Xidi Village 西递

Xidi lies in Yixian county, Huangshan, in southern Anhui, and is one of the region's best-preserved Huizhou villages. It covers 16 hectares and takes its name from the streams that flow westward through the village and from the old relay station that once handled official letters here. More than 300 Ming and Qing dynasty houses survive, 124 of them in intact original condition. UNESCO listed Xidi and nearby Hongcun as World Heritage in 2000, calling them testimony to ancient civilisation and outstanding examples of traditional building in harmony with nature.

Shaped like a ship and ringed by mountains, the village has two streams running through it. Lanes paved with local bluish-green stone follow the water, lined with timber houses whose brick walls and woodwork are richly carved. Ninety-nine narrow alleys between high walls make the village feel like a maze. At the entrance stands the four-column, five-tier archway honouring Prefect Hu Wenguang, raised in 1578, and several residences are open, among them the Pavilion Touching the Clouds, the Peach and Plum Garden, the Hall of Worship and the Hall of Happiness.

After dark the village stages Xidi Legend, a light-and-shadow show in four chapters drawn from local history and stories, with fountains, projections and a moon sculpture above the lake. It has won provincial awards for night entertainment.

Don't miss

• Honor Archway for Prefect Hu Wenguang, four columns and five tiers
• Ninety-nine stone-paved alleys threading between high walls
• Carved wood, stone and brickwork on Ming and Qing houses
• Pavilion Touching the Clouds and the Peach and Plum Garden
• Xidi Legend evening light-and-shadow show over the lake

Visiting tips

Come for the lanes and stay for the evening show. Children, elderly and less mobile visitors should be accompanied, smoking and open flames are banned, and litter belongs in the bins. Please do not touch or damage the carvings, relics or facilities.