Xidi Village


Xidi Village is located in the southeastern part of Yixian County and has over 300 simple, yet graceful,
Ming and Qing dynasty residences, of which 124 are well preserved. In front of the village is a landmark
- A glorious memorial archway in honor of a native, Hu Wen guang, who was an prefectural governor in
Ming Dynasty. As a cultural site, Xidi Village was added to the list of World Heritage by UNESCO in
2000.

Houses enjoy fine wood-carving, brick-carving and so on, reflect profound local culture and customs. It
is called "the Land of Peach Blossom" or "Home In Wonderland" for its beauty and tranquility. It is also
called "a treasure house of ancient resident architecture" for its well-preserved ancient houses and
archways in Ming and Qing dynasties.

Xidi has a history of nearly 1000 years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the businessmen reached the period of highest development. They
carried out an extensive building program, such as building houses and ancestral temples, making roads, building bridges and so on. Nowadays
, more than 100 old folk houses in Xidi maintain the basic appearance and feature they used to be.

The street plan, architecture and decoration, furniture and the integration of house with comprehensive water systems are the real witness of the
history of Xidi Village. The exquisite wood carvings, stone engravings and tile carvings are also very representative. Rockeries, fish ponds, various
parterres can be seen in the courtyard, where the ground is paved with cobbles.

In this peaceful village, you can see narrow streets meandering and curving with the contours of the
land, streams of pure water running through their center. The homes are plastered and
whitewashed with grey tile roofs, rectangular windows, and courtyard walls draped in vines and
flowers framing fruit trees.

The village streets and lanes with their original style remain as they have done for centuries, and the
village has been praised by foreign architects as containing some of the best preserved old-time
houses and as being one of the most beautiful villages in the world.