Sideng Village of Shaxi Town in Jianchuan County, Dali

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Chinese Name: 大理白族自治州剑川县沙溪镇寺登村
English Name: Sideng Village of Shaxi Town in Jianchuan County, Dali

Sideng Village, named after Sideng Street within its boundaries, is an administrative village under Shaxi Town, Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. It is a traditional village located in the center of the Shaxi Basin, beside the Heihui River, with an area of 3.65 square kilometers.

Sideng Village is a Bai ethnic settlement and the only surviving ancient market on the Southern Silk Road’s “Tea Horse Road.” It not only retains the traditional mountain market appearance but also continues the cultural heritage of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Bai folk culture. The village boasts numerous historical relics, including Ming and Qing architecture, residential courtyards, ancient opera stages, Xingjiao Temple, village gates, ancient alleys, Yujin Bridge, and ancient trees. Sideng Street has been listed as a World Endangered Heritage Site by the World Monuments Fund.

On December 17, 2012, Sideng Village was announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Finance as one of the first batch of China’s traditional villages.

In October 2021, it was proposed by the Department of Rural Industry Development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to be included in the 2010-2017 China Beautiful Leisure Villages Monitoring Qualified Publicity List.

Village History

During the Spring and Autumn to Western Han periods, Sideng was a production base for bronze weapons, and trading using shells as currency already existed. [5]

In the Qin and Han periods, Sideng Ancient Market was an important market on the “Shu-South Road.”

Since the Tang Dynasty, Sideng Ancient Market became a key junction on the “Tea Horse Road” connecting the Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibetan border areas.

By the late Yuan Dynasty, trade brought economic prosperity, and with ongoing cultural migration and religious integration, the villages in the Sideng area gradually developed.

In the 13th year of the Ming Yongle era (1415), the Xingjiao Temple of the “Three Teachings” was completed. Due to the open space and numerous Buddhist followers in Shaxi, the market gradually shifted to the open area in front of Xingjiao Temple, forming the prototype of Sideng Street.

After the 1950s, as new roads bypassed Sideng Street, the village was once forgotten by the world.

In October 2001, Sideng Street was included in the “101 Endangered Heritage Sites Worth Noting” by the World Monuments Fund (WMF).

Starting in August 2002, with support from the Ministry of Culture, local governments at various levels in Yunnan Province, the Swiss Federal Department of Development Cooperation, and the Swiss-Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation Association, the Chinese-Swiss joint project for the first phase of the Shaxi Sideng Street Revival Project was implemented. This project included the restoration of Duan’s Opera Stage, the eastern and southern gates of Sideng Street, the opera stage and flanking houses of Sideng Street, and the ancient buildings of Xingjiao Temple, thus rescuing the endangered Tea Horse Road architectural heritage.

Geographical Environment

Location and Area

Sideng Village is located in the central part of Shaxi Town, Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It lies in the center of the Shaxi Basin, beside the Heihui River, covering an area of 2.5 square kilometers.

Topography

Sideng Village has a terrain that is higher in the north and lower in the south, with an average elevation of 2100 meters.

Hydrology

The Heihui River, a tributary of the Lancang River, flows from north to south through Sideng Village.

Vegetation

The village has a high vegetation coverage rate of over 80%, mainly consisting of pine trees, willow trees, locust trees, and a few ornamental trees.

Village Layout

Site Selection Concept

Sideng Village is backed by Shibaoshan Mountain, faces the Heihui River to the east, and is adjacent to Aofeng Mountain to the west, forming a typical “embracing the sun with a mountain and water” layout. This natural condition creates a relatively enclosed space with a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The natural landscape and architecture, along with greenery, achieve a good background, contrast, layering, and contour effects, which contribute to a favorable ecological environment and microclimate.

Spatial Layout

Sideng Street runs from east to west through the entire Shaxi Ancient Town, which has three gates: the Eastern Gate, Southern Gate, and the Western Gate next to Aofeng Mountain. The Eastern Gate leads to the Dali area, the Southern Gate connects the southern and western parts of the ancient town to the salt wells of Yunnan, and the Northern Gate leads to Tibet.

The Sideng Four-Square Street is the core of Shaxi Ancient Town. The eastern side of the Four-Square Street features an ancient opera stage facing east, while the western side has Xingjiao Temple facing west. The two are in visual harmony, surrounded by shops and inns. Three ancient alleys extend in all directions from the street. Yujin Bridge is located in the southeast, and the Ouyang Courtyard is in the northwest.

Economic and Social Conditions

Population

Sideng Village is a Bai ethnic settlement.

According to the official website of the Digital Museum of Traditional Chinese Villages in February 2020, Sideng Village has a registered population of 2664 and a resident population of 2567.

Economy

The main industries in Sideng Village are agriculture, animal husbandry, and tourism.

In 2011, Sideng Village received 60,000 tourists, including 12,000 international visitors, with a total tourism revenue of over 8 million yuan. The per capita net income of villagers was nearly 4000 yuan.

As of April 2018, there were 84 restaurants, 107 specialty guesthouses, and 32 traditional craft stores, such as woodcarving and embroidery, directly employing 669 people in tourism.

According to the official website of the Digital Museum of Traditional Chinese Villages in February 2020, the village collective’s annual income was 23.85 million yuan, and the per capita annual income of villagers was 9637 yuan.

Major Attractions

Xingjiao Temple

Xingjiao Temple is the only surviving Ming Dynasty Bai Buddhist temple known as “Azhali” in China. In May 2006, it was designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council.
The main hall of Xingjiao Temple, known as the Hall of Great Hero, features a double-eaved hipped roof with nine ridges, oriented south to north. The hall is 18 meters wide and 14.5 meters deep, with three bays and surrounding corridors. It has 20 external columns, with each column head connected to the railing, and a decorative beam layout. The hall is a beamless structure, showcasing a solid, elegant, and classic design. Inside, there are wooden Buddha niches and numerous Buddha statues, often referred to as the “Ten Thousand Buddha Hall.”
The second hall of Xingjiao Temple, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, features a hanging mountain roof with five ridges, 19 meters wide in both the south and north directions, and five bays. The depth from east to west is 16 meters, also with five bays. Both the central and secondary bays have six columns in a row, with inner and outer columns arranged with golden pillars.
On both sides of the hall, there are rows of mountain columns with 11 columns each. The columns are interlinked with five connecting beams and encircling straps, with a total of 46 columns and 13 beams in each bay.

Ouyang Courtyard

Located on the northwest side of Siding Street in Siding Village, Ouyang Courtyard was built in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period. It is a traditional Bai courtyard with the layout of “Three Houses and One Screen Wall, Four Courtyards and Five Skylights.” The courtyard includes a main gate, secondary gate, main building, side rooms, a small garden, a small stage, a kitchen, and an auxiliary horse stable.
The main gate of Ouyang Courtyard is made of stone with a rounded arch top. The gate features a lion relief sculpture, and the top of the gate is decorated with carved birds and various calligraphy and paintings, each unique in style and meaning.

Typical Architecture

Kweichow Stage
Located opposite Xingjiao Temple, Kweichow Stage was originally built during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the fourth year of Guangxu (1878). The stage is a three-story structure with a Kweichow Stage base and a unique design featuring flying eaves with 14 corners. A horizontal plaque reading “Universal Illumination of Literary Light” hangs below the eaves.

South Gate
The South Gate of Siding Street is a typical two-story watchtower gate with four sides for beacon fires. The upper level was used by guards for accommodation and defense (with gun ports), while the lower level served as the passageway for pedestrians.

Yujin Bridge
Located about 200 meters east of Siding Street, Yujin Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge. It spans 12 meters, is 6 meters high, 35.4 meters long, and 5 meters wide, with stone pillar and slab railings. The arch is adorned with a stone carving of an “ao” (a mythical creature), and the railing ends feature four stone carvings of “salamanders.”

Ancient Paths
Siding Town is rich in ancient paths, some still in use. The most notable are the stone-paved roads in Mingjian Shou Valley to the north of Shaxi and the ancient paths leading from Shaxi to Misha Salt Wells.

Ancient Trees and Notable Plants
The ancient trees along Siding Street are not only old but also diverse and aesthetically pleasing. Notable examples include a 300-year-old round cypress with a diameter of 54.75 cm, a 500-year-old yellow olive tree with a height of 17 meters and a diameter of 140.06 cm, a 10.4-meter-high, 100-year-old privet tree with a diameter of 54.11 cm, a 300-year-old mountain magnolia with a diameter of 55.7 cm, as well as ancient locust trees and crape myrtles over 100 years old.
Two Ming Dynasty locust trees in front of Xingjiao Temple are similar in size and stand side by side. One of the traditional plays performed on the ancient stage is called “The Tale of the Twin Locust Trees.”

Local Products and Cuisine

Local Products Buzha is a traditional Bai ethnic craft from Jianchuan. It features a meticulous production process, using brightly colored fabrics that are first sewn into a prototype, then filled with aromatic herbs like mugwort, and finally intricately embroidered. Buzha has a rustic shape, vibrant colors, and strong decorative effects.

Cuisine Shideng Village’s main local delicacies include Bai-style “Eight Bowls,” sheep milk cakes, porcini mushrooms, white kidney beans, wild ginseng, and chicken bean jelly.

• Bai-style Eight Bowls: With a long history, it is said that this dish was originally used as a state banquet to entertain kings from sixteen countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia during the Dali Kingdom’s Duan Bai era. Later, it became a local delicacy in Jianchuan, featuring a mix of meat and vegetables, well-prepared, delicious, and suitable for all ages.
• Sheep Milk Cake: Also known as milk tofu, this nutrient-rich food is high in fat proteins and is a flavorful and nourishing delicacy.
• Porcini Mushrooms: Known for their delicious taste, they are rich in amino acids, high-quality proteins, simple sugars, and cancer-fighting polysaccharides.
• White Kidney Beans: High in protein, of excellent quality, and free from contamination, these beans are certified as “AA Grade Green Food” by the China Green Food Development Center.
• Wild Ginseng: Originally a wild vegetarian food from temples, it is rich in various amino acids and crude proteins, making it a green health food. Shaxi Town is the origin of wild ginseng in Yunnan Province.
• Chicken Bean Jelly: A local snack from Shaxi, this jelly has a black appearance, hence also known as “Black Jelly.”

Honors and Titles

Tourist Information

Getting to the Village Shideng Village is 32 kilometers from Jianchuan County, with Pingdian Road and National Highway 214 as the main routes, offering convenient transportation. You can take a bus from Dali North Station to Jianchuan County, which is 126 kilometers and takes 2-3 hours. From Jianchuan Passenger Station, take a minibus or small van to Shaxi Shideng Street.

Village Tour Routes

• North Route: Mingjian Station → Diantou (Ciyun Monastery) east → Duanjia Deng (Duanjia Deng Stage) → Pingdian Line → Shaping (Kui Ge) → West 2000 meters to Shadengqingshi Cave → South 500 meters → East to Xiake (Yuhuang Pavilion) → Ben Zhu Temple Qiwun Temple → Shideng Sifang Street
• South Route: Changle Kui Ge, Xingjiao Temple → Aofeng City God Big Screen Wall → Fushou Chang Kui Ge (7.5 kilometers west to Mapingguan) → Lighthouse Kui Ge → Shiao Bridge → Dragon King Temple → Red Star White Dragon Pool → Ouyang Courtyard → Sifang Street → Xingjiao Temple → South Village Gate → Yujin Bridge → East Village Gate → Old Horse Shop → Shideng Village Sifang Street → Zhao Family Courtyard → Ben Zhu Temple → Yang Family Courtyard → East Village Gate → Yujin Bridge → Xingjiao Temple → Ouyang Courtyard → Ouyang Courtyard → Sifang Street → Xingjiao Temple → East Village Gate → Yujin Bridge → Jiangdong Wenchang Pavilion → West Gate Xingwen Temple → Kui Xing Pavilion → South Gate Caiyun Temple → Caiyun Gang Stone Pagoda .