Market Streets and Courtyard Forms in Xizhou

Xizhou lies on the western side of Erhai, beside north–south routes through the Dali basin. A 2026 provincial feature describes the street grid as centred on Sifang Street, with specialised roles in surrounding lanes: storage and wholesale, livestock and bulk exchange, retail and craft, and finance and high-value trade in Fuchun Lane. The account presents a map of the old commercial centre.

Dali’s municipal heritage description identifies Xizhou compounds such as “three rooms and one screen wall” and “four buildings and five courtyards.” These are spatial arrangements, not just decorative styles. A screen wall faces the main room; corridors and smaller courts connect the wings. The layout can accommodate several rooms around a shared centre while keeping street and household life in distinct relation.

The municipal account traces changes from Ming-period houses to Qing buildings with improved light and windows, then Republican-era compounds with wider corridors and more decorative choices. It also notes painted surfaces, carved beams and local building forms. These details connect the history of exchange with changes in domestic architecture.

In Xizhou, market lanes around Sifang Street organized exchange, while inward-facing courtyards offered households a different spatial rhythm behind shopfronts. Together they show how commerce and domestic space met in the town.