Gallery Road
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The historical Gallery Roads (), also known as Cliff Roads or Plank Roads, were routes traversing remote mountainous regions of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. The roads were fashioned using wooden planks securely fastened within holes carved into cliff sides. Primarily found in the
Qin Mountains The Qinling () or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan ("Southern Mountains"), are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Ye ...
, they connected the
Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, such as in the Records ...
and the Han River valleys. The first gallery roads were built during the
Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...
(476–221 BC) and used by Qin to invade Shu and Ba. They were fully consolidated into a thriving network during the
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
. Before the 20th century, very primitive versions were used in the western gorges of the
Pamir Mountains The Pamir Mountains are a Mountain range, range of mountains between Central Asia and South Asia. They are located at a junction with other notable mountains, namely the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun Mountains, Kunlun, Hindu Kush and the Himalaya ...
.


Overview

Gallery Roads were notable engineering accomplishments in ancient Chinese history. This infrastructure was predominantly constructed to ease transportive strain across cliffs in rugged mountainous areas. The Shu Road serves as a prime illustration, traversing some of China's most rugged and desolate terrains, including the
Qinling The Qinling () or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan ("Southern Mountains"), are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Ye ...
and Daba Mountain ranges. Functioning as a crucial link between the Wei River valley and the ancient capital of
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
, this road employed the plank road technique to secure pathways across cliffs and steep
ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...
s. The construction of gallery roads was tailored to the specific topographical features of the surrounding terrain, resulting in unique structural implementations. The most prevalent type of gallery road is a wooden plank road anchored to cliffs using holes and wooden piles, subsequently covered with wooden boards. An alternative method involved carving stone roads directly into cliff faces. Modern reconstructions of gallery roads incorporate materials like steel and stone to improve durability. Additionally, specific sections feature glass components aimed at attracting tourists.


Historical Gallery Roads


Shudao

Shudao The Shudao (), or the Road(s) to Shu, is a system of mountain roads linking the Chinese province of Shaanxi with Sichuan (Shu), built and maintained since the 4th century BC. Technical highlights were the gallery roads, consisting of wooden plank ...
is the general name of the historic road that was constructed through the Qinling, Micang and Daba mountainous barrier. The main function of the Shudao is to connect the Wei River valley (today's
Guanzhong Guanzhong (, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben str ...
) with the ancient capital Chang’An (today's Xi’An) in the north with Shu region (headquartered in today's Chengdu) in the south. The Shu Roads pass through some of the most rugged and desolate terrains in China. The first major highways were most likely built in the
Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...
(481–221 BCE). During the Qin (221–206 BCE) and Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) dynasties, this road network was massively improved upon. For the most part, the roads were built through natural corridors which had already been established as travel routes by their inhabitants. To build these important paths along the steep and dangerous cliff, the builders used the innovative road-building technique known as "Gallery Road" to fix the roads on the rock walls and cross the mountains, rivers and valleys.


See also

* Stone Cattle Road * Covered bridge * Archaeology in China *
Shudao The Shudao (), or the Road(s) to Shu, is a system of mountain roads linking the Chinese province of Shaanxi with Sichuan (Shu), built and maintained since the 4th century BC. Technical highlights were the gallery roads, consisting of wooden plank ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallery Road Ancient roads and tracks Transport in China Plank road