Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	China
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv, v
Reference	1002
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	2000 (24th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Xidi (Chinese: 西递; pinyin: Xīdì, also Xi'di, or Xi Di, literally West Post), is a village in southern Anhui province (Yi County), in China, which was declared a part of the "Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui" World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, along with the village of Hongcun.^[1][2]

History [link]

First built during the Huangyou era (1049–1053) of Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong, the village was originally called Xichuan (West River), owing to the various water courses flowing through it.

The rise of the village was closely tied to the fortunes of the Hu family. By 1465 CE, during the Ming Dynasty (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.

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 joint by many narrow alleyways. 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".

Today, 124 well preserved wooden residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties with beautiful carvings form the major attractions. Many of these residences are open to the public.

Image gallery [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Xidi

• Huizhou Xidi Ancient Village as a UNESCO Site - Seeraa International
• UNESCO site about Xidi and Hongcun
• article on Xidi and Hongcun at china.com

v t e World Heritage Sites in China East Classical Gardens of Suzhou  · Fujian Tulou  · Lushan National Park  · Mount Huang (Huangshan)  · Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan)  · Mount Tai (Taishan)  · Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan)  · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu  · Ancient villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun  · West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou South Central Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains  · Historic Centre of Macau  · Kaiping Diaolou and Villages  · Longmen Grottoes  · Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory  · Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area  · Yin Xu Southwest Dazu Rock Carvings  · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka  · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area  · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area  · Old Town of Lijiang  · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area  · Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System  · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries  · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas North Mount Wutai (Wutaishan)  · Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Xumi Fushou Temple and the Puning Temple  · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang  · Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian  · Ancient City of Pingyao  · Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing  · Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing  · Yungang Grottoes Northeast Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom  · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang Northwest Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor  · Mogao Caves Multiple regions The Great Wall  · China Danxia  · Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties  · South China Karst

Coordinates: 29°54′16″N 117°59′15″E / 29.90444°N 117.9875°E / 29.90444; 117.9875

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