A que is a gate tower, and the Shaoshi Que is a pair of them, standing like two stone gateposts at the foot of Mount Shaoshi in Henan province, on the approach to the sacred mountain. They date from the Han dynasty, nearly two thousand years ago, and are among the oldest surviving examples of this type of monument in China. The tall stone shafts, with carved reliefs of hunting scenes, animals and chariots, stand on the slope with the mountain behind them. Together with the Taishi and Qimu que on neighbouring mountains, they belong to the group of monuments in Dengfeng that UNESCO recognised in 2010 as the Centre of Heaven and Earth.
The mountain is part of the sacred Mount Song, one of China's five great peaks, which has been a religious and political centre for millennia. Early Chinese rulers saw this region as the middle of the world, and Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian traditions all left their mark. Just up the valley is the Shaolin Temple, the monastery that is the legendary birthplace of Chan Buddhism and a famous home of martial arts, which draws crowds of visitors and performers.
The countryside around Dengfeng is dry, hilly farmland, with orchards and walnut trees, and the limestone and sandstone mountains rise abruptly from the plain. Songyang, with about 60,000 people only six kilometres away, is the main place for supplies, and Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, is to the east. Roads are good, with expressways and well-surfaced local routes, though traffic and trucks can be heavy. Spring and autumn are comfortable, summers are hot and winters can be bitterly cold and dry.
As with any plan for China, check how motorcycles are treated. Foreign licences are not valid on Chinese roads, temporary permits are complicated to arrange, and many city centres restrict motorcycles. Most visitors will take a taxi or a local bus to the site. The mountain air, the sound of wind in the pines and the rows of old stone make the stop worth the effort. Local food in Henan leans on wheat, so expect hand-pulled noodles and steamed buns, with a spicy kick in many dishes.