Shaxi Ancient Town 沙溪古镇Shāxī Gǔzhèn

Why go to Shaxi Ancient Town

Shaxi is a quiet Bai farming town in a valley between Dali and Lijiang, and its old core, Sideng, is often called the last surviving caravan market on the Tea Horse Road. The cobbled square is framed by a Qing-dynasty opera stage, old caravan inns and the Ming-dynasty Xingjiao Temple, and a short stroll leads out through the east gate to the arched stone Yujin Bridge over the Heihui River. It is far calmer than Dali or Lijiang, especially once the day-trippers leave.

The story

From the Tang dynasty onwards, mule caravans carrying tea, salt and other goods between Yunnan and Tibet rested and traded here. Xingjiao Temple, founded in 1415, is a rare survivor of Azhali, the esoteric form of Buddhism once followed by the Bai. After the World Monuments Fund placed Sideng on its list of endangered sites in 2001, a joint project between the Swiss university ETH Zurich and the county government restored the square, stage, gates and temple.

What to see at Shaxi Ancient Town

• Sideng Square 寺登街: The cobbled market square of the old caravan town, listed on the World Monuments Watch in 2001. Its stage, temple and old inns still stand around it.
• Xingjiao Temple 兴教寺: A Ming-dynasty Bai Buddhist temple on the west side of the square, one of the few of its kind to survive.
• Ancient Opera Stage 古戏台: The wooden stage facing the temple across the square, built in the Qing dynasty; it anchors the square's east–west axis.
• Ouyang Courtyard 欧阳大院: A Qing-dynasty merchant's compound that doubled as a caravan inn, now open to visitors.
• Yujin Bridge 玉津桥: A stone arch bridge over the Heihui River on the east side of the old town, the caravans' gateway into Sideng.

How to visit Shaxi Ancient Town

Leave the car at the edge of town and walk: the square, temple and stage are within a few steps, and the lane to the east gate and Yujin Bridge is a short stroll. Early morning and late afternoon are quietest. A half day covers the square, temple and bridge; with a night you can add Ouyang Courtyard and the lanes beyond.

How to get to Shaxi Ancient Town

Shaxi has no railway: it is about two hours by car from either Dali or Lijiang, and direct buses from both take two to three hours. Vehicles stop at the edge of the old core, which you explore on foot.

Where to stay

Stay inside the old core around Sideng Square, where small courtyard guesthouses make it easy to see the square at dawn and at dusk.

What to eat

• Shaxi baba 沙溪粑粑: A flatbread griddled on a hot surface, sold in the lanes around the square.
• Rushan 乳扇: A dried sheet of cow's milk cheese from Bai tradition, fried or rolled with sugar.
• Carved-plum liqueur 雕梅酒: A sweet-sour Bai liqueur made from plums carved and steeped in spirit.

Tips for visiting Shaxi Ancient Town

• Come on a Friday, when villagers from the surrounding hills fill the main road beside the old town with produce, herbs and livestock for the weekly market.
• Stay at least one night: day-trippers leave by late afternoon, and early morning is the best time to see Sideng Square empty and walk out to Yujin Bridge.
• Shibaoshan, about half an hour's drive away, has Buddhist cave carvings from the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms; public transport is sparse, so hire a car, and keep food out of sight of the monkeys.

Nearby

• Lijiang Old Town 丽江古城 70 km
  Cobbled lanes, rushing canals and Naxi courtyards beneath a snow-capped peak
• Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake 大理古城与洱海 80 km
  Bai courtyards, old stone gates and lakeside bike rides beneath the Cangshan peaks
• Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山 90 km
  A glacier-hung massif on Lijiang's doorstep, with a cable car to over 4,500 metres
• Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡 100 km
  A classic two-day trail high above one of the world's deepest gorges

Also within 30 km: Shibaoshan Grottoes 石宝山石窟 (under 10 km), Jianchuan Woodcarving Art Town 剑川木雕艺术小镇 (20 km), Dali Geothermal Kingdom 大理地热国 (20 km), Jianchuan Old Town 剑川古城 (20 km), Qianshi Mountain (Thousand Lions Mountain) 千狮山 (20 km).

On the map

Open Shaxi Ancient Town on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)