"Laowai" in China

CHENGDU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Hope Justman, an octogenarian American, completed her 25th trip to "Shudao," an ancient road system with a history of more than two millennia in southwest China's Sichuan Province.。

Hope Justman (L) and her fellow hikers walk along the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (front) and her fellow hikers walk along the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (1st R) chats with her fellow hikers on the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Spanning over 1,000 km, "Shudao," or the roads of the Shu Kingdom, winds through rugged mountains and turbulent streams, connecting present-day Sichuan Province with the northern Guanzhong Plain, once the heartland of ancient China.。

An aerial drone photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows the plank road by Mingyue Gorge (below) in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (1st L) explains construction techniques of plank roads to her fellow hikers at Mingyue Gorge scenic area in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Justman's connection to the ancient road system can be traced back to her college days. As a student majoring in art history, she visited an exhibition in the 1960s, where a painting named Emperor Minghuang's Journey to Sichuan captured her attention, especially the plank road skirting the sheer mountain peaks in the background. At first, she thought the artist had imagined the scene. When she found out that the road actually existed, she knew she had to go to China to find it.。

With the help of local guides, Justman finally located "Shudao." Walking on winding plank roads lined with ancient trees made her feel as if she traveled back in time. Justman created a website and wrote a book, sharing her experiences of this ancient road system. In spring, many like-minded foreigners come to Sichuan to hike with her.。

Hope Justman crosses a gap with the help of her fellow hikers while walking along the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (L) and her friend Chen Yang view a stone tablet at the Tianxiong Pass on the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (2nd R) chats with her fellow hikers on the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman shows photos of the ancient road system "Shudao" that she took in the past in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

This combo photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows Hope Justman sharing a photo of the plank road by Mingyue Gorge that she took in the past (above) and the plank road by Mingyue Gorge at present, in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (R) chats with her fellow hiker after hiking the Jianmen Pass to Zhaohua ancient town section of the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (4th L, front) poses for a group photo with her fellow hikers at the Tianxiong Pass on the ancient road system "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

In 2024, the Chinese version of Justman's book was published, and more Chinese people started to learn about the American's bond with "Shudao." Justman has also noticed that great efforts have been made to protect the ancient road system, as broken stone-paved roads have been restored, and many facilities and signposts have been added along the hiking route. "I'm glad more and more people have an opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the ancient road system," she said.。

Hope Justman (L) signs her book with a note for her friend Hu Chaoqun, a restaurant owner at Zhaohua ancient town, in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman (C) visits Zhaohua ancient town with her fellow hikers in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

Hope Justman records the process of making a sugar painting at Zhaohua ancient town in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)。

(责任编辑：探索)