Xiashan Village lies at the source of the Qiantang River in Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province. To its northwest is the picturesque Huangshan Mountain, to its northeast ripples the vast Qiandao Lake, and to its southwest stands Sanqing Mountain, a sacred Taoist site. It is 12 kilometers away from Qianjiangyuan National Forest Park, with National Highway 205 running through the entire territory, endowing it with distinctive geographical advantages and profound cultural heritage.

The ancient Xiashan Village sits beside the Tang and Song ancient postal roads north of Kaihua County in western Zhejiang, at the junction of Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces by the headwaters of the Qiantang River. It encompasses the whole of Xiashan Village and part of Xiatian Village, boasting more than 300 Hui-style ancient dwellings built during the Ming, Qing and early Republican periods, with a total construction area exceeding 29,000 square meters. It was designated as the first batch of county-level historical and cultural conservation zones in 2002, and listed among the third batch of provincial-level historical and cultural towns and villages in 2006.

A ten-li-long ancient plank road dating back to the Tang Dynasty winds through the ancient Xiashan residential cluster, connecting 361 Ming and Qing dwellings. Starting at Shizhuang Ridge, visitors pass Qingyun Temple, climb 213 stone steps, and meander through age-old folk houses. Scattered along the route are a host of uniquely styled Hui-style architectures including Huaili Hall, Aijing Hall, Yongxi Hall, Zhongjiang Hall and the Ancient Bell Tower. These buildings feature whitewashed walls and black tiles, adorned with vivid brick and wood carvings. The reliefs on lattice window frames are exquisitely delicate, crafted with superb craftsmanship that leaves all beholders marveling.

According to the Genealogy of the Zheng Clan, in the 4th year of the Huangyou reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (1052), Lord Zheng Hui, Magistrate of Huaiyang and descendant of Zheng Ping, a founding duke and renowned general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period, followed his ancestors’ aspiration and moved to Danshan (opposite today’s Xiashan). In the Guihai year of the Yuanfeng reign (1083), Lord Zheng Lü relocated the clan to the opposite bank of Danshan (the present site) after floods destroyed the original village. The place was named Xiashan, meaning "Mountain of Rosy Clouds", for the rosy glow veiling Danshan and the lingering purple auspicious mist that permeated the landscape.

The village gradually took shape thereafter. Houses spread eastward, westward and northward alongside the Majin Stream, eventually forming the current layout backed by mountains and facing the water. In ancient times, the area abounded in timber and mountain specialties, and water transport was highly accessible with interconnected river wharves. Thus a more-than-100-meter-long ancient street came into being, stretching east to west parallel to the stream. Lined with shops bearing legible old store signs, the thoroughfare still evokes visions of its bustling prosperity in bygone eras.