27km of steep winding road joins Yuanyang new town to the old town which clings perilously to the side of an impossibly high mountain. When I took the journey a few days ago I shared a crowded minibus with humans and animals and much the amusement of several children, as we climbed higher and higher, the tops of water bottles (the big ones used in water coolers), kept popping off. It wasn’t just the bottle tops which were feeling the increase in pressure, my ears were telling my head that I needed to swallow something.
The drops to the left side of the road were steep but often protected by concrete bollards. However, the numerous landslides from the mountainside to our right had to be negotiated and that often forced us into the middle of the road.
Coming down the road several days later was a lot easier and the driver had no problem in taking me for 10rmb, the same price as sharing the minibus with hordes of Chinese people and animals. Then I realised why… he free-wheeled most of the way, only engaging gear when he really needed to.
Don’t let the journey put you off visiting Yuanyang xinjie, and even better, the villages including the one I stayed in Duoyishu. They are wonderful places although lacking in hotels and restaurants – take your own food!