Xidi () is a village in Xidi Town (), Yi County, Huangshan City of the historical Huizhou region of

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze Riv ...

province, China. Xidi and the nearby town of Hongcun are known for their exceptional preservation of rural Anhui architecture and city planning during medieval China, and together they were declared the "Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui"

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

in 2000.

History

First built during the Huangyou era (1049–1053) of

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

Emperor Renzong, the village was originally called ''Xichuan'' (West River), owing to the water courses flowing through it. The Hu family of Xidi are descended from Hu Shiliang, from Wuyuan, who was a descendant of Hu Changyi, a son of

Emperor Zhaozong of Tang Emperor Zhaozong of Tang (March 31, 867 – September 22, 904), né Li Jie, name later changed to Li Min and again to Li Ye, was the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 888 to 904 (although he was briefly deposed ...

who was adopted by the Wuyuan Hu family. The rise of the village was closely tied to the fortunes of the Hu family. By 1465 CE, during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(1368–1644), family members had started in business as merchants, leading to construction of major private buildings and a public infrastructure. By the middle of the 17th century, the influence wielded by members of the Hu family expanded from commerce into politics. The prosperity of Xidi peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, at which time the village comprised about 600 residences. However, during the late 19th century, the disintegration of the feudal system in China and the decline of merchant communities across Anhui cause the expansion of Xidi to cease

City Plan

Xidi has maintained its original street plan and water systems from the medieval period. The street pattern of Xidi is dominated by a main road which runs in an east–west direction and is flanked by two parallel streets. These major streets are joined by many narrow alleyways. These streets are paved with original Yi County granite. Small open spaces are confined to areas immediately in front of the main public buildings, such as the "Hall of Respect", the "Hall of Reminiscence", and the "Memorial Archway of the Governor". As was typical for the time, the buildings are clustered near the three streams that make up the city. In the city, there are 224 ancient residential buildings, dating from between the 14th and 19th centuries. Of those, there are 124 well-preserved wooden residences from the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han pe ...

and

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

dynasties with beautiful carvings form the major attractions. The residences usually contain a central courtyard surrounded by symmetrical bays of rooms. Many of these residences are open to the public.

Gallery

Image:Xidi - 05.JPG, File:Xidi-敬爱堂 20141110.JPG, File:Xidi-膺福堂 20141110.JPG, File:Xidi-惇仁堂 20141110.JPG, File:Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun-114145.jpg

References

External links

UNESCO site about Xidi and Hongcun
World Heritage Sites in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Anhui Geography of Anhui Huangshan City Ming dynasty architecture Qing dynasty architecture Villages in China {{Huangshan-geo-stub