Xidi

UNESCO World Heritage Site

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

Xidi (Chinese: 西递) is a village in Yi County of the historical Huizhou region of Anhui province, China. It was declared a part of the "Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui" World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, along with Hongcun.^[1][2]

History

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.

Gallery

• Xidi
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References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xidi.

• UNESCO site about Xidi and Hongcun
• article on Xidi and Hongcun at china.com

World Heritage Sites in China
East	Classical Gardens of Suzhou Fujian Tulou Lushan National Park 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 Hubei Shennongjia Kaiping Diaolou and Villages Longmen Grottoes Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Yin Xu
Southwest	Chengjiang Fossil Site Dazu Rock Carvings Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces 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 Site of Xanadu 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 Xinjiang Tianshan
Multiple regions	The Great Wall China Danxia Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties South China Karst The Grand Canal Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Tusi Sites

Coordinates: 29°54′16″N 117°59′15″E / 29.90444°N 117.98750°E / 29.90444; 117.98750