cypresses, in a neighbouring section of the scenic area, away from the pass itself. Come for a quiet walk under the trees after the cliffs.

How to visit Jianmen Pass

Most people ride the cable car up from the north gate and walk down past the gate tower to the south gate, which fills a good half day. A full day adds one of the cliff paths or the separate Cuiyun Corridor; the cable car and cliff routes close in rain or strong wind. Just outside the south gate, a street of restaurants serves the local tofu banquets.

How to get to Jianmen Pass

Jianmenguan station, on the Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed line, is about 1.5 hours from Chengdu East and 15 minutes from Guangyuan. Local bus 7 or a taxi covers the last stretch to the scenic area's north and south gates in around half an hour.

Where to stay

Stay in the small tourist town outside the south gate, which has farmhouse inns and restaurants, or in Guangyuan city, which has more choice. A night close to the pass lets you start before the day-trippers.

What to eat

• Jianmen tofu 剑门豆腐: Soft local tofu from the Jianmen Pass area, served in a whole tofu banquet of braised, fried and stuffed dishes in the restaurants outside the south gate.
• Guangyuan steamed rice noodles 广元蒸凉面: Despite the name, it is a hot dish of soft rice noodles, dressed with chilli oil, garlic water and bean sprouts, found across Guangyuan city.

Tips for visiting Jianmen Pass

• Ride the cable car up from the north gate and walk down past the gate tower to the south gate; the cable car and cliff trails close in rain or strong wind.
• The Yuannao and Bird paths are one-way, uphill only and capped daily, and you can do only one: reserve ahead with your passport, and note the Yuannao Path has age and height limits.
• Add the nearby Cuiyun Corridor, a stretch of the old Shu Road shaded by ancient cypresses; most were planted in the Ming dynasty, though local legend credits Zhang Fei.

Nearby

• Qingmuchuan Ancient Town 青木川古镇 70 km
  A curving market street of timber shophouses where Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan meet
• Langzhong Ancient City 阆中古城 80 km
  Lantern-hung lanes laid out by feng shui in a loop of the Jialing River

Also within 30 km: Zhaohua Ancient Town 昭化古城 (20 km), Heming Mountain Taoist Carvings, Jiange 鹤鸣山道教造像 (20 km).

On the map

Open Jianmen Pass on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)