Dizhai

　　Dizhai is one of the three major plains areas in Xifeng County. Located at the exit of the Guiyang-Zunyi Expressway and between the Tuanyuan Mountain Scenic Area and the Xiwang Mountain Scenic Area, the development area spans 4 square kilometers. The plains area is home to the Dizhai River, which is about 30 meters wide and approximately 3 kilometers long. Its upper reaches feature the Yujianhe Reservoir, the largest reservoir in Xifeng. With a good ecological environment and abundant water resources, Dizhai is designated in Xifeng County’s 12th Five-Year Plan as part of the county’s urban structure, a tourism-oriented town, and a tourism reception and service center.

　　The Dizhai area boasts a long history of human culture. In 1956, two Neolithic stone axes were discovered in the Che Tianhe area along the Dizhai River, leading archaeologists to refer to the river basin as the Che Tianhe Cultural Site. During the Tang and Five Dynasties period (907–960 AD), Cai Xinglong led troops into Guizhou to conquer Heiyangqing (now Guiyang) and was later titled “Protectorate General.” He set up his administrative office in Dizhai to govern the region. In 1292, Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty established the Man-Yi Military and Civilian Prefecture in Dizhai and surrounding areas, granting the land of Dizhai to Cai Yongchang, a descendant of Cai Xinglong, who was appointed as the head official of the prefecture. Its seat of governance was located in Dazhai, Dizhai, marking the beginning of Dizhai’s formal establishment as an administrative unit. Over the next few centuries during the Ming and Qing dynasties, historical records show that three generations of the Mo Pan Kou family from Dizhai achieved success in the imperial examinations — three individuals over three successive generations, with two earning jinshi degrees and one a juren degree. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, Hua Zhihong, the largest ethnic capitalist in Guizhou at the time, was attracted by the beautiful scenery while transporting salt from Sichuan through the Dizhai fields. He acquired land in Dizhai to engage in farming, business, and trade, and provided transit accommodation for his salt caravans traveling to and from Sichuan. His family member, Hua Sita, is now buried behind Baixiang Mountain. During this time, a guesthouse and farmland were built in Xinzhai, Dizhai fields, and the Cixin Temple (now Dizhai Primary School) hosted the “Cixin Primary School,” which also served as the family’s summer retreat. This facility is considered the earliest rural leisure resort in Dizhai. It is now preserved as a county-level cultural relic site, with architectural style and design of historical research value. In 1940 (the 29th year of the Republic of China), Deng Kuangyuan, the magistrate of Xifeng County, established the “Xifeng County Junior Middle School” in the Wenchang Pavilion of Dizhai, which is the predecessor of today’s No. 1 Middle School in Xifeng County. Within a radius of less than 2 kilometers in the Dizhai fields, there are remains of five temples: Huilong Temple, Wanxing Temple, Cixin Temple, Shuikou Temple, and Min’an Temple.

　　Compared to the two major metropolitan cities of Guiyang and Chongqing, Dizhai falls within the typical main weekend travel range of large cities, providing a solid foundation for developing rural tourism. With the ongoing improvement of transportation infrastructure connecting surrounding cities, access to Baixiang Mountain will further improve in the future, making the journey for tourists more smooth and comfortable, while also attracting more external opportunity-based visitors to the Baixiang Mountain area.

　　The county’s overall master plan has incorporated the Dizhai area into the urban planning zone for Xifeng County from 2010 to 2020. In 2006, the People’s Government of Xishan Township invested 200,000 yuan to commission Shenzhen Tsinghua Yuan Design and Research Institute to carry out a regulatory detailed planning design for Baixiangshan Village in Xishan Township. In 2008, the Guiyang Tourism Bureau invested 480,000 yuan, in conjunction with the regulatory detailed plan of Baixiang Mountain, to commission Beijing Tiandao Blueprint Design Institute to prepare the “Baixiang Mountain Rural Tourism Area Conceptual Plan.” In 2009, based on the regulatory detailed plan and the Baixiang Mountain rural tourism conceptual plan, the People’s Government of Xishan Township invested over 200,000 yuan to commission Shenzhen Tsinghua Yuan Design and Research Institute to develop regulatory detailed planning and supporting facilities design for plots 08–13. Land supply for the plot has been implemented, and construction will commence upon approval of the supporting facilities design.

　　According to the land use master plan for 2006–2020, nearly 1,000 mu of basic farmland in Baixiang Mountain has been rezoned as construction land, and over 500 mu has been rezoned as conditional construction area.