Xidi 西递村Xīdì Cūn

Why go to Xidi

Xidi is a village of the Hu clan in Yi county that, with Hongcun, forms the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui. It keeps 124 old houses and three ancestral halls along stone-paved lanes beside its streams, and most of the houses are open to visitors. It makes a good counterpart to Hongcun: less about one famous view, more about wandering lane by lane.

The story

Founded in the Northern Song and enriched by merchants from the 15th century, Xidi was at its most prosperous in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it had around 600 houses. Its name comes from a former post station, a 'delivery stage', west of the village, and the Hu clan family who settled here is traditionally said to descend from a fugitive son of a Tang emperor.

What to see at Xidi

• Hu Wenguang archway 胡文光刺史坊: A carved stone memorial archway of 1578 at the village entrance, honouring a Ming official of the Hu clan; it is the village's signature image.
• Jing'ai Hall 敬爱堂: One of Xidi's three ancestral halls, fronted by a small open square, showing how clan life organised the village.
• Dafudi 大夫第: A merchant's house of 1691, one of the best-known of the 124 old houses, with carved timber and the narrow courtyards typical of Huizhou homes.
• Stream lanes 溪畔古巷: Flagstone lanes run along the streams, with stone-latticed windows and whitewashed walls, and are the best part of the village for slow walking and photographs.
• Xiyuan garden 西园: A small garden belonging to an old house, noted for its carved stone lattice windows.

How to visit Xidi

Enter at the archway and take the main east–west lane through the village, then branch off into side lanes beside the streams. The ancestral halls open onto small squares along the way, and the houses that are open can be seen in any order. A half day covers the main lane and a handful of houses; a full day lets you add the quieter back lanes or combine with Hongcun.

How to get to Xidi

Xidi is about 50 km north-west of Tunxi (Huangshan city) by road. Coaches from the bus hub at Huangshan North station run via Xidi on to Hongcun, taking roughly 1–1.5 hours (timetables change, so check), or you can take a taxi or tour car. Hongcun lies about 10 km to the north.

Where to stay

Stay in Xidi or the nearby village of Hongcun for early-morning light and quiet evenings in a converted old house, or base in Tunxi, which has more choice and rail links.

What to eat

• Stinky mandarin fish 臭鳜鱼: Mandarin fish cured lightly in salt for days, then braised; the pungent smell gives way to firm, savoury flesh, and it is the best-known Huizhou dish.
• Fried hairy tofu 毛豆腐: Tofu fermented until it grows a soft white fur, then pan-fried and served with a spicy dip; a classic of Huizhou and Huangshan.
• Huangshan shaobing 黄山烧饼: A round, crisp sesame-coated pastry, usually filled with preserved vegetables and pork, sold as a snack across the area.

Tips for visiting Xidi

• Bring your passport for ticket checks, and book ahead through the official channels or a tour in busy holiday weeks, when visitor numbers peak.
• Many houses are open to visitors, but some are small family-run exhibits or shops, so expect to wander in and out of courtyards rather than follow a single route.
• Pair Xidi and Hongcun on one day trip from Tunxi, or stay overnight in one of them to see the lanes before the tour groups arrive.

Nearby

• Hongcun Village 宏村 10 km
  A merchant village planned in the shape of an ox, mirrored in its own pond
• Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) 黄山 30 km
  Granite spires, wind-bent pines and a sea of clouds straight out of an ink painting
• Mount Jiuhua 九华山 70 km
  A Buddhist sacred mountain where 99 temples cling to granite peaks and mist
• Wuyuan Villages 婺源 70 km
  White-walled villages among yellow rapeseed in spring and red chillies in autumn
• Jingdezhen, Porcelain Capital 景德镇 100 km
  The city that fired porcelain for China's emperors, and still has clay on its hands
• Qiandao Lake 千岛湖 100 km
  A drowned mountain valley of 1,078 forested islands, an hour by train from Hangzhou

Also within 30 km: Pingshan Village 屏山村 (under 10 km), Nanping Village 南屏村 (under 10 km), Dengfeng Bridge 登封桥 (10 km), Mount Qiyun 齐云山 (10 km), Tong'an Hall, Xiuning 休宁同安堂 (20 km), Xiangyuan Keemun Tea Culture Park 祥源祁红产业文化博览园 (20 km).

On the map

Open Xidi 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
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)