As a city with a history spanning thousands of years, Cicheng attaches much importance to the protection of its ancient architecture. Many of the houses and buildings still retain their original appearance. Decorated with refined carvings and engravings, they appeal to visitors’ eyes. Whether in stone or wood, those designs are generally of a high art standard even when judged by modern standards.

In Cicheng, there are seven protected and relatively intact archways. The most famous ones are the Dongguan Archway, dating from the Ming Dynasty; the Enrong Archway from the Qing Dynasty; the Shien Archway from the Ming Dynasty; and the Fengyue Colored Pattern Gateway from the Ming Dynasty.

In ancient China, it was a sign of respect and honor for a person to have an archway built for him. Memorial archways are typically made of stone, bricks, wood or cement. Only people who had achieved an official rank above that of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examinations during the Ming and Qing dynasties) could commission an archway with the permission of the local government. It was even more difficult to build archways praising one's own success, achievements, fealty or chastity, with applications requiring approval by the emperor.

Scattered on the east slopes of Damiao Mountain next to Ci Lake are stone sculptures from the Song Dynasty, including figures of horses, goats, and tigers. Stone-engraved windows, brick engravings and wood carvings are common ornaments in traditional architecture. Because a significant number of elite and well-to-do citizens and famous artists once lived in Cicheng, it is home to a number of stone tablets by noted ancient calligraphers, examples of which are rarely found elsewhere in the country.