Weishan Ancient Town lies in Weishan County, which is 50 kilometers away from Dali Ancient City, in the western part of Yunnan Province. The ancient town situates at the foot of Ailao Mountain, and is a historical and cultural city known as the birthplace of the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom. The whole city contains white wall, gray tile, carved wooden doors, and stone roads together with many well-preserved buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Ancient Weishan Town
There used to be some villages in Weishan Town in the early Tang Dynasty (618-907). Later, the town began large-scale construction in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It was changed to the brick town during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and it kept the styles and features until today. Weishan Ancient Town now contains 25 streets and 18 lanes, with a total length of 14 kilometers. The whole layout resembles the shape of a chessboard.
What to see at Weishan Ancient Town
A series of remaining sites dating back to Ming and Qing Dynasties can be seen in the ancient town. There are four city gates in the four directions of Weishan Old Town, which make the town shaped like a square seal. The symbol of the town, Xinggong Tower was built in the center of the town during Ming Dynasty, with a height of 11 meters. It consists of a wooden tower and the brick foundation support.
Another remarkable building is the Gongchen Tower, which is on the north gate of Weishan Ancient Town, with the height of 23.5 meters. The whole building is supported by 28 large pillars. Standing at the top of the tower, people will have a panoramic view of the whole Weishan Ancient City.
Menghua Old House is the largest and best preserved old residential house inside the town. This old house contains wall, three lanes, five courtyards and six wells. The whole building complex adopted certain unique features of local ethnic architecture in central China. It was once used as residential place combining with the commercial shops.
Yuanjue Temple is hidden in the forest which has the charming scenery. The dense-eave brick tower stands in front of temple among the pine trees. The straight pine trees, tall towers and ancient temple make a peaceful scene.
Inside the town, local snacks and dishes can be found easily at the food street. The famous Guojiang Ersi, Juanfen Noddle, Chicken Noddle, Xizhou Pancake, are the popular choices among the locals as well as the tourists.