On March 23, the "Hiking the Millennium-Old Shudao Road, Dialoguing on the Path of Civilization" China-U.S. people-to-people exchange event kicked off in Guangyuan. From March 23 to 27, experts and scholars, representatives of well-known enterprises, and representatives of international students from the United States will join Chinese experts in ancient road culture and ecological civilization, as well as specialists in international communication and cultural tourism, to hike the millennium-old Shudao Road and engage in a civilization dialogue between the Chinese and American peoples.

The Shudao Road was not only a renowned transportation artery in ancient China, but also a living continuum of Chinese civilization's defining characteristics—continuity, innovation, unity, inclusivity, and a peace-loving spirit. Hope Justman, a cultural scholar from Philadelphia, has traveled the Shudao Road 25 times over more than 20 years. Through writing books and launching websites, she has introduced this "great road of China" to American audiences. In addition to Hope Justman, South Korean scholars Kim Eun Joo and her husband have conducted immersive explorations of the Three Kingdoms cultural heritage sites along the Shudao Road, becoming representative figures of deep cultural exchanges within the East Asian cultural sphere. Outdoor enthusiasts from Germany, Australia, and beyond frequently venture deep into the Shudao Road for hiking, photography, and other activities, forming a stable international hiking community.

During this event, participants will hike along the Shudao Road, taking in the thousand-year-old ancient cypresses at the Cuiyun Corridor, which tell a story of protection and inheritance that spans time and space, and admiring the artistic elegance carved into the Thousand Buddha Cliff and the cliffside statues at Huangze Temple. They will experience the heroic spirit of the Chinese nation at the majestic and precipitous Jianmen Pass, touch the historical imprint of the Three Kingdoms period at the ancient town of Zhaohua, appreciate the evolution of transportation along the Shudao Road at the Mingyue Gorge Plank Road, and witness the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature at the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve. During the event, a China-U.S. youth dialogue and exchange, as well as a "Shudao Beauty Seen by the World" exchange session, will also be held.