Discovering hidden gem in the 'real' China

Yunnan Province is an incredible area with much to offer travelers. Lijiang, Shangri-la, Dali, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Xishuangbanna are all well-known places popular with tourists. But there's more to explore, especially for those who don't mind "roughing" it a bit. Humans have lived in Shaxi Township for about 2,400 years and it was once a trading hub along the ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road. The area is tucked in the mountains near the Myanmar border and about 3 hours from Shuanglang, an overly touristy fishing village popular with China's urban middle-class and travel groups.

With some travel blogs calling Shaxi "a part of real China" and a "step back in time," the village is the antidote to places like Shuanglang, where shops sell tacky souvenirs and it feels as though everyone is just trying to make a quick buck.

Travelers will be quick to notice that vehicles are banned in Shaxi, making it a peaceful retreat where you don't have to worry about getting hit by a speeding bus or taxi.

The write ups about Shaxi are indeed accurate. The old temple and pagoda make it appear as though time stopped hundreds of years ago.

In 2001, the World Monuments Fund listed Shaxi among the 100 most endangered ancient sites on the planet. The local government received a US$1.3 million subsidy at that time from the fund to help with its restoration and improve the living conditions of residents.

Where as some villages embark on similar projects and end up with "artificial" looking old buildings, the Shaxi government worked with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich to maintain the town's original appearance. The project's mandate was to intervene only where necessary, preserve as much as possible and keep the town's history.

Swiss experts adopted, as much as possible, traditional building techniques and used local materials that residents have been using for hundreds of years.

The results prove it has been worth the effort. Strolling around the town's streets feels like traveling through time as it's hard to detect any inauthentic details.

Shaxi is small. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk from one city gate to the other so take some time to explore the side streets.