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“今天，我將與大家分享我是如何踏上這條古老之路的，以及這條古道是如何闖入我的生活的。”4月13日下午， 暮春的寬窄巷子飄著銀杏新綠，三聯韜奮書店內，一位銀髮如雪、神采奕奕的外國老者，用流利的中文講述著她跨越半個世紀的東方情緣。她就是賈和普。此次她帶著自己的作品《劍門古蜀道行走記》與讀者見面分享，笑容滿面，精神煥發，談起蜀道，眼中有星辰閃爍。這位被譽為“”劍門蜀道文化擺渡人”的美國學者，剛剛完成人生第24次蜀道之旅。

Jia and Pu shared

“蜀道候鳥”出書講述徒步蜀道見聞

自2001年以來，賈和普已先後24次到中國四川的劍門蜀道進行漫遊，並以建立網站、著述的形式，向全世界介紹她與古蜀道的故事以及中國的歷史、文化和民俗。就在今年3月21日，82歲的“蜀道候鳥”、美國友人賈和普帶著12位外國友人來到廣元市朝天區明月峽景區，再訪明月峽古棧道，重溫徒步蜀道之源。

2015年，賈和普被劍閣縣政府授予“劍門蜀道使者”稱號；2016年和2017年，她連續兩年被任命為“劍門蜀道國際旅遊推介大使”。2025年3月19日，劍閣縣授予她“劍門蜀道國際旅遊終身推介大使”的稱號，以表彰她在研究蜀道歷史和宣傳蜀道文化方面所做的貢獻。這是該地區首次頒發此類終身大使稱號。

In the English book "Jianmen Ancient Shu Road Walking", Jia Hepu gave a detailed introduction to her experience of hiking on the ancient Shu Road, including scenic spots, folk customs, food, traditional buildings, cultural sites, etc. along the way, and praised China's thousands of years of ecological protection, and especially included more than ten recommended routes for Shu Road hiking, in addition to the combing of the ancient Shu Road humanities and history and the introduction of Shu Road hiking. The book is not only a walking guide, but also an important historical archive, readers can follow in her footsteps, through her perspective, to gain an in-depth understanding of the excellent traditional Chinese culture and the unique features of the Bashu region, and to explore the mystery and magnificent landscape of the ancient Shu Road. In 2024, Jia Hepu's English book "Jianmen Shu Road Walking Guide" was translated into the Chinese edition and published by the Sichuan Nationalities Publishing House.

"Walking Notes on the Ancient Shu Road of Jianmen"

A journey of discovery of the "Ancient Road" that begins with a painting

The relationship between Jia and Pu and Shu Dao can be traced back to the 80s of the 0th century. In 0, Jia Hepu, who was still an art history student at an American college at the time, was deeply shocked when he saw exquisite paintings, porcelain and bronzes from China at an exhibition of cultural relics at the Boston Museum. Among them, the plank road on the cliff in the "Ming Emperor Xingshu Picture" made by the Tang Dynasty painter aroused her strong curiosity. "That was the first time I saw this painting, and the plank road in the painting was on the side of a high mountain cliff, and I naively thought it was the artist's imagination. After this exhibition, Jia Hepu decided to major in Chinese art, and since then he has devoted himself to the study of Chinese history, literature and art for a long time. Because of his love for Chinese culture, Jia Hepu has been subscribing to Chinese pictorial magazines for a long time. In the 0s of the 0th century, she accidentally read an article about the reconstruction of the plank road in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province in the magazine "China Pictorial", "At that moment, I realized that the plank road I saw in the artwork was not fictional, but real. ”

In 1909, Jia Hepu set foot on Chinese soil for the first time. Her footprints first traveled to popular attractions in Beijing, Shanghai and other metropolises. However, there is a desire in her heart to visit places that are far from the popular tourist trails and to see the relics of traditional Chinese culture. At first, she was a little apprehensive, wondering if she would be able to make the trip if she didn't have a regular travel manual. It was then that she discovered a book written by Westerners after trekking through China in 0 years. Inspired by the book, J&P followed some of these routes and embarked on a different kind of journey. Of course, she is not a hiker, but uses various means of transportation to shuttle between the vast land.

A voracious reader of books ranging from journalists, travelers, missionaries, and geologists to their experiences in China, Jia was curious about China and eager to see the ancient cultural relics depicted in those books. During such an in-depth journey, she was pleasantly surprised to discover some well-preserved stone paths. In the spring of 1999, during a hiking trip in Yunnan, she stumbled upon an ancient stone road. This stone road is thick or thin, long or short, like the vein of history, leading her through time. She traveled by car to follow the ancient roads hidden between the mountains and rivers.

Jahop communicates with readers

On the journey to find the stone path, Jia and Pu encountered many moving scenes: traditional old buildings standing quietly in the years; Farmers toiled in the fields as if time had never changed; Elderly people dressed in traditional costumes are leisurely; The suspension bridge swayed gently, the stone mill turned slowly, and everything was like a scene from an ancient poem, and she was deeply moved. It was also during this journey that she remembered the Guangyuan plank road in the ancient painting. With a yearning for history, she traveled from Yunnan to Sichuan, first to Chengdu, and then to Guangyuan. Under the enthusiastic guidance of the locals, she embarked on the ancient Shu Road of Cuiyun Corridor, and since then she has started her decades-long journey of exploring the Shu Road.

Jia Hepu (left), Wang Hong (right)

Professor Wang Hong of Sichuan University praised the "Walking Guide to Jianmen Shu Road":

Record the good and convey the goodwill

The story of Jia Hepu and Shu Dao deeply touched Wang Hong, a professor of classical literature at Sichuan University, who participated in the exchange. She revealed that she carefully read Ms. Jia Hepu's "Walking Guide to Jianmen Shu Road", "The book not only records the remains of the ancient road, but also inscribes countless warm encounters." In the book she documents everyone who helped her on her journey: the guide, the enthusiastic guide, the driver, the cook...... And expressed deep gratitude to these kind people. Once, Ms. Jia Hepu missed the hotel during her trip, but was fortunate to be warmly stayed by the simple peasants. In today's fast-paced life, we encounter many people and things every day, but those beautiful details are often overlooked. The relationship of mutual aid documented in Ms. Jia's book, as well as her acceptance and transmission of kindness, convinced me that no matter what challenges we face in the future, helping each other and transmitting kindness are indispensable forces for human society. ”

Jia and Pu sign the reader

In addition, as an expert in classical literature, Professor Wang Hong also made an in-depth analysis and response to the historical background of the Ming Emperor Xingshu and Shu Dao mentioned by Jia Hepu from the perspective of literary history. She pointed out that China is a country of poetry, and poets have sung affectionately on this land from ancient times to the present. As one of the most difficult and precipitous "poetry roads", Jianmen Shu Road has not only witnessed the birth of countless literary works, but also become the intersection of geography and humanities, fully embodying the "wonders of civilization shaped by the mutual nourishment of mountains and literature".