Shaxi Ancient Town

Caravans carrying tea from Yunnan to Tibet and horses back stopped at market towns along the route, and Shaxi's Sideng square is the only one that survives more or less complete: a cobbled space with a Buddhist temple on one side, a two-storey theatre stage opposite, old caravan inns with courtyards and stables, and gates onto the lanes. A restoration project run with Swiss support from 2001 stabilised the buildings rather than rebuilding them, which is why the town looks worn rather than new. Friday market brings villagers in from the valley, and Shibaoshan nearby holds Nanzhao-era Buddhist grottoes.

Highlights

• Sideng square - the surviving tea-horse market with stage and temple.
• The caravan inns - courtyard buildings with stables off the square.
• The Friday market - villagers trading in the town.
• Shibaoshan grottoes - Nanzhao Buddhist carvings in the hills nearby.

When to go

March to June and September to November for mild dry weather; the Friday market is the busiest day. Winter is cold at night. Summer brings rain but the valley is green.

Before you go

Guesthouses and cafés have multiplied and the town is no longer undiscovered. Transport in requires a change at Jianchuan. Nights are cold and heating limited outside summer.

Nearby

Dali lies southeast; Lijiang is north.