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Xilai Ancient Town is located in Pujiang County. Many Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings are preserved in the ancient town, and the residential houses are of typical western Sichuan style.
The more than 200-meter-long old street is entirely made up of wooden tiled houses and the streets are flat, which cannot be seen in other places.
There is still a Wenfeng Tower in the town, which was built in the 13th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. The tower is surrounded by opera sculptures and decorated with nine-curve seal characters, which is rare in the world.
The stage in the ancient town is still functioning today and is very lively during festivals.
The most amazing thing about Xilai Ancient Town is the ancient banyan trees along the river. These ancient banyan trees are distributed behind the old street of the ancient town and face the river. There are 11 banyan trees about a thousand years old, swaying gracefully on the river bank. The lush branches and leaves of the ancient banyan trees block the scorching sun in summer, so the riverside dam has become a gathering place for the people of the ancient town. Under the blue sky, accompanied by the thousand-year-old ancient banyan trees and the river flowing in front of you, you will surely be inspired.
The other side of the river is picturesque, with a simple and unique earthen courtyard on the other side. The people grazing cattle and sheep on the river beach are leisurely and comfortable, which makes people feel relaxed.
Attraction Location: "Xilai Town, Yuexi County (越西县西来镇), Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (凉山彝族自治州), Sichuan Province, China (中国四川省凉山彝族自治州越西县西来镇)"
History: "Xilai Ancient Town is a historic settlement with roots dating back several centuries. It served as an important trade and cultural hub in southern Sichuan, connecting local Yi communities with Han Chinese traders. Many of its old streets and buildings preserve traditional architectural styles."
Architecture: "The town features classic Sichuanese courtyard houses, wooden stilted buildings, stone-paved streets, and archways. Temples and ancestral halls are scattered throughout, reflecting the blend of Han and Yi cultural influences."
Cultural Value: "Xilai Ancient Town preserves local Yi ethnic culture, traditional handicrafts, folk customs, and festivals. Visitors can observe traditional clothing, folk dances, and local religious practices."
Other Information: "The town is also known for its traditional markets and handicraft shops. It’s a peaceful area for cultural immersion and photography."
Opening Hours: "8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (开放时间: 8:00–18:00)"
Ticket Price: "General Entry: 50 CNY per person (门票: 50元/人)
Heritage Exhibition Hall: 20 CNY (文化展馆: 20元/人)"
Best Photo Spots: "Main street with traditional wooden houses (古街主街)
Ancient stone bridges (石桥)
Local Yi ethnic festivals and ceremonies (彝族节庆活动)"
Time Reference: "Morning or late afternoon for soft lighting
Festival days for capturing local cultural performances"
A few lively old houses, a few old banyan trees standing by the river, a slowly flowing stream... Xilai, a quaint town.
A few living old houses, a few old trees standing by the river, a slowly flowing stream... Xilai Ancient Town has a covered bridge and a dam. It is not too commercial and there are no flocks of tourists. It is a great travel option to come here to take a walk, drink tea, enjoy the breeze, and listen to the croaking of frogs and the sound of water.
I knew about this ancient town a long time ago, mainly thanks to Xilai's very well-designed visual guide system. Today I took the time to drive for 2 hours to take a look, and to be honest, I was quite disappointed. There was a dilapidated scene everywhere. I didn't know the history of Xilai and the construction process of its ancient town, but it was obvious that everything was abandoned now. There was basically no appearance of an ancient town here. It can only be said that an ordinary town has been integrated into some newly built but abandoned buildings. The ancient trees along the river are a rare highlight, and there is really nothing to say about the rest. The whole ancient town can be basically visited in half an hour, and there is really nothing special about it. It's still a pity.
At the end of 2013, we started our annual winter short-distance cycling again. The destination was set at Xilai Ancient Town in Pujiang. The cycling was so tiring and the result was quite disappointing (but it was also for this destination that we rode here). The town is not big and almost deserted, with mostly locals. After lunch, we moved to Shixiang Lake.
I went to Xilai Ancient Town three years ago. At that time, I had just started college. I had nothing to do on the weekends. I went there because of its reputation as one of the top ten ancient towns in Chengdu. Generally speaking, it is not much different from other ancient towns in western Sichuan. However, in terms of scale and attractions, it is not as good as Pingle (a small town that combines the past and the present), but you can really experience the quietness and peace here. If you want to play, you can walk through the whole town in 1-2 hours. It is more suitable to go there in summer (in fact, it is not recommended); the accommodation is an ordinary inn, 50-100. It seems that there are relatively few people going there on weekdays. I heard from the proprietress of the accommodation that occasionally some people come here to express their feelings for the mountains and rivers. (By the way, the water in the river next to the ancient town is particularly unclean and smelly, so you can't play in the water even if you go there in summer)
A typical ancient town in western Sichuan! A large number of buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties are preserved! It was developed relatively late and is located in a remote area! It has not been commercialized yet! It is quite simple! There are many old trees by the river!
actually,
I personally prefer Xilai Ancient Town.
Although,
It is not very noticeable among the ten ancient towns in Chengdu.
There is no constant flow of people,
But there are centuries-old trees standing quietly.
Without the hustle and bustle of a big city,
The tranquility and leisure of a rural town,
On the river,
There are fishermen rowing their boats, and ospreys leading the way,
It looks like a paradise.
The ancient town under development is quite good. The scenery is actually average, but it is less noisy than Wuzhen and Xitang, and retains more ancient charm. The most famous thing is that there are many big banyan trees, thousand-year-old banyan trees.
The life in the old street is very leisurely. It is very good. You can go and see it if you have the chance.
A bit deserted... but there are still people who come here because it's open. I didn't know what was going on before.