Qiao’s Family Compound (Qiao Jia Dayuan) - The Most Famous Ancient Dwelling in China

Located in the center of the street and surrounded by enclosed brick walls, this imposing building complex looks like the Chinese character "囍" when staring straight down at the ground. Facing the street with its three sides, this compound is isolated from outsides by over 1-meter thick parapet walls.

Covering about 8,725 square meters, this courtyard estate has 6 large courtyards and 20 smaller courtyards, including 313 rooms. There is a stone-paved path leading to the main hall with 80 meters long and divided the 6 courtyards into the south and north sides. According to the tradition naming methods, the yards in the north are called the Old Yard (老院), the Northwest Yard (西北院), the Study Yard (书房院) from east to west; and the yards in the south are called the Southeast Yard (东南院), the Southwest Yard (西南院), and the New Yard (新院).

Each courtyard consists of a principle room with tiled roofed for the host and side rooms with brick roofed for guests or servants with quite different construction styles to presents the hierarchy. On the roof of each yard, there is a special corridor to walk through to guard the whole compound. At the end of the west side, is the ancestral temple, facing to the front gate.

Passing through each yard, there are various carvings, paintings, murals, and the precious tablets dotted on doors, roofs, windows, and even the walls, which makes the compound more delicate.

• Recommended Shanxi Tours with Qiao's Family Compound:
☛ 11 Days Golden Triangle Tour with Shanxi Highlights
☛ 12 Days Historical China Tour with Train Experience

Originally built in 1,756 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Qiao's Family Compound, the original Chinese name was Zai Zhong Tang (在中堂) was renovated later during the late years of Emperor Guangxu. They bought streets to build entrance and ancestral temples in order to reinforce the security, later more lands were bought to meet their living needs. By continuously enlarging the scale, Qiao's Family Compound was completed in the early years of the Republic of China.

During the extension, the Qiao's Family history changed as well. The prosperity of the Qiao Family originated from the business trade of fodder, bean sprout, and bean curd and came to the golden age in the Qiao Zhiyong time. Being the 3rd host of Qiao's Family Compound, Qiao Zhiyong was raised by his brother. As one representative of famous Jin Merchants in that historical period, Qiao Zhiyong is the epitome of Jin Merchants, who refer to the businessmen of Shanxi province in Ming and Qing dynasty. Following the principles of being industrious, modest, and generous, he established Qiao's brilliant future by presenting a large sum of money to the government to go through the Taiping rebellion and second Opium War and enjoy a good relationship with the government and higher fame.

With the recession of the Qing dynasty, Jin Merchants gradually fade out, so as the compounds. As the finest remaining examples of imposing private residences in northern China. It has been converted into a museum in 1985, called Qixian Folk Museum, and opened to the public in 1986. With 6 themes, it displayed the history of the Qiao, the treasure of the Qiao, the custom of business, the custom of ritual, the folk crafts, and the custom of agriculture. Also, more than 5,000 precious relics are exhibited here, including the Qiao's four most precious crafts: Nine-dragon Screen (九龙屏风), Nine-dragon chandelier (九龙灯), Wanrenqiu (万人球) and Xiniuwangyue Mirror (犀牛望月镜), which make the place more attractive.

• Recommended Shanxi Tours with Qiao's Family Compound:
☛ 4 Days In-depth Pingyao & Taiyuan Tour
☛ 12 Days Historical China Tour with Train Experience

▶ Pingyao to Qiao's Family Compound: The driving distance from Pingyao Ancient City to Qiao's Family Compound is about 50km, and it takes about 1h to get to Qiao's Family Compound. Besides driving there, you can also take a direct tourist bus from Pingyao bus station, which is located right outside the north gate of Pingyao Ancient City. It departs every 30min during the peak season and the bus fare is about CNY 20 with about 1.5 hour's duration. You can also take a train leaving from Pingyao Railway Station/Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station to Qixian Railway Station/Qixian East Railway Station in about 15min, and both of these railway stations in Qixian (Qi county) are about 16km to Qiao's family compound and you can easily grab a taxi there.

▶ Taiyuan to Qiao's Family Compound: The driving distance from Taiyuan downtown area to Qiao's Family Compound is about 60km, taking about 1.5 hours to 2 hours. You can also get there by bus at Taiyuan Jinan Bus Station (太原建南汽车站 location: No.1, Dicun street, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City 太原市小店区狄村街1号), taking a tourist bus to Pingyao and the bus will stop over at Qiao's Family Compound, or take the long distance county bus to Qi county and grab a taxi to Qiao's Family Compound. Also, you can take a high-speed bullet train from Taiyuan South Railway Station to Qixian East Railway Station in about 30min and take a taxi to the Compound.

▶ Wang's Family Compound to Qiao's Family Compound: The total driving distance is about 100km, about 2.5 hours by car. There is no direct bus from Wang's Family Compound to Qiao's Family Compound. Most people will choose to travel them via Pingyao.

Only 40km away from Qiao's Family Compound, Pingyao is noted for the World Heritage Site - Pingyao Ancient City. It is well-preserved, keeping the architecture style of the Ming and Qing Dynasty (14th-20th centuries). Most people will choose to visit them both. You can leisurely stroll and get to learn about the traditions of the northern Chinese, especially during the Chinese Spring Festival. Usually, 2 to 3 days are enough for you to explore the attractions in Pingyao, including scenic sites and ancient streets of Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao’s Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple, etc.

☛ 2 Days Classic Pingyao Tour
☛ 3 Days Pingyao Discovery Tour

Also, Pingyao is well connected with many other cities in Shanxi province. You can spend more days having a Shanxi discovery tour: witnessing the stunning Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple in Datong, hiking on and the famous Buddhism mountain, Wutaishan, visiting the magnificent Hukou Waterfall, and getting to Jinsi Temple and Shanxi Museum in the capital of Shanxi province, Taiyuan.

☛ 4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour
☛ 6 Days Essence of Shanxi Tour
☛ 12 Days Historical China Tour with Train Experience

If you would like to travel outside Shanxi, you can take a flight from Taiyuan to many other cites of China. It is also very convenient to take a high-speed train from Pingyao/Taiyuan to Xian and Luoyang with no more than 4 hours or head to Beijing by high-speed train.

☛ 4 Days Ancient Pingyao & Xian Tour
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