passing Kuan-chih-hsiang (5 miles), Han-chia (6 miles), and Wu-li- 

 ch'iao (9 miles). Ch'ing-chia-yi is a small village in bad repair, but 

 contains numerous inns. 



Stage 3. Kao-chuang (13 miles). General Direction : W. 



A rough mule-track, much cut up in places, ascends to the head 

 of the valley, passing Pai-chia-chi at 2 miles, and reaching the summit 

 at the village of Ta-shan-ch'uan at 4 miles. Traversing a pass in the 

 mountain-range, the road descends into a narrow valley, flanked by 

 loess hills, and skirts the stream, which it crosses and re-crosses several 

 times. T'ai-p'ing-ch6n is passed at 7 miles, T'ai-p'ing-tien at 8 miles, 

 and Man-yang-chuang at 9 miles. Kao-chuang is a fair-sized walled 

 village. 



Stage 4. Hui-ning Hsien (13 miles). General Direction : W. 



The road continues to descend the valley, which now opens out, 

 and passing Wu-li-p'u (3 miles), Chang-ts'un-p'u (5 miles), San-li-p'u 

 (6 miles), and W^n-chia-chuang (7 miles), reaches Hui-ning Hsien, a 

 busy town on the right bank of the Lan Ho, with one long main street 

 containing many shops. There is a Postal Agency here (Hweining). 



Stage 5. Hsi-kung-yi (15 J miles). General Direction : W. by S. 



A fair cart-road, but rough in places. Descending the valley of 

 the Lan Ho in a N.W. direction, the road at 2 J miles crosses to the 

 left bank and passes Yang-chia-ts'ai (3 miles), Chang-chia-ho (4 miles), 

 and Tung-^rh (5 miles). At Chi-erh-ts'ai (6 miles) the road reaches 

 the junction of the Lan Ho with a tributary stream, and, skirting a 

 small fort, turns S.W. up the valley of the tributary and skirts the left 

 bank of the stream, which is bounded by high loess cliffs. The road 

 passes Ts'ao-chia-p'u (7 miles), Ts'ao-chia-ho-p'ang (9 miles), Hsia- 

 chia-ying (11 miles), and Liang-chia-hua (14 miles), and reaches 

 Hsi-kung-yi, a village of about 70 families, surrounded by a ruined wall. 



Stage 6. An-ting Hsien (14 miles). General Direction : W.S.W. 



A good mule-road ascends the valley, passing Ma-chia (2 miles), and 

 thence begins to ascend the loess slopes of the Ching-liang Shan, 

 passing Shan-t'ou-shang at 4 miles and Ching-liang-shan at g miles. 

 The summit of the pass is reached at Ssu-fang-p'u (11 miles), and the 

 road then winds easily down the hillside, passing Ch'en-chia-chuang 

 (11 J miles) and Chia-ho-kou (15 miles). An-ting Hsien is a busy town 



167 



