Xidi

Xidi was settled by the Hu clan, who claimed descent from a Tang emperor, and grew wealthy through Huizhou merchants trading salt and timber; the money went into houses, and around a hundred and twenty-four Ming and Qing residences survive along a spine of lanes, inscribed with Hongcun by UNESCO in 2000. The village is entered past the Hu Wenguang memorial archway of 1578, a three-tier stone paifang of the kind that once stood in numbers before most were destroyed. Inside, the houses carry carved brick, stone and wood, with couplets on the doorposts, and Lüfu Hall, Zhuimu Hall and others are open. It is quieter than Hongcun.

History

The village was first built in the Huangyou era (1049-1053) of the Song emperor Renzong and was first called Xichuan, West River, after the streams that run through it. Its Hu family descended from Hu Shiliang of Wuyuan, a descendant of a son of the Tang emperor Zhaozong adopted by the Hu family; by 1465 its members had gone into trade, which paid for large private buildings and public works, and by the mid-17th century their influence reached into politics. Xidi was at its most prosperous in the 18th and 19th centuries, with about 600 residences, before the decline of the Anhui merchant communities in the late 19th century halted its growth; together with Hongcun it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 (Wikipedia, Xidi).

What's there

• The 1578 archway - the three-tier stone paifang at the village entrance.
• The merchant houses - 124 surviving Ming and Qing residences.
• The carved detail - brick, stone and wood carving through the buildings.
• The door couplets - inscribed sayings on the houses, some centuries old.

When to go

March to May and September to November; spring brings rape flowers to the surrounding fields. Weekdays are calmer than weekends. Combining with Hongcun in one day is standard and the two are a short drive apart.

Before you go

Entry is charged and the village is small. Tour groups arrive through the middle of the day. Some houses are shops. Xidi sees fewer visitors than Hongcun but is not undiscovered.

Nearby

Hongcun is a short drive north; Huangshan lies northeast.

Key facts