Some people say, "Go to Yunnan when you are tired", so the small town in Yunnan has always been my first choice to escape. Watch the sunrise and sunset every day, the sunset in the field. Many depressed urbanites come here to relax and reflect on their lives.
If you don't like commercialization as much as I do, Shaxi Ancient Town in Jianchuan, Yunnan will be a good place to go.
There are no crowded streets in Dali and Lijiang, only clean and flawless blue sky overlooking the ever-changing green hills in the distance. Even cats and dogs are lazily lying on the bluestone road, which makes people feel that there is still a lot of time to squander.
Because of LONELYPLANET's recommendation and its special historical position, it has attracted many foreign tourists. Let's give you Amway today.
1. There is an old saying in the tea-horse culture of Shaxi ancient town: Dunhuang in the north and Shaxi in the south. There are two basic trends in the history of the extension of Chinese civilization, one is the Silk Road, and the other is the ancient tea-horse road. Shaxi is a solidified history book of tea-horse culture, and its status is no less than Dunhuang.
Shaxi ancient town lies between Dali and Lijiang. It used to be the land terminal on the ancient tea-horse road in Yunnan and Tibet, and it was an important node leading to Tibet. After the Tang Dynasty, Shaxi once again became the salt capital of the ancient tea-horse road. With the excavation of Nanzhao and Dali Grottoes, it became an ancient town integrating commerce, trade and Buddhist culture.
Although the ancient road is gone forever, it has left a dusty atmosphere of the ancient tea-horse road. Compared with Old Town of Lijiang and Dali ancient city, Xiaoshaxi is really much quieter.
When you see more over-developed ancient towns and commercial streets, you will feel more precious about the original appearance of Shaxi ancient town.
What makes people feel is that Shaxi was still in ruins more than ten years ago. In 2002, under the appeal of Jacques Fener, a Swiss cultural heritage protection expert, it was included in the "World 100 List of Endangered Civilized Sites".
It took them more than ten years to restore the buildings around Shaxi ancient market, repair the old with the old, and keep the ancient town intact, which made Shaxi exist today.
2. Historical Heritage of Shaxi Ancient Town Today, when the ancient town is commercialized, Shaxi Ancient Town still retains the most simple folk customs and the most primitive buildings. Those ancient theaters, temples and shops all tell the story of their past prosperity.
Qianxi market sideng ST
The ancient tea-horse road runs through Sichuan and Yunnan, and connects Tibet and India in the north and Southeast Asia in Nantong. The ancient road passes through Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and other places in Yunnan. Among these famous towns, there is the only surviving Millennium ancient market-Sideng Street in Shaxi. It is said that in ancient times, there were stockade gates on the east, south and north sides of Fourth Street to welcome caravan merchants.
Sideng Sifang Street is the soul and core of Shaxi and the place where Shaxi trades. Today, only Dongzhai Gate is still well preserved. On the stone road in front of the door, you can still see the clear horseshoe nest, which seems to record the traces left by the caravan.
Ancient stage
There is a saying in Shaxi that "people who have not been on the ancient stage cannot be called Shaxi people". It can be seen that the ancient stage of Sifang Street plays an important role in people's minds.
The main building structure of the ancient stage is Kuixing Pavilion, and the stage is only its auxiliary function, which is the place where the local Bai people worship Kuixing Pavilion. The building structure is exquisite, 12 corners, and the wings fly. Although it has been repaired, it basically maintains the original architectural style.
Whenever the prince's party is held on the eighth day of the second lunar month, this ancient stage in the center of Sideng Street is very lively. Shaxi people are dressed in costumes, singing and dancing, which is quite characteristic of Bai people.
Xingjiao temple
Today Xingjiao Temple is the largest, most typical and most representative Buddhist tantric "Ali" temple in China. Shaxi people bow down here and pray for a safe journey for the caravan.
This humble temple still preserves large murals of the ancient Bai people. The Ming Dynasty murals preserved in Xingjiao Temple are deeply influenced by the painting style of the Central Plains and have strong local ethnic characteristics. They are the treasures of ancient Bai painting art in the southwest frontier of China, and these murals make up for the palace scene in southwest Dali that is missing in the history books.
At the same time, there is the only mural in the world that feminizes Sakyamuni, which can only be seen in Xingjiao Temple.
The ancient town of Shaxi seems to bring a kind of magic that can calm people down. This is a place where people can calm down and slow down time.
Shaxi ancient town is not big, you can visit it in an hour, but there are many interesting shops hidden, so you must calm down and savor it.
Coming to Shaxi ancient town, a book, a cup of tea, riding a horse and catching a Friday market may be the most suitable way to polish time.
ride a horse
There are many places to ride horses, but riding back to the ancient tea-horse road is not available elsewhere, and it is a unique experience that belongs only to Shaxi. Pick a favorite pony, cross the Yujin Bridge and cross the field.
Occasionally, when I meet a caravan brother on the roadside, he will put down his work and talk to you about family life. Suddenly I feel an illusion of returning to the caravan era.
Chan tearoom
On a sunny afternoon, find a small shop in Sifang Street, order a pot of tea or handmade coffee, and talk freely with friends.
Don't worry about time here, just do what you like. The sun shines on my body, listening to the rustling of leaves in my ear and watching the kitten stretch by the roadside. Enjoy this lazy and slow life away from the hubbub.
Read a book.
I don't know how long it's been since you settled down to read your favorite book. Half an hour's walk from Shaxi Ancient Town, there is a pioneer bookstore, which was transformed from the former granary.
There is a poem wall and a French window in the bookstore. What you see through the window is green bamboo, which adds a little peace to the bookstore in this field. When you come to Shaxi, you might as well give yourself a few hours to read.
To the market?
Shaxi is always quiet except Friday. Every Friday, the villagers get up early and go to Shaxi Market, which is the only surviving Millennium market on the ancient tea-horse road.
For city people, "going to the market" seems too far away from us. You can squeeze into the local people dressed in colorful national costumes, sweep the goods with bamboo baskets like them, and see the freshly picked matsutake in summer and autumn. Integrate into local life and feel the simple fireworks.
(Tips: Don't stay in bed. The market is lively at 6- 10 on Friday morning. )