Wang Family's Grand Courtyard

[Photo/Xinhua]

Located in Jingshen Town, 12 km east of Lingshi county, Shanxi province, Wang Family's Grand Courtyard, or "Wang Jia Da Yuan", is the largest folk residence among all the well-known grand courtyards. It was built by Wang Family, one of the four grand families of Lingshi County from Kangxi Emperor's Reign (1661 - 1722) to Jiaqing Emperor's Reign (1796 - 1820) of the Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1911), featuring the architecture style of the Qing Dynasty. It consists of five alleys, five fortresses and five ancestral halls. It has 231 small courtyards and 2,078 rooms, covering an area of 80,000 square meters. The layout of the yards shows the strict hierarchical system of ancient China. Rooms and yards with different scales were offered to people in accordance with their social status.

Travel tips:

- Hours: 8 am - 7 pm

- Admission: 66 yuan/person

- How to get there: take a flight or train to Taiyuan, then take a bus from Taiyuan Bus Station to Lingshi County.