During the recent May Day holiday, Lixianhu Wetland Park and Taiping Mountain in Cangxi County, Guangyuan, became popular getaways for hiking enthusiasts. Here, you won’t find the exhaustion of long-distance travel — instead, family tents dot the lakeside flower fields, and adventurous footsteps echo through mountain caves. What few realize is that this scenic area also holds traces of a thousand‑year‑old “waterway Shu Road.”

【Photo: Tourists camping on the lawn by Lixianhu】

On the morning of May 2, the scent of roses and wildflowers mixed with the lake breeze at Lixianhu Wetland Park. Tents were already pitched along a waterfront lawn, where visitors relaxed and enjoyed the view in a festive mood. Historically, the park was known as Huishui Post — a riverside courier station. A millennium later, the old dock has turned into a wetland park. During the holiday, Lixianhu received over 5,000 visitors per day on average. The former bustle of boatmen and merchants has given way to the laughter of families by the water.

【Photo: Tourists hiking the ancient post road on Taiping Mountain】

If Lixianhu is about leisurely nature, nearby Taiping Mountain offers a deeper conversation with history. On one holiday trail, 8‑year‑old Mu Yuzhe held his parents’ hands and climbed the winding mountain path. His goal wasn’t the summit view, but the caves hidden deep in the hills: “Pigeon Cave,” “Treasure Cave,” and “Magic Water Cave.”

According to local elders, the tracks that hikers now enjoy on Taiping Mountain were once part of the ancient Lilang Post Road. Where travelers of old saw endless courier routes and merchant caravans, today’s visitors take photos and post on social media captioned “so healing.”

Lixianhu and Taiping Mountain — one water, one mountain; one serene, one rugged — seem separate at first glance. But they are quietly linked by a historical thread: the Waterway Shu Road. The section passing through Cangxi was a key hub where water and land routes connected. Travelers would sail north from Langzhong, disembark at Huishui Post in Cangxi, then continue overland via the Taiping Mountain post road toward Lizhou or Micang Road. This combined water‑land transport opened the way to all directions.

Today, this ancient transportation network has become a place for camping and hiking. The Waterway Shu Road is no longer just a name in history books — it lives on beside the tents, beneath hiking boots, and in a child’s excited cry: “I found a cave!”

(By Han Jing, Liu Min)

【原文】广元苍溪：近郊游火热背后的古道新韵

“五一”小长假，广元市苍溪县的梨仙湖湿地公园与太平山吸引大批徒步爱好者前往打卡体验。这里没有长途跋涉的疲惫，只有湖畔花海间的亲子帐篷、山间石洞里的探险脚步——而鲜为人知的是，这片山水之间，藏着一段“水上蜀道”的千年回响。

5月2日清晨，梨仙湖湿地公园月季与蔷薇的花香混着湖风扑面而来，一处临水草坪上早已布满撑开的帐篷，游客们在此休憩赏景，尽显节日的轻松氛围。据悉，梨仙湖湿地公园在历史上有一个更响亮的名字——回水驿。如今，千年水驿变成了湿地公园。据统计，“五一”假期，梨仙湖日均接待游客超过5000人次，昔日的码头喧嚣，化作了今日的家庭欢语。

如果梨仙湖是悠闲的底色，那么距离不远的太平山，则是一场与历史的“深度对话”。“五一”期间，8岁的母雨喆拉着父母的手，沿着太平山的山路蜿蜒而上。这位小小徒步爱好者此行的目标，不是山顶的风景，而是藏在深山里的“鸽子洞”“藏宝洞”“神水洞”。

据当地老人透露，徒步爱好者打卡的太平山就是以前利阆古驿道的一部分。古人站在这里，看到的是驿路漫漫、商旅迢迢；今人站在这里，按下相机快门，配上一句“太治愈了”发到朋友圈。

梨仙湖与太平山的一水一山、一静一动，看似独立，实则被一条隐性的历史纽带紧紧串联——那就是“水上蜀道”。苍溪所在的这一段“水上蜀道”恰恰是水陆转换的关键枢纽：从阆中坐船北上，在苍溪回水驿登岸，再经太平山古驿道转向利州或米仓道，水陆联运，方能通达四方。

如今，古老的交通网络，变成了今天的露营点、步游道。这条水上蜀道，不再只是史书里的地名，它在帐篷边、在徒步鞋下、在孩子的惊呼“我发现了一个洞穴”里，悄然复活。

（韩静 刘敏）