Xidi - village in Anhui province, China

Xidi (西递; _Xīdì_​​) is a village in Anhui Province in China. Together with Hongcun, it is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as "Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui".

Get in

Tourist buses from the bus terminal next to Huangshan North railway station stop at Xidi en route to Hongcun. In Xidi, the tourist information centre near the ticket office sells bus tickets and guides you to the bus stop when the bus is coming.

From the Huangshan bus station, there are minibuses to Hongcun, but for Xidi it may be necessary to transfer. Ask the drivers.

You can also get to Xidi by bus or taxi from Tunxi (taxi ¥150-180)

Get around

Cars are not permitted on the old streets of the village, so walking is the only way to get around.

See

Xidi is a nice old and charming village full of ancient buildings, narrow streets, and no cars. During the daytime many Chinese tourists groups are walking around but they are less common than they are in Hongcun. Besides tourists, you will see many art students painting pictures everywhere. During night is much more silent.

Admission to the village is ¥105, but the attractions inside are free. There are many entrances to the village, nearly all of which have someone to check your ticket, but tickets are only sold at the west entrance.

Do

• Hu Wenguang Memorial Arch. This arch was built during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) in memory of Hu Wenguang, a Ming officer, and is one of Xidi's most iconic landmarks. Situated in the southwest of the village, the arch is decorated with stone carvings in the shapes of deer, cranes, tigers, lions and the Eight Immortals of Chinese legends. 2019-11-04
• Da Fu Grand House, On the main street of Xidi Village. The Da Fu Grand House was built during the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911). The doors of the main hall are carved with plum flower patterns and the windows with paper cuts in the Ming style. Nowadays, the house is used for local performances, such as Throwing Embroidered Ball from the boudoir. 2019-11-04

Eat

There are many small restaurants found within Xidi. Often you can walk into the kitchen and choose the ingredients of your dish. Tip: ask for the price when you order to avoid surprises after ordering the bill.

Drink

• Rice Wine Brewery. Close to the entrance of the city (just 50 meters after entering the small streets) there is a rice wine brewery. There you can try different kinds of wine for free plus having a glass at the bar.

Sleep

• Xidi Travel Lodge. Nice clean hotel directly at the entrance of the city. The breakfast is served in an old building. If you prefer western breakfast you can ask at the reception for it (surcharge ¥20 per person). ca. ¥500

Go next

Huangshan is one of China's most spectacular mountains.

The valley between Hongcun and Tachuan is colourful around late October and early November.

The area also has other small old villages that are quite pleasant, but far less crowded (and harder to get to) than Hongcun or Xidi.

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