一、蜀道概说
蜀道是中国古代穿越秦岭、大巴山，连接关中平原与四川盆地的道路交通体系，其历史可追溯至商末周初（约前11世纪），现存遗迹见证着3000余年的人类交通文明史。
该路网由北段秦岭通道（含祁山道、陈仓道、褒斜道、傥骆道、子午道）与南段大巴山通道（含阴平道、金牛道、米仓道、荔枝道）构成，沿途分布剑门关、翠云廊古柏群等景观，串联栈道遗址、石门十三品摩崖石刻、昭化古城等承载古代邮驿制度与工程智慧的物质遗存，以及传承千年的川北傩戏、高观皮影和白龙花灯等非物质文化遗产。
作为黄河流域农耕文明与长江流域山地文明、北丝绸之路与南丝绸之路的交融纽带，蜀道通过“伐木架栈、缘山铺碥”的工程形式，依托“邮、亭、驿、置”等多级交通体系，促进冶铁技术、儒家思想与巴蜀织锦、道教文化等的双向传播，架设起东西方文明对话的桥梁，其突破地理屏障的营建智慧，与阿皮亚古道等列入世界文化遗产名录的古道共同诠释人类文明的韧性；而穿越秦岭—大巴山全球生物多样性热点区的生态廊道，以其“林路共生”的活态遗产景观为人类生态文明可持续发展提供历史镜鉴。
目前，蜀道已被联合国教科文组织世界遗产中心列入“世界遗产预备名录”，凭借其自然与文化双重遗产价值，向世界展现中华文明多元一体的历史脉络与生态智慧。
二、蜀道研究院简介
蜀道研究院是中共四川省委宣传部指导的、以西华师范大学为建设主体的科研创新基地，主要从事蜀道遗产保护研究传承等工作，是全国教育系统先进集体、省重点中华文化研究院、省哲学社会科学重点研究基地。研究院下设文献中心、学术中心、出版发行中心、传承创新中心、普及传播中心、古树名木保护中心和《蜀道研究》编辑部、数智实验室等平台，拥有六大科研团队、八大研究方向，近百名科研人员，先后承接“考古中国”重大项目“蜀道考古”等国家科研项目36项，推出《蜀道行纪类编》《蜀道文库》《蜀道遗产丛书》等标志性成果，2项成果入选国家哲学社会科学成果文库，27项成果获教育部高等学校科学研究优秀成果奖二等奖等省级以上奖励，2人入选国家级人才计划，5人入选省级优秀教师，为习近平总书记等党和国家领导人提供咨询讲解服务，相关成果被《人民日报》、中央电视台等媒体多次报道。
研究院坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，坚持遵循“两创”方针、践行“两个结合”，按照“省校共建、校院联动、市企参与、开放合作”的思路，以考古调查和文献整理为基础，以学科建设和人才培育为支撑，以多学科跨领域综合研究为重点，以挖掘价值和推出成果为目标，构建蜀道研究阐释、保护传承、教育普及、交流传播体系，讲好中华文化蜀道故事，为建设习近平文化思想实践新高地、谱写中华民族现代文明巴蜀新篇章贡献力量。
I. An Overview of ShuDao
ShuDao refers to the ancient road transportation network traversing the Qinling and Daba Mountains, connecting the Guanzhong Plain and the Sichuan Basin in China. Its history dates back to the late Shang and early Zhou dynasties (around the 11th century BC), with surviving remnants bearing witness to over 3,000 years of human transportation civilization.
The network consists of the northern Qinling Mountain routes (including the Qishan Road, the Chencang Road, the Baoxie Road, the Tangluo Road, and the Ziwu Road) and the southern Daba Mountain routes (including the Yinping Road, the Jinniu Road, the Micang Road, and the Lizhi Road). Along these routes lie iconic landscapes such as the Jianmen Pass and the ancient cypress groves of Cuiyun Corridor. These sites preserve both tangible cultural relics and intangible living traditions. The former, like the plank road relics, the Thirteen Inscriptions of Shimen Cliff Carvings, and the ancient city of Zhaohua, tell us eloquently about the ancient postal systems and ancient people’s engineering ingenuity, while the latter include the Chuanbei Nuo Opera, Gaoguan Shadow Puppetry, and Bailong Lantern Festival which has been popularized for a thousand years.
As a convergence point between the agricultural civilization of the Yellow River Basin and the mountainous culture of the Yangtze River Basin, as well as between the Northern and Southern Silk Roads, ShuDao facilitates bidirectional exchanges such as iron-smelting technologies, Confucian philosophy, Sichuan brocade craftsmanship, and Daoist culture through engineering marvels—"building plank roads through forests and carving paths along mountains" and its multi-tiered road system of “post stations, relay stops, courier hubs.” It also serves as the bridge for Western and Eastern cultural exchanges. With its compelling testament to humanity's resilience in overcoming geographical barriers, it rivals world-famous heritage routes like the Appian Way. Furthermore, ShuDao's ecological corridor, traversing the Qinling-Daba Mountains (a global biodiversity hotspot), demonstrates ancient ecological sustainability through its “forests-roads symbiosis ecosystem,” which offers historical guidance for ecologically sustainable development.
Currently, ShuDao has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. With its dual heritage values of nature and culture, it embodies China’s historical trajectory ecological philosophy, reflecting Chinese civilization’s enduring principle of “harmonious diversity.”
II. An Introduction to ShuDao Research Institute
The ShuDao Research Institute, guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and hosted by China West Normal University, is an innovative institute dedicated to the preservation, research, and transmission of ShuDao heritage. Recognized as a National Advanced Collective in Education System, a Provincial Key Institute for Chinese Culture Studies, and a Provincial Key Research Base for Philosophy and Social Sciences, the institute operates platforms including a Documentation Center, an Academic Center, a Publishing Center, a Heritage Innovation Center, a Public Engagement Center, an Ancient and Notable Tree Conservation Center, the ShuDao Research Editorial Office, and the Digital Intelligence Laboratory.
With six research teams, eight disciplinary focuses and nearly 100 researchers, the institute has undertaken 36 national projects, including a major national project of "Archaeological China: ShuDao Archaeology." Its landmark publications—Compilation of ShuDao Travel Records, ShuDao Library, and ShuDao Heritage Series—have earned two entries into the National Philosophy and Social Sciences Achievements Library and 27 for provincial-level and above honors, including the Second Prize of Outstanding Research Achievement Award for Higher Education Institutions by the Ministry of Education. Two researchers have been selected for national talent programs, and five have been listed for provincial teaching excellence honor. The institute has provided advisory services to national leaders including the President Xi and its work has been repeatedly featured in People's Daily and CCTV.
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the institute adheres to the principle of "Two Creatives" and the practice of "Two Integrations." Following the approach of “province-university co-construction, university-school collaboration, municipal-enterprise participation and open cooperation,” with the support of discipline development and talent cultivation, it prioritizes interdisciplinary researches based on archaeological surveys and document compilation, so as to achieve valuable and productive results. By constructing systems for research interpretation, heritage protection, educational outreach, and cultural exchange, the institute aspires to share ShuDao’s narrative globally and contribute to advancing Xi Jinping’s cultural-ideological thought and phrasing a new chapter of Sichuan in modern Chinese civilization.
