Taihang Tianxia ridge, thousands of walls, mountain high road steep.
In the Grand Canyon, Qinglongxia Village, in order to change the poor and backward appearance of their hometown, the villagers carved a tourist road carrying the hope of prosperity in the stone mountains with their hands for more than 700 days and nights.
Niu Hesong, 45 years old this year, is a native of Houjiao Natural Village, Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province. Located in the Grand Canyon of Taihang Mountain, Hou Brain Natural Village is rich in tourism resources, but it is difficult to develop due to inconvenient transportation. In 2017, Niu Hesong, who works at a newspaper, came up with the idea of building a tourist trail in his hometown after seeing the successful experience of many rural areas to get rid of poverty and become rich.
Repairing this mountain road has also been the dream of villagers for generations, but the terrain of Taihang Mountain is precipitous, large machinery cannot go up, and the road can only rely on manpower, which is too difficult. Niu He Song was not intimidated by the terrain, and he firmly believed that the road would be repaired day by day, inch by inch, and it would definitely be repaired. Determined, he resolutely resigned and returned to his hometown, calling on the villagers to build the road together. Everyone went up the mountain together to investigate, think of ways together, and overcome difficulties little by little. Slowly, more and more villagers joined the road construction.
Niu He Song and the villagers split the mountain and took stones, built one step after another, and conquered one mountain after another. As of February 2023, villagers have built more than 3,500 meters of tourist trails in the stone mountain. Thousands of steps and more than 100,000 stones carry everyone's hope of becoming rich.
At the end of 2018, when the villagers struggled with funds, Huguan County and Grand Canyon Town provided 30,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan respectively. Some caring people in the society have also extended a helping hand, sending mineral water, rice noodles, simple beds, tents and other materials.
The tourist trail connects Hou Nau Natural Village with many tourist landscapes in neighboring villages that need to be developed, forming a unique tourist mountain road network, attracting many tourists to visit, and many villagers have also taken the opportunity to open farmhouses and sell local products.
With the construction of tourist trails, villagers have benefited from it, and more and more villagers have participated in the construction of roads. At present, the villagers are stepping up the construction of a trail leading to the top of the mountain, and in the future they plan to build a cliff path halfway up the mountain.
In spring, among the peaks of the Taihang Mountains, the mountain wind is like a knife. The villagers' enthusiasm for building roads is boiling in the mountains.
Villagers Niu He Song (right) and Niu Lipeng quarry stone on the Taihang Mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
On the Taihang Mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers drink water and rest between road construction (pictured March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
Villagers eat lunch in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured on March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
On the Taihang Mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers carry stones to the road construction site (pictured March 7). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
In Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers carry stones to the road construction site (pictured March 7). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
On the Taihang Mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers climb the cliff to build a road (drone photo, March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
Villagers carry stones in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (March 23, drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Villagers build a road on Taihang Mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
On the Taihang Mountain, located in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, Niu He Song rests between road construction (pictured on March 7). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Chenguang
Niu He Song (right) and Niu Yonggang carry stones in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured on March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
In Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers build roads on the mountain (taken March 7, drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Niu He Song (front) carries stones in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured on March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
In Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers build roads on the mountain (pictured on March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Niu Yonggang, a villager in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, carries stones (pictured on March 7). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Villagers walk along a repaired tourist trail (March 10, 2023, drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
In Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Niu He Song (front) and villagers build a road on the mountain (pictured on March 23). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Wang Chengsheng (front) and villagers build a road on the mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (pictured on March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Some villagers building the road pose for a group photo on the mountain, from left to right: Wang Chunqin, Niu Hesong, Zhang Weiguo, Wang Chengsheng, Niu Lipeng, Niu Yonggang, Shen Sen, Niu Huikai (taken on March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
In Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province, villagers build a road on the mountain (pictured on March 8). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan
Villagers build a road on the mountain in Qinglongxia Village, Grand Canyon Town, Huguan County, Shanxi Province (March 8, drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhan Yan