2 Best Sights in Yixian County, Beijing to Shanghai

A delicately arched bridge leads into Hongcun, a delightfully preserved settlement laid out to resemble a water buffalo. Two 600-year-old trees mark its horns, a lake its belly, and streams diverted for irrigation are its intestines! A number of films have used Hongcun as a location, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Several large halls and old houses are open to visit. The Salt Merchant's House is especially well preserved, with intricate decorations and carvings that fortunately survived the Cultural Revolution.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Xidi Village is known for its exquisite memorial gate. There were once a dozen gates, but they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The existing gate was left standing as a "bad example" to be criticized. There are several houses in the village with excellent examples of brick carving and an impressive Clan Temple with massive ginkgo columns and beams.