Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient and Architectural Complex of Shaolin Temple starting at Mianchi Chengguanzhen

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient

   The Silk Road is often imagined as a line across a desert, but in places it was a road cut into rock. The Xiaohan ancient road runs through the mountains of Henan province, linking Luoyang, the Han and Tang capital, with the west through the narrow pass at Hangu. The Shihao section is a stretch of the road that survives in the loess hills, with ruts cut into the stone by wheels. UNESCO listed it as part of the Silk Roads network in 2014.

   Read the complete Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient is where the day begins. Next is Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’.

2. 2. Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’

   The Hangu Pass is one of the legendary places of Chinese history. According to tradition, it was at the old Hangu Pass, guarding the narrow road between the Central Plain and the Wei valley, that the philosopher Laozi, leaving China on the back of an ox, was asked by the gatekeeper to write down his wisdom before passing, and the result was the Tao Te Ching. That pass lies further west, near Lingbao. In 114 BC, under the Han dynasty, the pass was moved east to Xin'an county, near Luoyang, and it is the remains of this later Han pass, with its gate, walls and stretches of ancient road, that form part of the Silk Roads World Heritage site, on the route between the capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang and on towards Central Asia.

   Read the complete Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’ write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’ comes up about 72 km into the recorded legs. Next is The Grand Canal.

3. 3. The Grand Canal

   Luoyang is one of China's ancient capitals, a city with over a thousand years of imperial history pressed into its soil, and the Grand Canal is part of the reason why. In the early seventh century the Sui emperor Yang ordered a system of canals dug to link the Yellow River plain with the rice country of the south, and Luoyang became its great hub. Grain from the Yangtze delta was shipped here and stored in enormous underground granaries; one of them, the Hanjia granary inside the city, is part of the UNESCO listing of the Grand Canal and you can see the excavated grain pits today.

   Read the complete The Grand Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 104 km into the recorded legs you reach The Grand Canal. Next is Architectural Complex of Shaolin Temple.

4. 4. Architectural Complex of Shaolin Temple

   Ask most people where kung fu comes from and they will name this temple, even if they have no idea where it is. The Shaolin Temple stands at the foot of Mount Song in Henan province, central China, near the city of Dengfeng. It was founded at the end of the fifth century for an Indian monk, and tradition says that Bodhidharma, the legendary founder of Chan, or Zen, Buddhism, meditated in a cave on the mountain above for nine years. The monks' martial arts became famous over the centuries, and today Shaolin is as much a brand as a monastery.

   Read the complete Architectural Complex of Shaolin Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Architectural Complex of Shaolin Temple, about halfway. Next is back through The Grand Canal.

5. 5. back through The Grand Canal

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete The Grand Canal write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through The Grand Canal sits at 243 km, about halfway. Next is back through Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’.

6. 6. back through Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’ write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Site of Han’gu Pass of Han Dynasty in Xin’ comes up about 264 km into the recorded legs. Next is Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient.

7. 7. Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Site of Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient closes the day.