Wang is Grand Courtyard
China is rich in traditional residential inheritance. The residences in Shanx[ Province represent the residential inheritance in north China. A number of residences lying scattered throughout Shanxi have been renovated and opened in recent years. Among the residences such as the courtyard of the Qiaos, the courtyard of changs, and the courtyard of Caos, the big courtyard of the Wangs has the name of "No, i residence in China" compared with other courtyards. It is the typical example of north citizen's residences.
Brief Introduction of Wang's Grand Courtyard
Situated at the southern edge of Jinzhong Basiu, the big courtyard of file Wangs of Shanxi Province stands arm in arm with the famous Mount Mian scenery and gazes at Fenhe River. Built more than 200 years ago, the ancient courtyard is the museum of China's residential art. It includes 123 yards with 1,118 rooms, covering 45,000m2. Leaning against the high northern slope, the courtyard is exposed to the south, varying with the terrain, and the buildings with superposed yards stretch one after another.
The founder of the family Wang Shi was an honest man who made his living by selling Toufu. Since his Toufu was pure and sold at a fair price, he managed to build up some savings. A few members of the family begin to read and passed the examinations to be officials, The 13Ih generation had finally become the great household of Jingsheng village at the end of lhe Ming Dynasty. The five brothers of the 14~h generation engaged in peddling salt, silks, grain, satins, groceries, mules and horses. They carried out business with Inner Mongolia. The family stepped into a period of great prosperity from Kangxi period to Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty ( 1644 1911). Though the ancestors made grandsons saw the decline of the family, and eventually sold the yard in order to buy d~gs at the end of the Qing Dynasty, There were 101 persons in the Wangs who won official produced public officials lbr several generations. The Wangs in the village have the strongest coloring of ofiScial merchants. Six hundred years of Jin commercial history remain in this official mansion.