Weishan Ancient Town was first constructed in the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1390). Up to now, the whole town has largely retained its original chessboard layout established more than 600 years ago. It features 25 streets and 18 alleys stretching for a total length of 14 kilometres, with Xinggong Tower as the centre and the north-south street as the main axis. Rows of ancient dwellings stand closely together, and numerous cultural relics and historic sites are well preserved here. In 1994, it was designated a National Historical and Cultural City by the State Council.

Weishan boasts rich ethnic customs, abundant traditional crafts and distinctive local delicacies. Within the ancient town, you can watch the passionate, unrestrained Yi singing and dancing performance known as Dage; listen to the elegant ancient Nanzhao music that combines wind, string, percussion, singing and chanting; admire Ming and Qing courtyard buildings with grey tiled sloped roofs built in the styles of "Three Wings and One Screen Wall", "Four Quadrangles with Five Small Yards" and "Six Harmonies for Eternal Spring".

You can also taste world-famous Weishan snacks: braised pork rice noodles, green bean cakes, grilled rice cakes, crispy rice jelly, rice rolls and more. You may purchase Yi batik products from Weishan, which are handcrafted from hand-woven raw white cotton and linen cloth through a series of processes including hand-painting, stitching, dyeing, bleaching, untying patterns and flattening. There is a wide variety of Yi batik goods, perfect choices for tourist souvenirs.