Ancient Residential Complex of Xijia Mountain

Ancient Residential Complex of Xijia Mountain

The Xijia Mountain Ancient Residential Complex is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Xijia Mountain Residential Complex is located in Xijia Mountain, Jiang'an County, Yibin. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit, initially built in the 40th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty and expanded to completion in the Qing Dynasty, covering a construction area of 10,056 square meters. The entire architectural layout is rigorous, with clear primary and secondary structures, an orderly arrangement of open and enclosed spaces, and a magnificent grandeur. The ancient residence features deep courtyards, high walls, upturned eaves, dark tiles, and towering ancient trees, offering beautiful scenery. It is a well-preserved and rare example of ancient residences in southern Sichuan. Surrounding the residence are numerous Phoebe zhennan trees, and it is home to tens of thousands of egrets, a second-class nationally protected animal, forming a rare "natural egret park" in China. In 1996, it was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit. Since 2009, it has been open to the public free of charge.

The residence faces south and is laid out in a composite "courtyard house" style, featuring three courtyards along the central axis. The main gate, library, and front hall form the first courtyard. Behind them, the front hall, central reception hall, lower reception hall, and rear hall (family living quarters) make up the second courtyard. Passing through the central reception hall to the west leads to the opera viewing hall (also known as the "I-shaped hall") and the theater stage, which served as leisure spaces for the owners. The architectural layout features interconnected rooms and interlinked courtyards. From the front corridor of the front hall in the first courtyard, one can go east around the library to enter the area where servants and younger family members lived, including a weaving room, grain storage, embroidery tower, guest tower, stables, and sedan chair room. To the west are a guest tower, guest rooms, and a jujube garden (now destroyed). Five steps up from the jujube garden lead to the private school. From the school, heading south through the garden gate brings you to the western garden (now renamed the Yi Garden), a recreational space for the owners, featuring a music room, study, upper reception hall, rockery, small bridge, Buddha’s hand pool, and Yi Garden pavilion. The Yi Garden covers an area of 3 mu, celebrated for its floral gardens, with trees that stay green all year and flowers that bloom in every season. There are winding corridors, small bridges over flowing water, pine and bamboo groves, and fragrant vines, creating a serene and pleasant atmosphere. The entire complex is surrounded by walls, with watchtowers at each corner. In front of the main gate is a pond covering 2.5 mu, encircled by a railing. The entire architectural group is further enclosed by walls, reflecting the strong sense of security and desire to prevent external intrusion among the former owners. The overall layout of the buildings is highly structured, with clear hierarchy, logical spatial arrangements, and comprehensive functionality. It preserves the folk architectural styles of the Song and Ming dynasties while breaking away from a strictly symmetrical design to achieve a softer aesthetic. The central axis running through the residence serves not only as the main architectural axis but also as a line distinguishing different architectural styles. To the left of the axis lies the owners' living and entertainment area, where the opera viewing hall (I-shaped hall) and theater stage are closely connected. This two-tiered platform area features varied elevations, refined elegance, and served as a recreational space for the owners and their aristocratic guests. The buildings to the right of the axis are of a lower style, designated for servants, younger family members, and workspaces. The contrast between the two sides reflects the hierarchical system of feudal society manifested in architecture.

The Xijia Mountain Residential Complex is one of the best-preserved ancient residential architectural complexes in China. It is hailed as the "Fossil of Chinese Folk Architecture" and the "Essence of Chinese Folk Architecture," holding immense value for the study of Chinese folk architectural history, folk art history, folk customs history, and the social history of southern Sichuan. In recent years, a large number of film and television works, such as *China's Unique Wonder*, *The Foolish Division Commander*, *Dong Zhuojun*, and *Butterfly Snow*, have been filmed here, making it a popular base for TV and movie productions.

Protected Area: East to Niushitan, South to the Jianghong Highway at Dawanqiu, West to the path at Xinfen Mountain, North to Yanshanzui.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 200 meters beyond the protected area.

Jiang'an Town: Jiang'an Town is a place of remarkable talent and cultural heritage, having produced generations of artistic masters and cultural talents such as calligraphers, writers, historians, and dramatists since ancient times. The great poet and calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian, and the Ming Dynasty literary figure Yang Shen once stayed in Jiang'an Town, composing poetry and calligraphy by the Yangtze River. The Occasional Stay Pavilion and Banyan Inscription Pavilion were named after these events. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the famous director Xie Jin studied at the National Drama School in Jiang'an, while renowned dramatists such as Cao Yu, Hong Shen, Jiao Juyin, Ma Yanxiang, and Chen Litin taught here.

The local economy of Jiang'an Town is developing rapidly, infrastructure is gradually improving, and the living standards of residents are... More detailed information about Jiang'an Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units