Yixian

With a total area of 857 square meters, Yixian is one county of Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It was originally set up in 221 BC and listed in one of the civilized ancient counties with the longest history in China although it is the smallest county in Huangshan city. Besides, it is also one of the major starting places of Hui Shang (merchants) and Hui Culture.

About the Name

Having a visit in Huangshan city, Anhui Province, one attraction we must mention and enjoy should be the Yellow Mountains. And it also has another name Mt. Yi (same with the Chinese character in ‘Yixian’) shan, hence the county’s name Yixian (Yixian County).

World Cultural Heritage

There are a plenty of famous kinds of ancient structures in Yixian, such as residences, archways, gardens and memorial temples. These ones were originally built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) Dynasties.

Here, we must mention two traditional ancient villages which are called Xidi Village and Hongcun Village separately. They two have been listed in the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO on November 30, 2000.

Xidi Village

Xidi Village is located at the southern foot of the Yellow Mountains, only 40 kilometers to Huangshan city. With a history over 960 years, this village was dated back to Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and in the early years of Qing Dynasty it was in a period of great prosperity. Residences in Xidi Village are mostly built by using black marble with two clear rivers flowing through it. Kinds of typical and characterized ancient residences, 99 high walls and deep lanes, all of these will make you feel walking in a maze.

Hongcun Village

Located in the southwest foot of the Yellow Mountains, Hongcun Village is a unique ancient village in a shape of an ox, more specifically speaking mountains are the head, trees are horn, residences are body and bridges are feet. It is reputed as ‘a Village out of a Painting’.

The above two are just two representations of ancient villages in Yixian; visiting and strolling around in Yixian, a place with four distinct seasons and warm temperature, you will be deeply attracted by its charming and breathtaking natural rural sceneries.

Peach-Blossom Source

Tao Yuanming (about 365-427) was a famous and important Chinese ancient poet and litterateur. Once he was having a tour at Yixian and was deeply affected by everything here without any reason. Later one of his great and immortal masterpiece was created and named ‘Peach-Blossom Source’. What’s more, ‘Immortal in Poem’ Li Bai (a very famous and productive poet in Tang Dynasty) wrote a poem to give a high praise to Yixian. So Yixian is also called ‘a Family in Peach-Blossom Source’ and ‘a Village out of a Painting’.