Driving to Shaxi, would you fall in love with this place without having seen 'To the Place with Wind'?

Without having watched that hugely popular TV series, and without any strategy for checking in, would you still fall in love with the ancient town of Shaxi? Before going to Shaxi, my family had never watched the TV series 'To the Place with Wind', and since the trip to the ancient town was decided on a whim, we didn't prepare enough strategies either. But once we visited, we truly fell in love with it. Shaxi has become our favorite ancient town in Yunnan, without a doubt. 🌸 Shaxi Ancient Town Located between Lijiang, Dali, and Shangri-La, three major tourist destinations, it is a well-preserved millennium-old town on the ancient Tea Horse Road. We didn't specifically go to check in at the scenes or famous places from the drama, just wandered aimlessly in the town: the broad stone-paved roads, the shade of trees; the ancient buildings with gray tiles and red soil color that are different from other ancient towns, irregular in shape as they follow the terrain; not so many tourists, and the little shops along the road are very cute... The entire ancient town is so beautiful that it doesn't seem like a real place. The main street of Shaxi is Sideng Street, with the core being the ancient stage of Sifang Street in the square and the Xingjiao Temple opposite. Under the stage is Grandma Arai's shop, where you can take photos together only if you buy something. Nangu Zong Alley, Ouyang Courtyard, and the south/east gatehouses are all very beautiful ancient buildings and are also very photogenic. ⚠️ Most of the check-in points that appeared in the TV series are around the ancient town, a bit far to walk. If you don't have enough time, there are chartered cars at the entrance of the ancient town to take you to these places. The location of Shaxi Ancient Town is actually a bit awkward, being more than 2 hours' drive from both Dali and Lijiang, and the mountain roads are not easy to navigate. Self-driving is the most convenient, but you can also get there by coach.