This is a small village of the Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan. There are only 90 families but more than 40 of them have Han surnames and flawless family trees. Here, Tibetan style houses are decorated with Han Spring Festival couplets and decorations, and the alley walls are adorned with facial makeup of Shaanxi Opera and are interspersed with piles of cow dung. This wonderful combination first showed up on this small Xiede Township in Dawu County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan.

Xiede Township is in the eastern part of Dawu County, blessed with the name of "lotus flowers-like landscapes". It is also the seat of the county government at the site of the former Taining County.

Since the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, here has been Taining's trade center, inhabited by businesspersons from Shanxi and Shaanxi. They mainly traded tea, horses, table salts, and articles for daily use. Over the years, the businesspersons adopted some of the local Tibetan customs, while retaining some of their own culture. The architecture of the street is also a mixture of the cultures, reflecting both Han and Tibetan elements of construction.

On this street, there are two houses dating back over 280 years to Qing Emperor Yongzheng's time. During this period, Nian Gengyao, a famous general of Qing Dynasty stationed here, where he built the wall that surrounds the old village street. The soldiers that continued to station in the neighborhood further contributed to the cultural amalgamation of the street.

In order to honor the history of the street, the local government has contributed much to the welfare of the neighborhood, making efforts to preserve the exterior of the buildings while allowing the interiors to modernize. Government has allocated 15,000 yuan to each home for renovating dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and yard structures. That improves the living environment and stirs up the tourism industry.

Xiede Village's Laoshan Street holds over two centuries of history.

A pile of cow dung sits beside Shaanxi Opera facial makeup

A woman surveys the scene from the second story of a home.

Entering a home, a cordial resident welcomes the guests while a dog sits alert at the door.

Tibetans love fresh flowers. When entering a courtyard, one cannot do without various kinds of fresh flowers.

A resident happily displays her earring, a gift her son bought for her after work.