Shaxi (Shāxī, 沙溪)—an old Horse and Tea Trade Route outpost that was more or less unknown to tourists years before backpackers fleeing the tourist boomtowns of Dali and Lijiang stumbled across it—is now the beneficiary of big-time development funds and the attentions of a Swiss-led team of historical restoration specialists. The result: Shaxi is gaining in popularity, but the hordes that flock to Dali and Lijiang have yet to descend—no doubt in large measure because of the lack of five-star resorts and all of the trappings of a destination ready to accommodate busloads of tourists looking for tidily packaged "authentic" experiences of local ethnic minority culture. Instead, a handful of lovingly restored old structures house small-scale guesthouses—the most intriguing being the old town opera house, complete with courtyard stage.
Shaxi is, then, emblematic of the conundrum at the heart of tourism: It's the place we feel bad about writing about because it's on the verge of widespread discovery, but it's our job to write about it, and, well, we feel obliged to say that you should go sooner than later in order to experience it at its best... before the roads are improved, the resorts are built, and the tourist buses start dumping their payloads.
The town sits at the end of a wide, beautiful valley lined with Bai minority homes and tiny tucked-away villages. The heart of the town is a beautiful marketplace, Sideng Market, which features an authentic classic Chinese theater and one of the most peaceful temples in the region, Xingjiao Temple. Officially Buddhist, Xinjiao Temple is actually more syncretic, incorporating icons and symbols representing all major Asian faiths. This is a phenomenon that is very special to this part of Yunnan, where many different traders and travelers have passed over the centuries, bringing their beliefs with them and fostering a deep tolerance for difference among the local residents.
You can see this philosophy on grand display at the nearby Shi Bao Shan temple complex. Set in a rolling valley at the far end of Shaxi, Shi Bao Shan is a scattering of spiritual sites, shrines and temples that has served as a place of worship and spirited, spiritual discussion for centuries. The buildings are in good shape and the complex is large enough to easily take up an entire day. Notable sites include statues of Indian sages along the climb up to the temple complex and a Yoni Shrine, a cleft in the cliffside that bears a striking resemblence to the holiest of holies and enjoys a constant flow of cool mountain water.
Also back in the hills is the village of Maping Guan (Mǎpíng Guān, 马坪关), an extraordinary holdover from the old Horse and Trade period. This staunchly Bai village boasts a Confucian Temple, a shrine to the Guanyin Buddha as well as a traditional theater. This cultural trifecta used to be a standard requirement for any self-respecting Chinese village, but now places that hold on the old ways like Maping Guan are rare indeed.
History
Horse and Tea Trade Route caravans heading north from the tea plantations of Jinghong and Pu'er (Pǔ'ěr Shì, 普洱市 ) or south from the highlands western Sichuan found themselves entering the Shaxi Valley just before dark. The outpost that emerged at the crossroads was a vital link and a welcome resting spot for traders of all sorts of goods. Salt and silver were produced locally—in Misha and nearby He Qing—while tea and horses came from abroad.
Sideng Market in the center of Shaxi Town became famous throughout the valleys and mountains of southwestern China as traders from a dazzling array of cultures gathered there, chasing wealth. Naxi from Lijiang brought timber, Muslim Hui and Tibetans brought furs and horses, the local Bai made salt and dealt in silver, Han brought jade, tea and silk, Hani from southern Yunnan brought tea and cloth.
There were Burmese traders and Indian monks. It was a beautiful situation, and it lasted for centuries, from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) to the very end of the Qing Dynasty (1614-1911). (Check our tidy summary of China's dynasties for the historical framework.)
Today, the market features a fully restored theater stage in the old traditional style that stands opposite a very unique temple that combines cultural elements from throughout China, Tibet, India and Southeast Asia, reflecting Shaxi's fascinating past as a trade crossroads.
After the heyday of the Horse and Tea Trade Route, stagnation hit the once-flourishing town, stagnation that was only relieved by the oncoming People's Liberation Army, which was more interested in destroying anti-Revolutionary elements then reviving an old trading town.
Over the first 50 years of the PRC's existence, Shaxi descended into backwardness, obscurity and poverty, while much of the local population left for work in the bigger cities. This trend was reversed in 2001 when the World Monument Fund listed Shaxi, Sideng Market and many of the old wooden temples, theaters and homes of the region as "endangered."
Soon after a 1.3 million U.S. dollar project was launched in collaboration between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH) and the People's Government of Jianchuan County, part of which went into developing Shaxi.
Now the valley and the town rely almost solely on tourism for income, and, so far, it has proven a success: much of the area's old heritage is still alive in some form or another, and the tourists keep pouring in.
Climate
Shaxi is at a high elevation and is set in a forested valley near Dali in central Yunnan. The summers are sunny with a bit of rain, autumn is divine, winter is cold and crisp but not uncomfotably so and spring is wet and very, very green. There really is no bad time to go to Shaxi.
Yunnan guide | Shaxi attractions | Shaxi flights (Dali)
Dali hotels | Lijiang & Shaxi tours | Shaxi on the China Travel Blog
If you'd like to visit Shaxi as part of a larger Yunnan tour, trips from Lijiang can be organized easily; we recommend Ctrip for booking tours than include Shaxi on the itinerary: Shaxi tours.
If you want to stay in Shaxi, you can stay at Wu Yun Xin's Guesthouse, 3 km (2 mi) from Shaxi Town in Duanjiadeng Village (Duànjiādēng, 段家登). The guesthouse is a beautiful, restored old building centered on a 200-year old theater. He only has a few rooms, but they are very nice and have an attached bathroom with hot water. Mr. Wu specializes in treks to various villages and sites around the valley. He also offers pick-ups from Jianchuan (Jiànchuān, 剑川) for RMB 50.
Contact: Mr. Wu mobile: 13577851712 Email: shaxi-travel@teahorse.net
Hoteliers are already entrenched around Sideng Square, preparing for the trekkers and tourists that will surely come in the next few years. There is the Shaxi Lao Ma Dian Lodge, facing the market square. This guesthouse is run by Taiwanese-Americans and has comfortable doubles as well as dorm beds. Lao Ma Dian was once an old caravan hostel and the courtyards are spacious and elegant, with old freshwater wells that date back several hundred years.
Contact: Tel: 0872-4722666 Email: laomadian@gmail.com
The newly built Shaxi Cultural Center and Guesthouse is run by an American "China Hand," Sam Mitchell. It is located off of Sideng square, around the corner from the Lao Ma Dian. He offers dorms and doubles with attached bathrooms and hot water.
The Ouyang Inn is a locally run and owned guesthouse on Sideng Square. The Ouyang family is descended from caravan traders that settled here during the Ming Dynasty. They have dorms and doubles – clean and comfortable – and the courtyard also doubles as an Ouyang family residence.
For drinks and conversation, you can check out Allen's Café, to the right of the theater on Sideng Square, or a currently nameless café to the left of the theater.
Yunnan guide | Shaxi attractions | Shaxi flights (Dali)
Dali hotels | Lijiang & Shaxi tours | Shaxi on the China Travel Blog
Shaxi is located equidistant between the cities of Dali and Lijiang in northern Yunnan. You will have to go to Jianchuan (Jiànchuān, 剑川) first, then from there hire a car to Shaxi.
Alternately, you can stay in Lijiang and book a Shaxi tour—a convenient way to make the most of a more general Yunnan trip.
From Dali, you to go to the new city of Xiaguan (Xiàguān, 下关)—20 km south from the center of old Dali—and take the bus to Jianchuan for RMB 26. Alternatively, you can wait on the highway heading north from old Dali and flag down the Xiaguan-Jianchuan bus.
From Jianchuan, you can hire a minibus or car to Shaxi for RMB 80. From Lijiang, go to the Lijiang Tourist Bus Center in the new town and take the Jianchuan Bus for RMB 32 and then hire a car to Shaxi.
Yunnan guide | Shaxi attractions | Shaxi flights (Dali)
Dali hotels | Lijiang & Shaxi tours | Shaxi on the China Travel Blog