[2024 Jianchuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Sideng Street Ancient Stage (Updated Sep)
Theater
Historical Architectures
Address:
Dali Jianchuan Shaxi Ancient Town
Opening times:
Open year round, 24/7Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hours
Climbing over a 2500-meter-high mountain to see the ancient theater deep in Dali
In my first trip to Yunnan in 2012, I heard about Shaxi Ancient Town and was attracted by the photos of the theater in the town.
After many years, Shaxi is now well-known and has completed its commercialization process as an ancient town. But for the sake of this ancient theater, I am still willing to make the trip.
The Sideng Street Theater is located in the center of the ancient town and the existing structure was built during the Guangxu period. With its soaring shape, exquisite decorations, and ancient appearance, it is the most beautiful ancient theater I have ever seen. (p1-p4)
The Xingjiao Temple opposite the theater is also worth a visit. The outer wall of the main hall in the temple preserves murals from the Ming Dynasty. (p5-p10)
As a small town deep in Dali, Shaxi indeed has the charm of a paradise. Of course, the core area of the ancient town has been occupied by shops and guesthouses. (p11-p14)
From Dali to Shaxi, I didn't take the highway this time but chose the shorter Niusha Line. Along the way, you need to climb over a high mountain, reaching an altitude of over 2500 meters, and my smart watch started to alert 'Plateau Care'. There are viewing platforms along the road where you can see the Haixi Reservoir landscape.
Isabella Thompson Isabella-7
Go to a place with wind, a place so beautiful it's like a painting
⛰【Travel Guide】
📍Detailed address: Shaxi Town, Jianchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
🚗Transportation Guide:
Self-driving is the first choice, as car rental is very convenient. The next best option is to hire a car.
Public transportation is not easy to access. Take a bus from Lijiang or Dali bus station to Jianchuan bus station (1.5-2h), then take a rural green minibus to Shaxi Ancient Town (40min-1h)
🌟Highlights:
1. Ancient Opera Stage
The most characteristic landmark of Shaxi, built for the entertainment of gods through opera, with a three-story hip-and-gable roof and a three-sided viewing pavilion that is very elegant. It is also a landmark of Shaxi.
2. Xingjiao Temple
A rare Bai ethnic minority Vajrayana Buddhist temple in China, with the main hall and secondary hall being Ming Dynasty relics. The 16 frescoes on the outer wall of the main hall are very precious.
3. Ouyang Courtyard
A century-old residence built by a caravan leader surnamed Ouyang during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, very well preserved.
4. Dongzhaimen
Today, the gates leading north and south from Sifang Street are all reconstructed works, only Dongzhaimen is the original historical piece.
5. Yujin Bridge
A semi-circular stone arch bridge, an excellent spot for photography. In the old days, caravans would cross the Huacang Mountain from Niu Street, and crossing this bridge meant entering Shaxi.
6. Pioneer Shaxi Bai Ethnic Bookstore
Located 2 kilometers northeast of the ancient town in Beilong Village, it is the fifth rural bookstore of Nanjing Pioneer Bookstore, transformed from a commune granary.
7. Sideng Street
The most central street, with interesting shops concentrated here.
8. Grandma Arai's Shop
Next to the ancient opera stage, there is a workshop run by a local grandmother, where all the handicrafts are handmade by her.
9. Jian Lake
A wetland with good natural scenery, revered by locals.
10. Mid-Mountain Coffee
Take a sightseeing yellow cart from 【Yujin Bridge】 to reach this place, located on a hillside. Before the wheat harvest, you can see vast golden fields~
📌Little Tips:
Don't miss the Shaxi market gathering time: every Friday morning from 8:00-12:00. The market is not just a small commodity market~ You can see local specialty products & handicrafts, and fully experience the authentic cultural scenery.
Market recommendations to buy: wild mushrooms, fresh sheep milk, milk cakes, local homemade cured meat, bamboo crafts, etc.
🌟When tired, just sit in front of a stall, buy a bowl of sweet rice wine or mixed pea powder with sour papaya juice, cheap and delicious
Universe Bread: Alkaline water European bread is delicious
Crow Coffee: Shaxi coffee shop ceiling, signature hand-brewed
Longfeng Ruiying Halal Restaurant: Beef and beef offal hot pot is very tasty and affordable
Pioneer Book House: Former granary, today's bookstore, referring to this bookstore located on the ancient Tea Horse Road. Inside, in addition to books, there is also a café and a poetry tower.
Love and Old Food: Not big but extra cozy, ingredients are bought fresh from the morning market, sold out means no more.
Chew Chew Small Restaurant: It is said that Liu Yifei has visited, a shop loved by fairies, must be stunning enough. Pick a good weather, order a tiramisu & latte, even the wind is sweet~
CHRISTIAN CALDWELL
ings to Know Before Going to Shaxi Ancient Town | Be a passerby on the Ancient Tea Horse Road
| Be a passerby on the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
In a place called Jianchuan in Dali, Yunnan, there is an ancient town, which is an important post on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. It is so quiet that it is almost forgotten. In recent years, because of a TV series 'Go to the Place with Wind', it has become famous. I have been here a few years ago, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this ancient town is still my favorite ancient town, without one. I thought that the heat of the TV series would make this simple and pure ancient town commercialized, but I didn't expect that when I visited again a few days ago, I found that it was still the same as a few years ago, without catching up with the trend, still so simple and quiet.
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📍Shaxi Ancient Town
🚗Shaxi Ancient Town, Jianchuan County, Dali City, Yunnan Province (recommended self-driving, the whole journey is accessible by expressway, the ancient town has a parking lot)
🎫Free admission
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Stepping into Shaxi Ancient Town, it seems to have passed through the gate of time and space, and came to an ancient world. The winding stone road winds past, and the bluestone houses on both sides stand tall. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, they still reveal the breath of history. In the square in the center of the ancient town, an ancient stone well quietly guards this land, witnessing countless pedestrians' departures and returns.
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📸Must check-in
✅ Ancient stage
The ancient stage is the most distinctive building on Sifang Street. It is located in the central street-facing position of the building group on the east side of Sifang Street. It has a history of over a hundred years. Because of its long history and pure wooden construction for a hundred years, it can now only be visited under the stage
✅Ancient temple
The Xingjiao Temple opposite the ancient stage is an ancient temple that has existed in Shaxi for hundreds of years. It is very quiet inside, and it is now open for visit
✅Yujin Bridge
The Yujin Bridge spans the Heihui River. The Heihui River is the mother river of Shaxi Ancient Town. It is clear and soft, and the Yujin Bridge is the first bridge to Dali. It is the only way for all horse teams from the south to the north in the past
✅Pioneer Bookstore
This is a Bai bookstore. In addition to a large number of books available for reading in the bookstore, there are also many unique ethnic cultural peripherals of the Bai people in Shaxi. The scent of books and the originality of the ancient town are combined. It is the most comfortable in the life of the ancient town to draw half a day of leisure, pick a book you like, find a corner to sit down and quietly read the story in it.
✅Coffee shop
There are many coffee shops in Shaxi, each with its own flavor and style. Just find a place to sit down, drink coffee and bask in the sun, it's all healing time
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Shaxi is a very small ancient town. Although it is not big, it can make people linger. It is a place where people can calm down, stare in a daze, taste quietly, and think quietl
VictoriaMcDermott00
Shaxi Ancient Town in Yunnan, a town with a long history and profound cultural heritage, is definitely worth a visit
Shaxi Ancient Town in Yunnan, a town with a long history and profound cultural heritage, is definitely worth a visit!
Compared with the famous ancient towns of Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan, Shaxi Ancient Town is less noisy and more quiet and simple. Here is a town with a history of 600 years, walking on the street can make people feel very comfortable. Among all the attractions in Shaxi Ancient Town, I prefer the Yujin Bridge in winter. Around 8 o'clock in the morning, as the sun slowly rises, the ground temperature gradually rises, and the surface of the Yujin River also begins to rise fog. The Yujin Bridge before and after sunrise is completely different, before sunrise it is quiet and blue, after sunrise it is warm and brilliant. If you come to Shaxi, don't miss Yujin Bridge, the ancient stage and Sideng Street. You can reach Shaxi by self-driving or carpooling, or by ordering a bus through the Caiyun Tong applet. The best shooting time for Yujin Bridge is at sunrise, the morning fog rising from the river and the warm sun are a beautiful combination.
Shaxi Ancient Town is a place where people linger. If you also want to go to a quiet place to relax, why not come to Shaxi to feel the simplicity and tranquility here!