Huizhou Xidi, an Anhui style town

Xidi is located in the southeast of Yixian County; surrounded by mountains, two streams pass through the village from the north and east and meet at Huiyuan Bridge in the south of the village. The village has one longitudinal street and two roads along the stream as its main trunk, forming a street system that is mainly east-oriented and extends to the north and south sides. All streets and alleys are paved with bluestone slabs called "Yixian Qing". Ancient wooden buildings are surrounded by brick walls, simple and elegant, with rich and colorful wood carvings, stone carvings and brick carvings; the layout of lanes, streams and buildings is rigorous and harmonious. The spatial changes are full of charm and the architectural colors are light and elegant, showing the unique flavor of the ancient villages in southern Anhui.

Xidi Village is a village where Hu people live together. It originated in the 11th century and developed to its peak from the 14th to 19th centuries. Since they were rarely damaged by wars in the past and have not been impacted by modern economic development, the villages have always remained intact. Currently, there are 124 four ancient residences from the Ming and Qing Dynasties preserved and three ancestral halls. It was listed as a world cultural heritage in November 2000. Xidi was formerly known as Xichuan because about 0.5 kilometers to the west of the village was the "Pudi Office" of the Qing Dynasty, hence the name of Xidi Village.

According to local Hu family genealogy records, the ancestor of the Hu family in Xidi was the son of Li Ye, Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty. After 1465, Xidi's population increased dramatically, wealth accumulated rapidly, and a large number of residences, ancestral halls, and archways began to be built. Between 1573 and 1620, Xidi Village rebuilt the Huiyuan Bridge and the Gulai Bridge, and built a number of residences along the canal between the two bridges. From then on, the center of Xidi gradually moved east to Huiyuan, and the development of Xidi reached its peak. stage.

Xidi Village is surrounded by mountains and rivers. It follows the traditional Chinese idea of ??harmony between man and nature, emphasizing the harmony between man and the natural environment. The village is integrated with the local topography, landforms, mountains and rivers and other natural scenery. Xidi Village is centered on Jingai Hall and Zhuimu Hall, and is laid out in a strip along the Qianbian Creek and Back Bian Creek. Main Street, Henglu Street, Qianbianxi Street and Houbianxi Street, which are about 3 meters wide, form the main road skeleton. "Water-friendly" is the unique feature of Huizhou's ancient villages; there are open drainage ditches on both sides of the streets and alleys, and houses built near the water canals. There are stone benches, wells, ponds at the end of the streets and alleys, and stone bridges over the streams, creating The intimate relationship between man and water.

The ancient buildings in Xidi Village have distinctive Huizhou characteristics in terms of layout, construction techniques and other aspects. The basic structure of residential buildings is a gabled roof with raised beams or buckets, and the external wall enclosure is isolated by gables. The bottom is based on Yixian bluestone, the top is made into a falling shape or a convex arc shape, with green tiles as battlements, and the end is shaped like a horse's head. Based on the need for anti-theft security, the windows facing the outside of the wall are very small, and most of them are decorated with flowers and geometric patterns hollowed out from Yixian bluestone. The gate is framed with Yixian bluestone, and the upper part is inlaid with a door cover. The masonry carvings are themed with flowers, birds, insects, fish, or historical scenes, each with different auspicious meanings.

The ancient architectural complexes of Hongcun and Xidi, mainly composed of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings, not only inherited the historical architectural achievements of the region over thousands of years, but also absorbed the influence of Huizhou merchants and Huizhou officials. The essence of architectural art in other places forms its own unique artistic style. Under the influence of the idea of ??"harmony between man and nature", Xidi's buildings are integrated with the surrounding environment. The colors are simple and elegant; the gables are high and low, the patio is compact and smooth, the light is soft, quiet and comfortable; the beams are magnificent and exquisite, the shapes are regular; and the carvings are fine, it is indeed a breathtaking architectural art museum.