Xisuo Residential Area

Xisuo Residential Area

Xisuo Residential Area is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Sichuan Province.

Xisuo Residential Area, the most typical village of the Jiarong Tibetan people, boasts distinctive Jiarong Tibetan architectural features. It preserves the traditional building style of "stacking stones to form rooms" used by the early Jiarong inhabitants. The village is densely packed with houses, arranged in a staggered and well-organized manner, and from a distance, resembles an ancient fortress with a formidable aura. Inside the village, narrow paths paved with bluestone slabs connect each household closely. Walking along these bluestone paths, you can hear echoes of footsteps reverberating between towering stone walls, extending along the slender pathways, evoking a sense of mystery as if walking through a secluded path. These sharply defined, angular stone buildings form a harmonious whole with the surrounding rugged peaks and steep cliffs. The vibrant totems, red tiles on rooftops, fluttering prayer flags, and uniquely styled stone architecture add an air of mystique to the area. The Jiarong stone watchtowers are a concentrated expression of the ethnic identity, beliefs, natural environment, and historical evolution of the Jiarong people.

Location: Xisuo Village is located in the heart of Zhuokeji Town, Barkam City, Aba Prefecture, at the intersection of National Highway 317 and Provincial Highway 210. It faces the town government across the river, covering a total area of 95 square kilometers, with an elevation of 2,660 meters.

Climate Characteristics: The region has a plateau continental monsoon climate. Its main climatic features include distinct dry and rainy seasons, indistinct four seasons, no real summer in most areas, abundant sunshine, large temperature variations, and frequent strong winds during the dry season. The annual average temperature is 8–9°C, with annual precipitation of around 753 mm, over 1,500 hours of sunshine, and an absolute frost-free period of about 120 days.

Resource Features: Xisuo Residential Area is uniquely characteristic of the Jiarong Tibetan people, preserving the traditional building style of "stacking stones to form rooms." When viewed from a distance, the Xisuo Tibetan Village resembles the “Huayi” pattern (shaped like a “Chinese knot,” representing the heart of Sakyamuni) from the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. The crisscrossing bluestone paths in the village clearly display the lines of this pattern.

Ticket Information: None

Contact Information: 0837-2631322

Official Website: http://www.maerkang.gov.cn/ (Barkam County Government Website)

Attraction Introduction: The Xisuo Tibetan Village consists entirely of three-story stone houses. The ground floor is used for raising livestock, the second floor for kitchens and living quarters, and the third floor for prayer halls and guest rooms. The residential buildings are watchtower-like in shape and are also referred to as watchtower houses. The walls around the houses are built with slate and bonded with yellow mud. The walls are up to one meter thick, constructed using an inward-straight and outward-tapered masonry technique. Craftsmen, relying solely on experience, build the stone walls so neatly they look as if cut with a knife, with sharp edges, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. The entire wall structure is under compression, serving as the main load-bearing element of the building. These watchtower-style houses are not only warm in winter and cool in summer but also feature unique architectural artistry and high aesthetic value, resembling exquisite works of art.