Shèxiàn is 25km east of Túnxī and can be visited as a day trip. The town was formerly the grand centre of the Huīzhōu culture, serving as its capital. Today, the Old Town (徽州古城, Huīzhōu Gǔchéng) is the town’s main sight. From the Shèxiàn bus station, cross the bridge over the river, hang right and go through a gate tower and along to Yánghé Mén (阳和门), a double-eaved gate tower constructed of wood.
Get your admission ticket and climb the gate to examine a Ming-dynasty stone xièzhì (獬豸; a legendary beast) and elevated views of the magnificent Xǔguó Archway (许国石坊, Xǔguó Shífáng) below. Fabulously decorated, this is China’s sole surviving four-sided decorative archway, with 12 lions (18 in total if you count the cubs) seated on pedestals around it and a profusion of bas-relief carvings of other mythical creatures.
Continue in the same direction to reach the alleyway (on the left) to the old residential area of Doushan Jie (斗山街古民居, Dòushānjiē Gǔmínjū), a street of Huīzhōu houses, with several courtyard residences open to visitors and decorated with exquisitely carved lintels, beautiful interiors and occasional pairs of leaping-on blocks for mounting horses.
Local visitors don’t receive the same rigorous ticket checks that foreign visitors do in around the main gate. Wander around a bit and you’ll find that there are also alleyways that lead into the old town.
Buses from Túnxī’s long-distance bus station run regularly to Shèxiàn (¥6.50, 45 minutes, frequent).
