Xidi Ancient Village is situated at the foot of Huangshan Mountain's southern slope, approximately 40 kilometers away from it. It was originally built during the reign of Emperor Huangyou (1049-1054) of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and rebuilt during the reign (1449-1457) of Emperor Jingtai of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Encircled by green hills, two streams flow through the village from the north and the east converging at Huiyuan Bridge. The village has two main streets and about 99 lanes paved with cobblestones or black stones. The residences, lanes and streets fit well with the hills and streams.
Listed as a World Heritage Site, the village encompasses many historical and cultural sites. With a history of over 900 years, Xidi Village contains about 300 buildings in the Hui Style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, including 124 well-preserved Ming and Qing residences. Carvings on wood, stone and brick are an important part of these residences. The most popular tourist attractions in Xidi Village include Lingyun Pavilion, Ruiyu Pavilion, Cishi House, Da Fu Grand House, Qingyun House and so on.
The Da Fu Grand House, built during the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911), is located on the main street of Xidi Village. It’s an old residence of the Hu family. The doors of the main hall are carved with plum flower patterns and the windows with paper cuts in the Ming style. Beside the main hall stands a two-story boudoir facing the street. Nowadays, locals hold performances in the Da Fu Grand House, and the most wonderful one is Throwing Embroidered Ball from the boudoir. If interested, you can join in by trying to catch the ball.
The best time to visit Xidi Village is spring and autumn. If you visit in March or April, you can appreciate sea of rape flowers around the village.