Xidi Village: Complete Guide to Huangshan's UNESCO Ancient Village

Most visitors to Anhui come for Huangshan's sea of clouds — 40 km away sits a UNESCO World Heritage village with 124 Ming and Qing dynasty houses lining two streams, yet it barely appears in English-language guides. Xidi (西递) is far quieter than neighboring Hongcun (宏村), with less commercialization and more authentic architecture. Walk its bluestone alleys and you'll hear running water instead of loudspeakers.

[图:西递全村远景白墙黛瓦马头墙.jpg]

Why Xidi Deserves a Visit

Founded during the Northern Song Dynasty (around 1049 AD), Xidi has nearly a thousand years of history. In 2000, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List alongside Hongcun (宏村). But "old" alone isn't the draw — China has no shortage of ancient towns. What makes Xidi different:

An open-air museum of Huizhou architecture. The village preserves 124 Ming and Qing dynasty buildings — ancestral halls, memorial archways, residences, and study halls — all original, not reconstructions. White walls, dark tiles, and horse-head walls (马头墙, stepped gables originally designed to block fire and theft) form the quintessential Huizhou look.

China's finest concentration of "three carvings." Wood, stone, and brick carvings are the soul of Huizhou buildings. Nearly every doorframe, window lattice, and courtyard railing in Xidi carries intricate carvings — theatrical figures, birds, flowers, mythical beasts — in remarkably good condition. You'd be hard-pressed to find this density of craftsmanship anywhere else in a single village.

A village that's still lived in. Unlike many Chinese old towns gutted and refilled with tourist shops, Xidi still has around 300 households in residence. You'll see elderly locals drinking tea under covered courtyards and kids chasing each other through alleys. This isn't a set — it's a working village.

Far quieter than Hongcun. Hongcun draws significantly larger crowds thanks to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and its South Lake reflections. Xidi's architectural quality matches or exceeds Hongcun's, with roughly half the visitors. See the detailed Xidi vs Hongcun comparison below.

Getting to Xidi from Huangshan

From Huangshan North Station (high-speed rail)

The most common entry point. Exit the station and walk to the adjacent Huangshan Tourism Transport Hub (黄山旅游客运中心) for a direct tourist bus that stops at Xidi en route to Hongcun.

• Fare: ¥30 per person
• Travel time: ~1 hour to Xidi
• Tickets: Available at the transport hub counter, self-service machines, or online via Trip.com, Ctrip, Fliggy, or Qunar
• Multiple departures daily starting from around 8:00 — check schedules at the hub or online before you go

From Tunxi (downtown Huangshan)

Take a bus from Huangshan Bus Terminal (黄山市汽车客运总站) to Yi County Bus Station (黟县汽车站), then transfer to local Bus Route 2 to Xidi.

• Total travel time: ~2 hours including transfer
• Fare: ~¥15–20 for the long-distance leg, plus ¥2 for local bus
• Alternatively, arrange a private car from Tunxi to Xidi for ¥50–80 per person (faster, ~1 hour)

From the Huangshan scenic area

Coming down from the mountain, catch a bus from Tangkou (汤口, the town at the base of Huangshan) to Yi County, then transfer to Xidi.

• Tangkou to Yi County: ~¥20, ~1 hour
• Or hire a car directly from Tangkou to Xidi: ~¥120–150

From Hongcun

The two villages are about 16–18 km apart.

• Taxi or rideshare: ~¥50–80, about 25–30 minutes
• Local minibus: Ask at the Hongcun visitor center — schedules are irregular and vary by season
• Many visitors hire a car for the day to cover both villages and enjoy flexibility

Driving

Navigate to the Xidi Visitor Service Center parking lot (西递游客服务中心停车场). Parking is approximately ¥7 for the first hour, ¥3 per hour after.

Tickets, Hours and Entry Rules

Pricing

Tickets cover all open buildings and are valid for three days.

Opening hours

Open year-round. Reference hours are 8:00–17:00, potentially extending to 18:00 in spring and summer. Check the official Xidi (西递) WeChat account before your visit for the latest times.

How to buy tickets

• On-site: Ticket windows at the entrance accept cash, WeChat Pay, and Alipay
• Online: Platforms like Trip.com, Ctrip, and Meituan often offer ¥5–10 discounts. Foreign visitors may find Trip.com easiest
• Guided tours: Chinese-speaking guides are available at the entrance (~¥150–200 per group). There is no official English guide service — see language workarounds below

Entry notes

• Foreign visitors receive a paper ticket or QR code after purchasing with a passport
• No luggage storage at the entrance for large bags (leave them at your hotel); small-item lockers are available

[图:西递景区入口售票处大门.jpg]

Walking Xidi: Route and Key Sights

The village is shaped like a boat — roughly 700 m long and 300 m wide, under 2 km on foot. But to properly explore the architecture and take photos, plan for 4–5 hours.

Here's a complete route from the entrance gate to the hilltop viewpoint, covering all major sights:

Stop 1: Hu Wenguang Memorial Archway

The first thing you see after entering is Xidi's most iconic structure — the Hu Wenguang Memorial Archway (胡文光牌坊). This Ming Dynasty stone archway was built in 1578 (6th year of the Wanli reign), standing 12.3 m tall and 9.95 m wide in a four-pillar, three-bay, five-tier structure. Its carvings depict dragons, phoenixes, qilins, cranes, deer, lions, and the Eight Immortals — all commissioned by the imperial court to honor Hu Wenguang's 32 years of government service.

The carving work is extraordinarily fine. Walk around to the back — the front and rear faces carry different scenes. Morning sidelight brings out the carving depth best.

[图:西递胡文光牌坊正面特写.jpg]

Stop 2: Jing'ai Hall

About 200 m along the main street, you reach Jing'ai Hall (敬爱堂) — Xidi's largest ancestral hall and the central public space of the Hu clan. Originally built during the Wanli period (1573–1620), it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt during the Qianlong period (1736–1795) by three brothers who named it "Jing'ai" — meaning "respect elders, love siblings."

What to look for:

• The "敬爱" plaque hanging in the main hall
• Intricate wood carvings on the roof beams — look up at the crossbeams for layered relief carvings
• Three consecutive halls arranged around a central courtyard — the hallmark Huizhou "four waters return to the hall" (四水归堂) design, where rainwater flows inward from all four roofs into a drainage system below the courtyard. The concept symbolizes wealth flowing inward rather than away

[图:西递敬爱堂内部大厅木雕梁架.jpg]

Stop 3: West Garden (Xiyuan)

Xiyuan (西园) is one of Xidi's most exquisitely preserved private estates, built during the Daoguang period. It was the estate of Hu Wenzhao (胡文照), a Grade 4 official who served as prefect of Kaifeng in Henan Province.

The highlight is a pair of stone openwork windows flanking the central courtyard gate — the left depicts "Pine and Rock" (松石图, windswept pines leaning over craggy stones), and the right shows "Bamboo and Plum" (竹梅图, bamboo and winter plum intertwined). These were carved by Yu Xiang (余香), a celebrated stone artisan of the Jiaqing era, and are considered among the finest stone carvings in all of Chinese architecture.

Notice how brick-carved openwork windows and moon gates divide the estate into front, middle, and rear gardens — creating a "separated yet connected" spatial rhythm that blends northern stone craft with southern courtyard elegance.

[图:西递西园石雕漏窗特写.jpg]

Stop 4: East Garden (Dongyuan)

Also built by Hu Wenzhao during the Daoguang period, Dongyuan (东园) mirrors Xiyuan in its fusion of Suzhou-style garden design with Huizhou architecture. Inside you'll find rockeries, fishponds, a cool study hall, and bonsai displays.

The standout feature is the brick-carved gate hood (门罩) above the entrance — an entire door lintel carved from grey brick into multi-layered high-relief scenes with figures whose individual fingers are distinct. This is one of the village's finest examples of brick carving.

[图:西递东园砖雕门罩特写.jpg]

Stop 5: Qingyun Xuan and the Stream Alleys

Exiting Dongyuan and following the narrow lanes toward the stream, you'll find Qingyun Xuan (青云轩) — a Qing Dynasty study hall built during the Tongzhi period (roughly 1862–1874). The structure resembles a compact siheyuan: a two-story main building flanked by single-story wings around a small courtyard.

Inside, stone flower beds and miniature rockeries fill the courtyard, along with a sea-shell fossil said to be over 100 million years old. The most intriguing feature is a set of ancient ventilation shafts built into the walls — a passive cooling system that draws underground air to regulate indoor temperature.

Continue along the stream for Xidi's quietest stretch — two brooks run through the village, crossed by small stone bridges, with white walls draped in vine. This streamside alley is a traditional painting spot for Chinese art students; in spring and autumn, you'll often see dozens with easels set up.

[图:西递溪边小巷白墙石桥溪水.jpg]

Stop 6: The Hilltop Viewpoint

From the eastern edge of the village, follow a footpath uphill for about 10 minutes to a viewing platform overlooking all of Xidi. From here, the layered white-and-grey rooftops spread out below, horse-head walls rising at irregular intervals, with rice paddies and green hills in the background — this is the only vantage point for a full village panorama.

Best at sunset, when golden light turns the white walls warm.

[图:西递观景台俯瞰全村远景.jpg]

Decoding Huizhou's Three Carvings

The "Three Carvings of Huizhou" (徽州三雕) — wood, stone, and brick — are the artistic soul of the region's architecture and a core reason Xidi earned its World Heritage status. Without understanding them, a walk through Xidi is just "lots of old houses." With even basic knowledge, every window frame and doorway becomes a work of art.

Wood carving

The most common and richest in narrative. Found on interior roof beams, window lattices, partition screens, and bracket sets (雀替, the decorative elements at column–beam junctions).

• Subjects: Scenes from classic operas (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Western Chamber), seasonal flowers, mythical animals, and the "four occupations" — fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, scholar
• Where to look: The roof beams of Jing'ai Hall (敬爱堂) have the village's densest concentration of wood carving. Window lattices in residential courtyards are also worth close attention
• What to notice: Fine Huizhou wood carving uses 3–5 layers of openwork relief. Look for facial expressions on the figures — the best pieces show emotion

[图:西递木雕特写窗棂或梁架.jpg]

Stone carving

The most durable and precise. Found on exterior elements — door pillars, column bases, archways, and openwork windows.

• Subjects: Lions, qilins, peonies, phoenixes, geometric patterns
• Where to look: The Hu Wenguang Archway (胡文光牌坊) is carved entirely from stone with different scenes front and back. The paired openwork windows at Xiyuan (西园) — the "Pine and Rock" and "Bamboo and Plum" by master carver Yu Xiang — are the highest achievement
• What to notice: Use your phone flashlight to sidelight the openwork windows and appreciate the precision of the pierced stone

Brick carving

The most fragile and therefore most precious. Found mainly on gate hoods (门罩, the decorative structure above building entrances).

• Subjects: Flowers, birds, animals, auspicious symbols, and occasionally human figures
• Where to look: The gate hood at Dongyuan (东园) is the village's finest — multi-layered high-relief carving in grey brick, with individual fingers visible on the figures
• What to notice: Centuries of patina darken the surface. Increase exposure when photographing or use a flashlight to reveal detail

[图:西递砖雕门罩特写.jpg]

Xidi or Hongcun — How to Choose

This is the most common question from foreign visitors to the Huangshan area. The two villages sit about 16–18 km apart, both are UNESCO World Heritage sites, but they offer distinctly different experiences.

Practical recommendations:

• Half a day only: Choose Hongcun — its water scenery delivers immediate visual impact
• A full day: Visit both — Xidi in the morning (fewer crowds, better light on buildings), then take a taxi to Hongcun for afternoon South Lake reflections
• Serious about architecture: Xidi is the clear winner; the information density per building far exceeds Hongcun
• Traveling with young children: Hongcun — the lakeside is more engaging for kids, and the iconic scenes are easier to appreciate quickly

Local Food Worth Trying

Restaurants inside and near the village entrance serve Hui cuisine (徽菜, one of China's eight great regional cuisines). Hui cooking is bold — heavy on oil, soy-based sauces, and preserved or fermented ingredients. Some aromas may challenge first-timers, but the flavors reward the adventurous.

Must-try dishes

Stinky Mandarin Fish 臭鳜鱼 — The signature Hui dish. Mandarin fish is salt-cured and fermented for several days, producing a pungent smell reminiscent of blue cheese. Pan-fried or braised, the flesh is firm, intensely savory, and nothing like it smells. Over 300 years of tradition. Available at nearly every restaurant — this is the one dish you shouldn't skip.

[图:西递臭鳜鱼成品特写.jpg]

Hairy Tofu 毛豆腐 — Tofu cultivated with a layer of ~1 cm white mold (mycelium) on the surface. It looks alarming, but pan-fried until crispy on the outside and creamy inside, it's like a Chinese Camembert — fermentation adds deep umami. Street vendors fry it fresh on griddles.

[图:西递毛豆腐街边现煎.jpg]

Huangshan Sesame Cake 黄山烧饼 — Thin, flaky pastries in sweet (rose-paste filling) and savory (preserved-mustard-green-and-pork filling) versions. Shatteringly crispy layers, perfect walking snack. ¥2–5 each from stalls near the entrance.

Laba Tofu 腊八豆腐 — A Yi County specialty: tofu salt-pressed and sun-dried during the twelfth lunar month until firm and slightly sweet. Locals call it "vegetarian ham." Eaten sliced as a cold dish or stir-fried.

Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork 竹笋炒腊肉 — Fresh bamboo shoots wok-tossed with smoky cured pork. Salty, crisp, and satisfying. Spring shoots are the most tender — a seasonal highlight.

Where to eat

Small restaurants cluster along the main street and near the entrance plaza. There are no standout "celebrity restaurants" — pick one that looks clean and has locals eating inside. Expect around ¥40–60 per person. If you can't read the menu, use a translation app to photograph it, or walk into the kitchen and point at ingredients — this is perfectly normal at small Chinese restaurants.

When to Visit and Practical Tips

When to go

• Best seasons: Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November). Spring brings rapeseed flower fields surrounding the village; autumn delivers red leaves and golden rice paddies
• Avoid: Mid-June to mid-July "plum rain" season (continuous damp rain) and the National Day holiday (October 1–7, when crowds surge)
• Summer: July–August is hot (35°C+), but post-rain mist creates an ink-wash painting effect over the village
• Winter: December–February sees the fewest visitors and a very quiet village. Xidi in snow is stunning, though some courtyards may shorten their hours

Photography tips

• Best light: Dawn 6:00–8:00 (morning mist + sidelight on horse-head walls) and late afternoon 4:00–6:00 (warm golden light for the overlook)
• Village panorama: The east-side hilltop viewpoint is the only elevated vantage — best at sunset
• Alley shadows: Midday 11:00–13:00, direct overhead sun creates dramatic light-and-shadow contrasts in the high-walled narrow alleys — ideal for black-and-white photography

[图:西递清晨晨雾马头墙.jpg]

Tips most visitors miss

Beat the tour groups. Package tours typically arrive 7:00–9:00 and depart 16:00–17:00. Enter before 7 AM or after 5 PM and you'll have entire alleys to yourself.

Stay overnight inside the village. Xidi has several guesthouses converted from historic Hui houses. Staying a night means experiencing the village after dark — no tourists, just streetlamps and stream sounds. Around ¥200–500 per night. Overnight guests don't need to buy a new ticket the next day.

Bench-dragon lantern parades. On weekends and holidays during peak season, villagers carry traditional "bench dragon flower lanterns" (板凳龙花灯) through the alleys starting around 19:30 — a striking procession rooted in local tradition. Schedules change and may be cancelled due to weather; check the official Xidi (西递) WeChat account or ask your guesthouse.

Language workarounds. There is virtually no English signage; all building plaques are in Chinese. Strongly recommended: (1) download Google Translate's offline Chinese package for camera translation, (2) screenshot key Chinese words — 门票 (ticket), 厕所 (toilet), 出口 (exit), (3) if you hire a Chinese-speaking guide, run a translation app in real time to follow along.

Combine with Huangshan. Most visitors do "mountain first, village after." A practical split: Day 1 Huangshan, Day 2 Xidi + Hongcun (or the reverse). Two days covers both comfortably.

Beyond This Guide

Figuring out the right sequence for Huangshan, Xidi, Hongcun, and possibly other Anhui highlights takes some local knowledge — bus schedules shift, the best time of day for each spot matters, and accommodation inside the villages books up fast in peak season.