Li Family Courtyard

The Li Family Mansion was established during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, located in Yanjing Village, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. The existing ancient courtyard complexes cover 11 groups, occupying an area of 125 mu. It is known as one of the 'Three Great Detianlian of Jin Merchants' along with the Qiao Family Mansion and the Wang Family Mansion, and there is a saying that 'Qiao Family is known for its fame, Wang Family for its courtyard, and Li Family for its goodness'. The overall architecture of the Li Family Mansion's ancient building complex is a typical Shanxi courtyard in the vertical well style, which also incorporates the architectural style of Huizhou. Part of the courtyard is 'Gothic' architecture due to the descendants of the Li family studying in the United Kingdom, highlighting the characteristics of the integration of north and south, and the combination of Chinese and Western styles. Each courtyard, while dignified and splendid, is also highly functional, reflecting the simplicity and hard work of the Li family everywhere. Upon entering the Li Family Mansion scenic area, the first thing that catches the eye is the 'Path of Goodness' hung with red lanterns inscribed with the character 'Good'. The culture of goodness is evident throughout the Li Family Mansion, and the saying 'A family that accumulates goodness will surely be blessed' is perhaps the main reason why the Li Family Mansion has been able to survive the wars and preserve its integrity to this day.

Li Family Mansion is a courtyard of the wealthy Li family of Jin merchants, which was established during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The entire building is a well-style wealth-gathering Siheyuan, which also incorporates Huizhou architectural style. The brick carvings, stone carvings, wood carvings and iron art decorations of the building vividly reflect the folk cultural characteristics of southern Shanxi. Because the representative of the family, Li Ziyong, once studied in the UK and married a British woman, some of the buildings have incorporated European "Gothic" architectural elements, thus reflecting the artistic characteristics of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. It is a unique flower among the national characteristic dwellings. The Li family is the richest in southern Shanxi, rich but not arrogant, rich but not extravagant, rich but able to help the world. Every time there is a disaster, the Li family can help the victims with all their family wealth, and they are deeply loved by the people because they do good deeds. Generations have successively repaired virtues and done good deeds. The explanation mainly introduced us to the life experience of Li Ziyong. Li Ziyong, named Daohang, is the core figure of the 15th generation of the Li family with the word "Dao", and one of the main representatives of the Li family. Li Ziyong studied Chinese studies when he was young, and then studied textile in the UK. After returning to China, he took over the family business, founded industries to help the weak and enrich the people, and also founded education and participated in politics. He personally experienced the history of the Li family from prosperity to decline, and also witnessed the development of Chinese national industry and commerce. I specifically studied that Li Ziyong married five wives in his life, In 1899, he married Wang, and in 1900, Wang died after giving birth to a daughter. In 1901, he married Dantai, and in 1904, Dantai voluntarily left because she had no offspring. In 1907, Li Ziyong went to study in the UK, and in 1911, he married a British woman, Mai. In 1914, he returned to China with Mai, and in 1918, Mai died. In 1926, Dantai died of illness and he married Hu. In 1946, Hu died of illness, and in 1947, he married Wang. In 1965, Li Ziyong died of illness at the age of 86. This life experience is really rich and full of stories. What impressed me most about the entire mansion was the courtyard he built for his "foreign daughter-in-law". At that time, everyone else lived in cave dwellings, but he built a new house for Mai and repaired Gothic windows and iron beds. It was true love. There is also a "anti-theft door" with six locks, which is very powerful. The various small mechanisms are really wonderful, and the big characters written on the wall and then erased are also a witness to history.

The Li Family Mansion is the home of Li Ziyong, the richest man in southern Shanxi from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. It was built during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, located in Yanjing Village, Wanrong County, and is known as the 'Three Lotus of Jin Merchants' along with Qiao Family Mansion and Wang Family Mansion, with the saying 'Qiao's for fame, Wang's for courtyard, Li's for kindness'. The overall architecture is a vertical well-type wealth-gathering Shanxi Siheyuan, which also incorporates Huizhou architectural style. Because Li Ziyong studied in the UK, some courtyards are 'Gothic' architecture, which is a blend of north and south, Chinese and Western, unparalleled Jin merchant mansion in Shanxi, condensing the profound cultural heritage of the Han nationality, with extremely high cultural and artistic value. The Li Family Mansion scenic area is 38 kilometers away from Yuncheng city, and is a national AAAA level tourist attraction and a national key cultural relics protection unit. There were originally 20 groups of courtyards and 280 rooms, and now there are 11 groups of courtyards and 146 rooms. The Li Family Mansion (Hedong Folk Museum) and the Wanrong Joke Expo Park cover nearly 1,000 acres, with a construction area of 100,000 square meters. Its scale is grand, simple and elegant, with ingenious conception, exuding the spirit, temperament, and charm of the traditional culture of the Han nationality.

Touring Shanxi, an important project is to see the mansions. Qiao Family Mansion, Wang Family Mansion, Cao Family Mansion, etc., are too numerous to mention. In Yuncheng, southern Shanxi, there is a relatively unknown Li Family Mansion. This mansion is the 'newest' one, with its main buildings being less than a hundred years old. Therefore, its architectural style is not entirely traditional Chinese. Many building complexes have obvious Western styles, and the residence of the mansion owner, Li Ziyong, is a completely Western-style house, with fireplaces, sofas, and mattresses, which are rare even in Guangdong coast at the same time. The locals in Yuncheng proudly claim that the Li Family Mansion covers more than ten Wang Family Mansions. Although it's an exaggeration, it's true that the Li Family Mansion is so large that it can make people's feet hurt. If you look carefully at the more than 20 courtyards, it might take a whole day. In fact, the highlight of the Li Family Mansion is not simply its size, but its rich architectural art features and more functionality. The Li Family Mansion is more like a luxurious official residence than other courtyards, with many grand gate towers and pavilions. The exquisite wood carvings, stone carvings, and brick carvings are indeed ostentatious. This is obviously related to its construction period. It was only from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China that the rich dared to take such risks. In addition to the courtyards for living, the Li Family Mansion also has a private school, a library, a farm tool yard, and other functional buildings that occupy a large area, more like a small town, fully functional. In fact, the Li Family Mansion has been filmed in TV dramas and movies, but it is not as famous as 'Qiao Family Mansion'. However, the story of the Li Family Mansion is more dramatic. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the head of the Li family, Li Ziyong, was sent to study in the UK. When he graduated, he brought back a foreign girl, Miss Mai, and married her back to the remote and closed Shanxi, which caused a sensation for a while... As time goes by, the mansion today actually only retains half of its area from back then. The bustling big family has dispersed, leaving a nearly thousand-acre lonely mansion for later generations to visit and play, which is inevitably sighing. If you go to Yuncheng, you can't miss the Li Family Mansion.

Shanxi has many cultural relics on the ground, so it is said to see Shanxi on the ground. Yuncheng is located in the south of Jin, and it is the only city in our trip. It has a history of 5,000 years of civilization and is known as the salt capital. Shanxi has three major courtyards, Wang's courtyard for its grandeur, Qiao's for its fame, and Li's for its kindness. Here are a few tips: 1. Yuncheng has a joint ticket for attractions, which is very cost-effective, and you can enter directly by swiping your ID card. 2. Please ask for a guide, otherwise you will not only fail to understand, but you may also get lost. However, the level of explanation varies, and the management is not standardized, so you need to stop halfway by yourself. We were lucky to meet a good one at the entrance. 3. There is makeup and follow-up shooting, but it is observed that the shooting locations are basically the same. 4. The size of the courtyard is appropriate, and one day is enough. It can be arranged together with Feiyun Tower. 5. There is basically no cultural creativity.