Xizhou 喜洲

About Xizhou

Around Sifang Street, the Yan Family Courtyard shows decorated beams, painted surfaces and the relationship between rooms, screen walls and open courts. The square’s inscribed arch adds a civic landmark. A town walk works best by pairing one publicly accessible courtyard with the surrounding lanes, leaving private houses as exterior observations.

Long-distance trade brought prosperity during the Ming dynasty. Bai merchants travelled between Southeast Asia and Tibet, selling tea, marble and handicrafts from their home region. The town also developed a tradition of recording successful examination candidates on a gate in its square, later extending this recognition to residents distinguished in scholarship, business and public life.

During the Nanzhao period, the settlement was known as Dali Cheng (大厘城) and served as one of the kingdom's ten administrative divisions. Its protected Bai architectural ensemble (喜洲白族古建筑群) preserves courtyard layouts with screen walls and multiple open courts. Buildings such as the Yang Pinxiang Residence (杨品相宅) combine traditional Bai domestic forms with architectural techniques drawn from both Chinese and Western practice.

What to look for

• Yan Family Courtyard displays decorated timber and characteristic Bai courtyard arrangements.
• The inscribed arch at Sifang Street marks the town’s scholarly tradition.

The surrounding area

Old-town streets and the Erhai basin, with Bai cultural context. Select a specific lakeside or city base.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xizhou

Arrange a road arrival at Xizhou old town and continue towards Sifang Street. The Yan Family Courtyard stands at the square’s edge, giving a clear local landmark for the visit.