Xidi Ancient Village is situated at the foot of Huangshan Mountain's southern slope. It was originally built during the reign of Emperor Huangyou (1049-1054) of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and rebuilt during the reign (1449-1457) of Emperor Jingtai of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Xidi Village contains about 300 buildings in the Hui Style of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). Brick and wood dominate, with exquisite stone archways, stone carvings, and stone-paved streets and courtyards. The most popular tourist attractions in Xidi Village include Lingyun Pavilion, Ruiyu Pavilion, Cishi House, Daifu House, and Qingyun House.
Wooden architecture in Xidi is unique and elegant: prettified walls prevent rain; black tiles record the history of the town; decorative gate towers stand for the particular flavor of the architecture. Rich and exquisite wood carvings, stone engravings and tile carvings are also very representative.
At present, there are about 100 ancient well-preserved residential areas in the village.
After seeing them, I bet you'll feel like taking them to decorate your own home. Don't worry, we'll tell you where to buy them very soon.
Hongcun Village is about 11 km from the county town of Yixian County. The whole village was originally laid out in the shape of an ox. The west end of the village, called Leigang Hill, resembles an ox head and that is where two huge trees stand like ox horns. At the front and rear of the village are four bridges that span a Jiyin stream and resemble four legs of the ox. The several hundred well-arranged houses form the body of the ox, and the 1,000-meter-long Jiyin stream that meanders through the village is regarded as its intestines. A crescent pond in the village is the ox's fourth stomach, and a larger South Lake is its reticulum, the second stomach. The villagers of Hongcun long ago designed this marvelous landscape.
