Shaxi Old Town

Shaxi Old Town, 沙溪古镇 in Chinese, is located in Jianchuan, Yunnan Province, China. Due to its long history and well-preserved remains, Shaxi is interesting to visit two important things, the Friday Market and Stone Treasure Mountains.
In the history, Shaxi used to be a hub on the Southern Silk Road that connected Tibet and China with Southeast Asia and on to Europe. This Road is actually older than the more famous Silk Road (in the North), predating it by at least 300 years. Shaxi has been listed by the World Monuments Fund as one of the world's 100 most endangered sites.
On Friday, the Bai ethnic people from all the villages in Shaxi Valley and the Yi people from the surrounding mountains come here to trade everything from fresh produce to supplies and horses.
Located 25 km southwest of Jianchuan County, the Shibao (Stone Treasure) Hills are also called the Shizhong (Stone Bell) Hills. Built during the Tang and Song Dynasties, it is considered an official historical site.  It is a fantastic nature reserve and religious site that was designated as one of the first officially protected sites by China in 1982. There are numerous temples and grottoes as well as some fantastic views there.