Wang Family Courtyard

Dear travel enthusiasts, today I will take you into a frozen historical scroll, which is the Wang Family Compound located in Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, Shanxi Province. This ancient architectural complex, known as the 'Number One Dwelling in China', with its grand scale, exquisite carving art, and profound cultural heritage, is undoubtedly a stop you can't miss on your trip to Shanxi. Attraction Introduction: The Wang Family Compound was founded in the Ming Dynasty and expanded over more than 300 years to cover a total area of 250,000 square meters. It consists of two major architectural complexes, Gaojiaya Fort and Hongmen Fort, with a total of 123 courtyards and 1,118 rooms, resembling a miniature ancient city. Every brick and tile, every carved beam and painted rafter here is filled with the architectural wisdom and the breath of life from the Ming and Qing dynasties, making you feel as if you have traveled back to that prosperous era. Itinerary: It is recommended that you arrive at the Wang Family Compound around 9 am. First, explore the majestic Hongmen Fort and uncover the family's rise and fall story behind it; then stroll through the intricately detailed Gaojiaya Fort, admiring its unique wood, brick, and stone carving art. In the afternoon, you can take a break in the teahouse within the compound, savoring a cup of fragrant jasmine tea, and experiencing the tranquil and simple taste of life. In the evening, it's worth climbing up to the viewing platform to overlook the entire compound's panorama, where the Wang Family Compound under the setting sun appears even more ancient and solemn. Gourmet Experience: Don't forget to taste the local specialties after your visit. Shanxi's noodles are world-famous, and the restaurants near the Wang Family Compound offer authentic knife-cut noodles, tick-tipped noodles, and more, with a chewy texture and rich toppings. In addition, there are special Jinan steamed buns, Pingyao beef, and fragrant Fen liquor, all of which will let your taste buds fully enjoy the flavors of Shanxi. Transportation Tips: The Wang Family Compound is about 130 kilometers away from Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, only about a 2-hour drive by car; if taking the train, you can first go to Jiexiu Railway Station, then transfer to a bus or taxi to get there. Additionally, major travel agencies and the Ctrip platform offer one-day or multi-day tour routes from Taiyuan city center, which are convenient and quick, making your journey more worry-free. In summary, the Wang Family Compound is not only a treasure showcasing ancient Chinese architectural art but also an ideal place to experience traditional culture and taste the charm of history. We look forward to your trip to Shanxi, where you will gain a unique memory that transcends time and space!

🏨 Wang Family Courtyard 🚉Transportation Guide: Departing from Taiyuan, take the train from Taiyuan South to Lingshi East Station. Remember, Lingshi East Station is the closest to Wang Family Courtyard (about fifteen minutes by Lingshi No. 7 bus) Once you arrive at Wang Family Courtyard Station, it's just a five to six hundred meters walk, very close. If you reach Lingshi Station, also take the Lingshi No. 7 bus, it takes about 40 minutes to get to Wang Family Courtyard Station. 🍽Dining Recommendations: There are many restaurants where the bus stops, which is considered a residential area. Inside the Wang Family Courtyard, which is purely a scenic area, there's no food for sale! 📝Note tips: As soon as you enter the main gate, on the left hand side there is a small hut where you can ask for a tour guide, 120r for a guide (you can join with many people). It's essential to hire a guide, or at least join a group with one, especially for the residences of the two Wang brothers. After listening to the explanations, the experience is completely different. The essence of the explanation is also the residences of the Wang brothers. ❤Recommended Reason: The biggest impression is the difficulty of life for women during the Qing Dynasty; not stepping out of the main gate or the second gate meant being trapped in such a small courtyard (no matter how exquisite it is) Sons live on the first floor, daughters on the second floor (also called the Embroidery Building). Thirteen years old going up to the Embroidery Building, fourteen cutting hair, fifteen getting married (it's quite poignant) 🌟Highlights: Moreover, the architectural beauty, both in the grand scheme and the details, is captivating. The stone carvings and wood carvings all have stories and meanings. The Wang family had a high level of education and placed great importance on the education of their children! The Wang family started with selling tofu and built a courtyard larger than the Forbidden City, using only the interest from their savings ('In all trades, a master emerges'). 💰Average Cost: 30r per person in the off-season 👍Most Recommended: The best photography spot is the stairs going up on the right-hand side facing the Dingjia Garden, taking photos with Dingjia Garden as the backdrop. There's no need to go to Wang Family Manor; aside from the name 'Wang,' there's not much connection. The tour guide's explanation takes about 1h, and you can control your own wandering time to be about 3h, which is quite sufficient. Although it's said to be larger than the Forbidden City, the area we visited is actually not that large. Many courtyards are not open due to similar layouts, so 3h is more than enough.

Wang Family Courtyard is located in Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, Jinzhong, Shanxi, built by the Jingsheng Wang family over the course of more than 300 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It covers a total area of 250,000 square meters, with five lanes, six forts, and one street, and its scale indeed qualifies it as a folk Forbidden City. Wang Family Courtyard is divided into two parts 🔸 The Gaojiaya building complex and the Hongmenbao building complex. 🔸 Gaojiaya was built by two brothers of the seventeenth generation of the Jingsheng Wang family, consisting of 35 courtyards, each with both independent and shared courtyards, interconnected by 65 doors, which is very interesting. 🔸 Hongmenbao is built against the mountain, resembling a fortress, with one main lane and three cross lanes in the middle, and four layers of courtyards arranged symmetrically from low to high on the left and right, forming a neat 'Wang' character shape. The stone carvings, wood carvings, and brick carvings of Wang Family Courtyard are very exquisite, and a lot of thought has been put into them, incorporating ancestral teachings, family instructions, wishes, and blessings into every corner of the courtyard, with each image having a meaning and auspicious wishes, constantly reminding the Wang family descendants to strive for improvement. Wang Family Courtyard reveals the strictness and rules of a wealthy household, with order among the young and old, and distinction between men and women; the master lives in the main house, children in the side houses; with front halls and back bedrooms, and plaques over the doors, couplets in the halls. However, the layout and architecture of each courtyard are very similar, and walking inside is like being in a maze. Wang Family Courtyard Location: Wang Family Courtyard, Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, Jinzhong, Shanxi Opening hours: Opens at 8:00, and entry stops at 17:40 🎫 Ticket price: Peak season (April–October) 55 RMB/person ; Off-season (November–March) 35 RMB/person ; 📸 Photography tips 🔹 The best photo spot is the Dingjia Garden 🔹 From the Dingjia Garden, you can climb up the Hongmenbao city wall for a classic shot of the Wang Family Courtyard, and also capture the Gaojiaya building complex 🔹 Near the Chongningbao side, the rooftop position of Hongmenbao is a good spot for photos

⛩ Located 12 kilometers east of Lingshi County in Jingsheng Town, Wang's Grand Courtyard stands as a piece of art in the river of history, perfectly showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship and majestic grandeur of ancient Chinese residential architecture. The Wang family meticulously crafted it during the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing periods. The entire courtyard is laid out in the shapes of the five auspicious beasts: 'dragon,' 'phoenix,' 'turtle,' 'scales,' and 'tiger,' presenting the characteristics of 'five lanes,' 'five forts,' and 'five ancestral halls,' leaving a profound impression on visitors. 🕍 The architectural site selection of Wang's Grand Courtyard is ingenious, situated high and overlooking, embracing the shade and the sun. It occupies the loess highlands on the north slope of Jingsheng Village, shielding from the north wind and basking in the sunlight, with natural drainage ditches ensuring water supply, making it a harmonious habitat. Here, one can experience the beauty of the changing seasons, and from a high vantage point, the fields, rivers, mountains, and snow-covered peaks form natural landscape paintings that refresh the spirit. 🏛 Wang's Grand Courtyard was built over more than three hundred years during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire complex consists of five lanes, six forts, and one street, covering an area of 250,000 square meters, which is 100,000 square kilometers larger than the Forbidden City, making it the largest private residence in China, known as the 'Folk Forbidden City.' ✅ Three Highlights of Wang's Grand Courtyard Imperial Edict ✨ This is an imperial edict issued to the Wang family during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, preserved by generations of the Wang family and later voluntarily donated. This edict is not only a precious material relic left by the Wang family's ancestors but also a reference for studying the history of the Qing Dynasty, the documentation system, the official system, calligraphy, knitting, and other aspects of evolution and development. Thousand-Worker Bed ✨ The 'Thousand-Worker Bed' displayed in the 'bridal chamber' of the sturdy residence's backyard uses various decorative techniques such as carving, inlaying, painting, and drawing. It primarily features the festive red color, paired with the vivid Chinese red and the rich gold lacquer, showcasing its unique elegance as a 'wedding bed.' The Complete Map of the Great Qing's Eternal Unification ✨ The 'Complete Map of the Great Qing's Eternal Unification' displayed in the Ningrui Residence's hall is a printed edition, but it is a valuable scientific material for studying the historical changes of China's territory and administrative regions. ✅ For example, the unicorn at the entrance symbolizes wealth, the steps on both sides of the entrance must be symmetrical, the crane and turtle represent longevity, the monkeys on the stone pillars represent generations of nobility, and there are too many, too detailed, this is the style of Qing Dynasty architecture.

How much is Shanxi worth going to I'm all talked out This time I've organized the must-see sights in Jinzhong⬇️ ▪️Known as the 'Folk Forbidden City': Wang's Grand Courtyard ▪️The treasure of the temple is the Vairocana statue from the history books: Shuanglin Temple ▪️The most intact ancient city in the Han region of China: Pingyao Ancient City · 🗺Day1 Wang's Grand Courtyard—Shuanglin Temple, stay in Pingyao Itinerary: ✔️9:00-11:30 Wang's Grand Courtyard: Mainly appreciate the beauty of the architecture, Hanfu really takes great photos📍The view from the corner tower overlooking the entire Wang's Grand Courtyard is yyds! ✔️11:30-13:00 You can have a meal and rest ✔️13:00-14:00 Head to Shuanglin Temple🚘45min drive ✔️14:00-16:40 Shuanglin Temple: Thousand Buddha Hall must see Vairocana statue/Bodhisattva seated statue/many small Buddha statues, Heavenly King Hall must see Heavenly King statue, Daxiong Treasure Hall must see the oldest stele—'Aunt's Stele' ✔️16:40-16:55 Shuanglin Temple-Pingyao Ancient City🚘15min drive🉑️Stay in a homestay near the entrance of the ancient city · 🗺Day2 Pingyao Ancient City-Return Itinerary: ✔️9:00-17:30 Pingyao Ancient City: The ancient city is very large, it takes a day to stroll around, if you are in a hurry, it is not recommended to buy a pass❌It will be a bit of a loss 📌If you have time after visiting the ancient city🉑️You can visit the Zhen Guo Temple near the ancient city 🈚️🎫No pass play: ▪️Visit Weng City, check in the military defense facility 'Catching Turtles in the Urn' ▪️Visit Qingping Street, both sides of the street are old houses with a hundred years of history ▪️Visit the ancient market tower, the three-tiered wooden structure tower is rich and magnificent 🈶🎫Buy a pass play: ▪️🉑️Play 2️⃣2️⃣ attractions ▪️Among them, the ancient city wall/county government/Rishengchang Bank/Confucius Temple/Qingxu View are must-sees ▪️There are also some old houses and old shops🉑️Choose your favorite to visit 🥘Recommended Pingyao food ✔️Ancient City Tianyuan Kui Restaurant: 💰Average per person 65+✅Yellow rice cold cake✅Vinegar skin jelly✅Stewed pork are all very special and delicious · ㊙️Attraction tips ☑️Wang's Grand Courtyard: Ticket 55 yuan, open 08:30-17:30 (last entry 17:20) ☑️Shuanglin Temple: Ticket 35 yuan, open 8:00-18:00 ☑️Pingyao Ancient City: Ancient city🆓free, city wall and various houses pass 125 yuan, open 8:00-17:30

Wang is a surname, a surname is half a country; Home is a courtyard, a courtyard is half a city. Wang's Grand Courtyard, located in the historic and cultural town of Jingsheng, was built by the Jingsheng Wang family over more than 300 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a fully enclosed castle-style luxury residence, including five alleys, six forts, and one street, with a total area of 250,000 square meters, which is 100,000 square meters larger than the Forbidden City. The Hongmenbao architectural complex is both a fort and a city, built against the mountain, arranged in four layers of courtyards from low to high, symmetrical on the left and right, with a main thoroughfare in the middle, forming a regular 'Wang' character shape, and also a hidden 'dragon' shape. The 88 courtyards within the fort each have their own characteristics, none of which are identical. Wang's Grand Courtyard is famous for the 'three carvings': wood carving, stone carving, and brick carving, all displayed in one courtyard, with a number and craftsmanship that are rare in the world