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Qiaojiabao Village, Dongguan Town, Qixian County, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
One of the most famous private residences in China
Qiao Family Courtyard (originally named as Zai Zhong Tang in Chinese spelling) is sited in Qi County, Shanxi Province, China. Located only approximately 40km northeast of Pingyao Ancient Town and 54km southwest of Taiyuan, the compound is fortified behind a 10m high wall with battlements. It is not exaggerated that you will be go deeply into the once most prosperous merchant family by visiting Qiao Family Courtyard on your way to Pingyao Ancient Town. It was the private residential house of Qiao Zhiyong, who was the most famous member of the powerful trading family with significant commercial influence even beyond Shanxi, as they were in the trade sector, a nationwide business.
The courtyard is a totally-enclose castle-like building, with three sides facing the streets. It construction started in 1756 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty and was completed some time in the 18th century. Covering an area of 9000 square meters, the total amount of buildings was 60 courtyards, ten large courtyards, 19 courtyards, totaling 313 rooms. From the bird-eye view, the layout is in the shape of a Chinese character - double happiness and selected from mould of castle. Inside the close brick wall, each two courtyards are linked tightly and each two rooms are like fish scales and comb teeth. Six buildings are divided into two by corridors. There are numerous courtyards and gardens in courtyards. Qiao Family Courtyard is considered to be one of the finest remaining examples of imposing private residences in northern China. It has been converted into a museum now and has many periods’ furnishings.
Knowing about culture of Shanxi merchants: Qiao Family is representative of outstanding Shanxi merchants at that time, and Qiao Family Courtyard reflects the social status and lifestyle of Qiao Family.
Admire the architectural style of the residential buildings in northern China: Qiao Family Courtyard is the representative of residential houses in northern China of Qing Dynasty. With exquisite stone carvings, brick carvings and woodcarvings, Qiao Family Courtyard well preserves the business model and folk customs of the Shanxi merchants in its heyday.
Appreciate the relics at the Qiao Family Courtyard Folk Museum: There are rare relics at the Qiao Family Courtyard Folk Museum like Nine Dragons Screen, Nine Dragons Light and Xiniu Wangyue Mirror, some of them are unique in China.
The Qiao Family Courtyard was built in Qing Dynasty(1755), and consists of four halls and one garden, including Zaizhong Hall, Dexing Hall, Baoyuan Hall, Ningshou Hall and Garden of Qiao Family Courtyard.
Zaizhong Hall: Qiao Zhiyong has been regulating himself, his career and his family with the moderation all his life. He regards moderation as his principle in his life and business.
Dexing Hall: Dexing Hall is located on the west side of Zaizhong Hall, it is the house of Qiao Zhixiang, the son of Qiao Quande. The courtyard is well-arranged and hierarchical, and the overall layout is the word longevity in official script.
Baoyuan Hall: It was built by Qiao Chaowu, the grandson of Qiao Guifa's son. There are three courtyards in the Baoyuan Hall. There is a stone lion standing in front of the door of the main courtyard.
Ningshou Hall: It is the former residence of Qiao Guifa, the ancestor of the Qiao Family, commonly known as the old courtyard. Ningshou Hall has three courtyards lined up.
Garden of Qiao Family Courtyard: Garden of Qiao Family Courtyard is located between Baoyuan Hall and Ningshou Hall, it is a landscape with graceful pavilions, small bridges and flowing water. It is a landscape full of northern garden characteristics. Through this garden, we can temporarily walk out of the courtyard to experience the other side of the Qiao Family Courtyard.
Nine Dragons Screen
The screen of Kowloon is made of rosewood, so it is named because there are nine dragons on it. The nine dragons are carved out of Xiuyu jade in Liaoning. The nine dragons are exquisitely carved and lifelike, and they are integrated with the wooden screen. It is said that this thing flows out of the palace. The whole screen is 2.7 meters high and 4.07 meters long, with a total of 90, 90 and 80 in one train. It is different in shape, dense and alternating, echoing each other, carving dragons vividly and imposing, and the whole screen is exquisite in craftsmanship, graceful and atmospheric, full of peace and wealth.
Nine Dragons Light
The shape of the lamp is named Kowloon Lantern because it has nine dragon disc distances. [10] Kowloon Lantern is a pair of octagonal palace lanterns made of precious ebony. At present, only two of them are preserved in Qiao's courtyard in China, and the third one was not found, which was given to Qiao's family when Cixi fled to the west that year. The whole lamp weighed 71 Jin.
Xiniu Wangyue Mirror
Xiniu Wangyue means Rhinoceros looking at the Moon in Chinese. The rhinoceros moon mirror is the "treasure of the town house" of the Qiao family. It is a round mirror with a flat mirror surface, which has not been deformed for 200 years. The middle is Xiangyun and the lower part is rhinoceros. It is carved from iron pear wood in Southeast Asia.
Shanxi merchants are one of the earliest merchants in China, which can be traced back to Spring and Autumn Period(BC770-BC221). Ming and Qing Dynasties are the most prosperous period of Shanxi merchants. And Qiao Family is the representative of Shanxi merchants.
The achievement and success of Qiao Family due to the effort of Qiao Guifa, the grandfather of Qiao Zhiyong. In Qing Dynasty(ever since 1741), Qiao Guifa developed his business from small to large. In the prosperous time, he had 19 shops. And to the third generation of Qiao’s family, Qiao Zhiyong developed their business to private banks, grain shops, silk and tea leaves, almost to all trades and professions. In 1881, banks of Qiao’s family are all over China, and Qiao’s family’s fortune was thought as rich as the country.
The Qiao Family Courtyard completely preserves the commercial and folk customs of the Qiao family in its heyday. A comprehensive exhibition of 12 series of cultural relics, including northern farming customs, commercial customs, seasonal customs, life etiquette, folk customs, Qiao family historical materials, Qiao family treasures, traditional Jin opera, Qitai yangko, film and television props, truly reflects the folk customs of the northern Han nationality and the culture of Shanxi merchants in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Qiao Family Courtyard is a model of residential buildings in northern China in the Qing Dynasty. It is grand, reasonable in layout and safe, just like a castle. The decorative painting art of brick carvings, woodcarving, stone carving and coloured drawing is obvious, with exquisite skills and auspicious meaning, which has high historical, cultural, scientific research and artistic appreciation value. The wall of the courtyard is deep and high, showing its glory and richness, which clearly shows the artistic style and cultural implication of Shanxi residential buildings and even northern China residential buildings.
There are not many stone carvings in the Qiao Family Courtyard, but the stone carvings at Qiao Family Courtyard are exquisite, such as the vivid stone lions of different expressions and movements. The brick carvings are very common in the Qiao Family Courtyard. At the gate of the Zaizhong Hall, we can see the vivid stone carvings of lions, horses and turtle. And there are many stone carvings of famous paintings and classic elements in China. The woodcarvings at Qiao Family Courtyard are outstanding, which are vivid and full of folk customs. There are many plaques at Qiao Family Courtyard, four of them are most famous, which are written by famous officials in Qing Dynasty like Li Hongzhang, showing the assistance of Qiao’s family to the government at that time.
At Qiao Family Courtyard, you can know about and watch many handicraft performances of folk customs of northern China. You can see the making of wooden combs, which is ancient comb of Chinese, and they are still being used now. Here you can also see the shadow play, which is characteristic Chinese element. You can see the magical paper cut of China, which is traditional Chinese folk custom. Here you can experience making the cloth tigers by yourselves, which is interesting. And woodblock painting can also be seen at the Qiao Family Courtyard.
High-speed train&taxi: To get to Qiao Family Courtyard from Pingyao Ancient City, Taiyuan or other cities, you can first take the high-speed train to Qixian East Railway Station, just taking about 15 minutes, then you can take bus or taxi to the Qiao Family Courtyard.
From $ 395
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