1.Guoliang Tunnel Road
Deep in the Southern Taihang Mountains of China lies a treacherous cliff-hanging road – the Guoliang Tunnel Road. This route is not merely a vital transportation link connecting the mountain interior to the outside world; it’s a man-made wonder that quickens the pulse and stuns the senses.
Construction of the Guoliang Tunnel Road began in 1972 and was completed in 1977. It was entirely hand-carved by the villagers of Guoliang, with thirteen villagers primarily responsible for the excavation. These thirteen are now known as the “Thirteen Heroes” of the Guoliang Tunnel. The road is considered one of the ten most dangerous roads in the world.
Entering the Guoliang Tunnel Road is like stepping into a labyrinth of rock. The road winds up along steep cliff faces, carved over five years by thirteen villagers armed with nothing but hammers and chisels, creating a pathway to the outside world through seemingly impassable terrain.
As you traverse this road, you can feel the isolated tranquility and sense the stories embedded in every rock.
2.Kunshan Cliff Road
The Southern Taihang Mountains, hailed by National Geographic as China’s most beautiful mountain range, are home to the Kunshan Cliff Road. Located in the Wangmangling Scenic Area of Gucheng Township, Lingchuan County, Jincheng City, this road is one of the most distinctive among the seven cliff roads in the Southern Taihang Mountains. It’s a perilously winding road carved into sheer cliff faces.
The road stretches for 7.5 kilometers, with 3.5 kilometers passing through tunnels. It slopes downward from west to east, cutting across a cliff face with a vertical height of 500 meters. Over the years, it has deterred many female drivers. Inside the tunnel, the walls are uneven and strewn with jagged rocks. The tunnel is about 2.2 meters high and 2.1 meters wide, allowing only one car to pass at a time.
The road surface is steep with sharp turns, and 156 skylights have been carved out. These not only allow light to enter but also offer glimpses of the beautiful scenery outside. With dangerous cliffs above and deep chasms below, surrounded by thousand-foot precipices and natural barriers, scenic spots such as Fairy Peak, Qing Hammer Peak, Waiting Husband Stone, and Flying Stone are abundant.
3.Huilong Cliff Road
Located in Huixian, Henan Province, this is the southernmost cliff road, stretching about 9 kilometers. After the completion of the Huilong Village cliff road, it not only connected 17 previously isolated natural villages above and below the cliff but also fundamentally changed the difficult situation where cliff-top villagers had relied on a narrow mountain path for generations to travel up and down the mountain.
4.Xiyagou Cliff Road
In the easternmost part of Lingchuan County, Shanxi, bordering Henan, lies the small village of Xiyagou, hailed as a paradise on earth. Legend has it that immortals once smelted tin and refined elixirs here, hence its name. With its crisscrossing paths, layered terraced fields, babbling streams, and ancient bridges, it’s an ideal spot for art students to practice their sketching.
The Xiyagou Cliff Road is considered the earliest to start construction, using the most primitive methods and simplest tools, with the longest construction period and largest workload among cliff roads. Starting from 1962, all 830 villagers toiled for thirty years!
On cliff faces with thousand-foot drops above and bottomless chasms below, they used steel chisels and iron hammers to carve out a 7.5-kilometer “hanging” road on the sheer cliffs of Wangmangling to the north. With an elevation difference of 600 meters, this road alternates between exposed and tunneled sections, creating a miracle and becoming a rare cultural landscape.
5.Qiwangzhai Cliff Road
Qiwangzhai – an ancient village hidden deep in the mountains. Its cliff road is a magical path connecting this secret realm to the outside world. Unlike common mountain roads, this one clings to steep cliff faces, winding like a giant dragon. Driving on such a road, every step is filled with challenge and excitement.
6.Xifanggou Cliff Road
About 92 kilometers northeast of Guangyuan, Sichuan, in the great canyon of Xiliu River, a road quietly winds along the sheer cliffs – the Xifanggou Cliff Road.
Carved into the mountainside, the Xifanggou Cliff Road is located in Xifanggou Village, Maoba River Town, Ningqiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. Construction began in 2000 and was completed after six years.
This cliff road, chiseled out of the rock hammer by hammer, stretches for over a thousand meters. It zigzags around treacherous mountain cliffs, accompanied by towering peaks and canyon streams. Not only has it solved the travel difficulties for Xifanggou villagers, but it has also become the most beautiful cliff road in Ningqiang County and even Shaanxi Province.
Traveling along this road, you’ll find thousand-foot cliffs above and deep chasms below. On one side are hundred-meter-high precipices, on the other are steep rock faces. The mountains are perilous, the canyons deep, streams gurgle, forests are beautiful, and strange peaks face each other, creating a spectacular scene.
Following the road through dark tunnels, you’ll soon see farmhouses nestled in the mountain forests – this is Xifanggou Village, once almost cut off from the world, now accessible through this “hidden path.”
7.Shanyang Cliff Road
Located in Shanyang County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, about 150 kilometers from Xi’an city center, the Shanyang Cliff Road offers not only magnificent natural scenery but also an astonishing road spectacle, making it an excellent choice for a self-driving tour!
The most distinctive feature of cliff roads is their sections along sheer cliffs. Driving on these stretches feels like moving through the clouds, heart-pounding yet thrilling. If you’re lucky enough to rise early, don’t miss the sea of clouds at sunrise. As the sun slowly rises between the mountains, golden light spills over the sea of clouds, making you feel as if you’re in a fairyland.
Along the way, you’ll pass through some mountain villages that are rustic and tranquil, seemingly isolated from the world. Here, you can taste authentic local dishes and experience the simplicity and warmth of the local people.
