2021 Early Winter Yunnan Trip Part 2: Dali and Shaxi Ancient Town

Number of days: 15 days
Time: November
Average cost: 10,000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2022.01.04

After leaving Wuliang Mountain in Nanjian County, we headed north. Today's destination was Shaxi Town in Jianchuan County, the only relatively well-preserved town on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road.

We passed through Dali City and had intended to stop briefly for lunch. Before arriving, I'd heard many people criticize the over-commercialization of Dali Ancient City. But as we were eating, a gap suddenly opened in the heavy, gloomy clouds that had been gloomy since morning, shedding a few rays of light. We decided to explore Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. Erhai Lake is the second largest lake in Yunnan Province, covering a total area of 246 square kilometers, running long and narrow from north to south. Cangshan Mountain is located to the west of Erhai Lake, extending continuously along the shore. Dali City has built a 120-kilometer ring road around Erhai Lake. We skipped the ancient city of Dali, the Three Pagodas Temple, and the Butterfly Spring on the west shore. We simply drove north along Haidong Road, stopping at Wase Town, Xiaoputuo Island, and Shuanglang Observation Deck to admire the stunning scenery. Dali is truly a romantic place. Along the ring road, brightly painted luxury cars (all second- and third-hand cars modified) carried young men and women for a spin. Roadside rentals abounded, and upon asking, I learned that renting a Porsche convertible like this one would cost just 160 yuan a day. The owner said business was slow this year with no tourists. Shuanglang Town, once a small fishing village, is now home to a multitude of celebrity mansions, shops, and inns. Dancer Yang Liping's magnificent residence, the Sun Palace, is located right on the shore. To protect the pristine waters of Erhai Lake, the government has established a red line requiring all buildings to be set back 30 meters from the shore. It's unclear whether this ban will be fully enforced. There are many red-billed gulls on the lake near Wase Town, and several couples took wedding photos there. There is a temple on Xiaoputuo Island, which is particularly revered by the locals. Seagulls soaring over the lake A row of trees in the water is also a beautiful sight Autumn scenery on the shore Yang Liping's mansion is located at the tip of the protruding peninsula Shaxi Town lies over 100 kilometers south of the ancient city of Dali and 30 kilometers north of Jianchuan County, nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. A flowing river, the Heihui River, a major tributary of the Lancang River, flows through the town, dividing Shaxi into east and west. The ancient town, where horse caravans once gathered, lies to the west of the river. Across the fields on the east bank lies a peasant village. Two bridges cross the river, one of which is a stone arch once used by horse caravans, a historic structure. The stone slabs of the bridge are pitted by the trampling of horses' hooves. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, villagers raised funds for the bridge's construction. Shi Fan (Lishi), a renowned Bai ethnic poet and writer, penned a couplet for the occasion: the first line reads, "Stones can be made into bridges; from now on, there will be no crossing without singing songs." The second line reads, "The river is truly jade; only here do you know the source of the water." Upon completion, the stone bridge was named "Yujin Bridge." Today, this ancient bridge has become one of the ancient town's four most famous scenic spots and a must-see for photography enthusiasts. Whether it's the mist on the river at sunrise, the curling smoke from the village across the way, or the rosy clouds filling the sky at sunset, both sides of Yujin Bridge offer prime photo opportunities.

Entering the ancient town at dusk

Yujin Ancient Bridge

The stone lions at the bridgehead are already blurred

A quiet mountain village in the early morning.

Yujin Stone Bridge in the evening. src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/0100f120009841ihh468D_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" />

The Heihui River flows continuously.

Reflections of ancient trees at the bridgehead. src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/01063120009841njr1D03_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" /> Early morning smoke curls up from the village

Early morning mist on the river

This scenery can only be photographed in winter

Reflection of the ancient bridge

Returning Horse Caravans at Late Night

Shaxi Ancient Town was founded in the late Southern Song Dynasty and reached its peak in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Most of the remaining ancient buildings in the town date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the 1990s, the town was listed on the World Heritage List of Endangered Buildings by the World Foundation. Many ancient towns and old cities in Yunnan have a central square, known as Sifang Street, where people gather and go to market. The Sifang Street in Shaxi Ancient Town is particularly distinctive. To the west of the square stands a temple called Xingjiao Temple. The predominant population here is the Bai ethnic group, so the temple adheres to Bai Buddhism. I took a tour inside and discovered that the most distinctive feature of Bai Buddhist temples is the lack of clay statues in the main hall, instead featuring murals that teach people to be kind. Opposite the temple stands an ancient theater, approximately two meters high and featuring a triple-roofed roof. Its scale is comparable to the grand stage in the Summer Palace. Both structures were built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, contemporaneously with the Forbidden City in Beijing, and are both nationally protected cultural relics. The ancient town has two main streets: Sideng Street, running east-west, and Guzong Lane, running southwest-northeast. These two streets converge at Sifang Street Square, with numerous hutongs and alleyways radiating out from either side. Bai people's houses are also distinctive, emphasizing the "three rooms and one screen wall." This means ordinary homes have a three-sided courtyard with a large screen wall built to one side of the main gate. "Four rooms and five courtyards" refers to a wealthy family with multiple courtyards, and each home must have five courtyards. Inscribed on each screen wall are four-character mottos, such as "Purple Qi from the East" and "Accumulate good deeds and bring lasting blessings." These are not only auspicious words but also indicate the owner's surname. The ancient town lacks city walls, but instead has three gates: South, North, and East. Each gate is located at the entrance to a street or alley, effectively serving as a lookout post, manned day and night to prevent bandits from robbing the caravans. Because the ancient town is surrounded by mountains to the west, with no roads accessible, there is no West Gate.

East Gate

South Gate

Ancient Town in the Morning Street view in the ancient town. It looks new.

Sifang Street

Old houses where population needs to be controlled

Xingjiao Temple

Old Sophora japonica tree on Sifang Street

A bird's-eye view of the town

A Bai ethnic group home

Bai Family House

The town is home to many ancient trees, some three to five hundred years old. Beside the stage stands an old locust tree, its weathered branches highlighting the ancient structure. Near the former caravan trading hall stands another old tree, its leaves resembling willows and beautifully shaped, turning golden in early winter. After asking the locals, I learned it was a Coptis chinensis tree. Wow, Coptis chinensis trees grow very slowly; how many years would it take for such a large tree to grow? Chatting with an elderly street vendor, I learned some stories about the caravans. Why did this place become a gathering place for caravans on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road and subsequently flourish as an ancient town? The Tea-Horse Road began in Xiangyun County, Dali. The journey from the starting point to here was a day's journey (they called it a "foot journey"). The caravans would rest here for the night before continuing their journey. Why was Pu'er tea made into round cakes? It was to facilitate the transportation of the caravans. With the development of mechanized transportation, the caravans are no longer in use, and the town has become quieter. The horses are now used as recreational mounts for tourists. Each business in the town has a distinctive sign at the entrance. "Blacksmith" once specialized in horseshoeing. "Barber" was for haircutting. In particular, an old house on Sifang Street still bears a slogan from that time: "The country must be strong and prosperous, the nation must thrive, and the population must be controlled." We were amused to see it. Is the trend towards more or less control these days? It shows that the person who wrote the slogan back then had foresight, and its writing remains relevant at all times. The town is now less touristy, giving it a distinctly quiet feel. A persimmon tree, laden with fruit, jutted out from the wall, attracting birds to its food. Along the streets and alleys, a canal flowed gently from a mountain spring. In the past, this stream not only provided water for every household but also served as a fire prevention and disaster relief measure.

The old wooden building next to the Coptis chinensis tree was the trading center of the caravan in the past.

Ancient Coptis chinensis Tree Horseshoeing workshop src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/0106u120009845jslA853_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" /> Descendants of the Caravan

Town Residents Persimmon Trees Overhanging the Wall

Listening to the gurgling water outside my window at night, I feel like lying down. Many outsiders are renting old houses here, renovating them, and living there for retirement. We met Taiwanese and even Americans renting rooms here. We stayed at an inn called Jingpingshe near Sifang Street. It's a small inn with only six rooms. The owner is from Chongqing. I asked him why he opened an inn here, and he said the climate here is much better than in Chongqing—not too cold in the winter and not too hot in the summer. The owner runs the inn alone and has two valuable cats: a British Shorthair Fold and a Maine Coon, larger than a teddy bear. He also has a large Doberman, which acts as the family's security guard. Shaxi Ancient Town is truly different from the water towns of Jiangsu and Zhejiang and the ancient towns of southern Anhui I've visited. It's a perfect place to spend more time and relax. We originally planned to stay one night, but ended up staying three. (Some of the photos are the work of the innkeeper.)