Qutang Gorge: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:27, 11 February 2007

Revision as of 03:32, 11 February 2007

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==== The Ancient Pathway (古栈道) ====

These narrow footpaths were built starting in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and continued to be maintained and improved up until the middle of the 20th century. The original purpose was to provide a foot path for human haulers to pull boats upstream. Thus they were always alongside cliffs next to the river. Since the earliest days, boats going downstream used oars just to get steerage way. Going upstream, human powered oars were no match to the rapid current. Thus gangs of humans, harnessed to a tow rope, hauled the boats upstream. These haulers needed a path along the steep cliffs to walk on. Thus The Ancient Pathways were built. Even today haulers can be seen as in [http://www.tianshannet.com/GB/channel1708/1719/200607/26/299289.html TianShan].

Over the years, these paths were expanded and improved. In addition to hauling boats, hauling of goods also needed pathways in this mountainous region. Thus, in addition to paths for haulers, paths were built for hauling goods up mountains. These higher paths would survive the flooding after the [[Three Gorges DamsDam]] areis complete.

For a gallery of recent pictures of The Ancient Pathway go to [http://www.photosanxia.com/list.asp?classid=152 photosanxia]