Historical Hotspots

top of chapter CHUANDIXIA VILLAGE 川底下村

A visit to this cluster of historic courtyards in a Ming-dynasty village makes a great day trip from Beijing and is a real step back into the past, thanks to the ancient alleyways you can wander down, the 70-odd traditional homes and the beautiful backdrop of terraced orchards and fields rising up the hillside behind the village.

But Chuandixia also has a foot in a more modern time. Maoist slogans from the Cultural Revolution are stencilled throughout the village, and seeing faded exhortations like ‘Arm our Minds with Mao Zedong Thought’ and ‘Proletariats of the World Unite’ in such an old-world setting makes for a bizarre juxtaposition of eras.

Chuandixia’s relatively isolated location helped it preserve its character long after other villages went down the route of tacking on ugly, brick-built extensions to aged courtyards. The locals have done a good job of preserving the charms of the place, not least because they are well aware of Chuandixia’s value as both a location for period TV shows and as a tourist centre.

That means that, should you be stuck here for the night, you won’t have a problem finding a place to stay or a restaurant to eat in. But, as the village is small, most people choose to head back to Beijing after a few hours.

INFORMATION

Location 90km west of Beijing. Getting there From Pingguoyuan subway station there are two daily direct buses (Y10, 7.30am and 12.30pm, returning at 10.30am and 3.30pm). Otherwise, take bus 929 (branch line 支线) to Zhaitang (斋堂; Y8, two hours), then a taxi van (Y20, 15 to 20 minutes). The last bus from Zhaitang to Pingguoyuan leaves at 4.20pm. A return trip by the taxis that will be waiting for you at Pingguoyuan is Y150 to Y200. Some hostels run tours here, as does the China Culture Center. Contact Call 6981 9333 or go to www.cuandixia.com. Costs Admission is Y20. When to go The ticket office is open from 9am to 6pm.

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ACCOMMODATION

ARCHITECTURE

DRINKING

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-14