Grand Courtyard on the Loess Plateau
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The entrance of Gaojiaya. [Photo: Agencies] |
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The amount of the steps depends on the status of the owner. [Photo: Agencies] |
An enclosed residence stands on the Loess Plateau, covering more than 250,000 square meters. This is Wang Family Grand Courtyard, a typical ancient residence in Shanxi Province, northern China.
More than 200 years ago, a group of successful merchants made splendid achievements in Shanxi Province. They made huge investments in residential buildings and created a number of gorgeous ancient residences which attract numerous visitors nowadays. Wang Family Grand Courtyard is a typical one which was built up continuously during the Qing Dynasty.
The whole residence was divided into five parts, and each decorated with elements of a lucky animal in the Chinese tradition, such as dragons, phoenixes, and tigers. Two parts of the residence, Gaojiaya and Hongmenbao, are open to the public.
The two yards were built up by the hillside. Exquisite brick-carving, wood-carving and stone-carving with dragons and phoenixes decorate the architectures. As the years passed by, the well-preserved architectures show outstanding skills of the craftsmen.
The layout of the yards shows the strict hierarchical system of ancient China. Rooms and yards with different scales used to be offered to people with different status. Besides, the height of eaves and the width of paths represented the status of the owners. These independent houses were connected by staggered paths and formed a huge maze for strangers.
Tips:
Wang Family Grand Courtyard is 140km. from Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province. There are several museums in the residence. A ticket of Wang Family Grand Courtyard goes for 66 RMB.
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