Xidi (Chinese: 西遞) is a village in the south of Anhui (安徽) province, China. The village was declared a part of the ‘Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui’ World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, also a famous tourist attraction.
Xidi is famous for its sound village planning, there is always a small open space next to every main public building, which is convenient for gathering.
Some of the old houses are still the residences of locals, you better see if there is any notice before getting in.
It is said that the Hu (胡) family of Xidi are descended from a son of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang who was adopted by the Hu family.
The rise of the village was closely tied to the fortunes of the Hu family. During the Ming (明) Dynasty (1368–1644), family members started in business as merchants, leading to construction of major private buildings and a public infrastructure.
The prosperity of Xidi peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, at which time the village comprised about 600 residences.
Today, over 100 well-preserved residences from the Ming and Qing (清) dynasties with beautiful carvings form the major attractions of Xidi, to Choumeizai’s mind the carvings here are more delicate than those in Hongcun (宏村).
