Wang Family Compound
The Wang Family Compound, also known as Wang Family courtyard, located about 35 km from Pingyao Ancient City, is the largest of the mansions in Shanxi. It was inscribed on the UNESCO Preliminary World Heritage List in 2008 as part of the "Ancient Residences of Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces".
Highlights of Wang Family Compound
Built by the Wang family with the fortune they had accumulated in business, the mansion is a very typical cramped courtyard residence and more like an ancient mini city with its own protective wall and many precise structures within. The courtyard houses are two stories high and covered with gray tiles. For those who are interested in Chinese architecture, a visit to the Wang Family Mansion is recommended.
Attractions of Wang Family Compound
The courtyard houses are on a gentle slope, and you have to walk a bit to reach the houses. It is advisable to climb the wall of the buildings in order to appreciate the panorama of the entire area. You will notice that until now there are people living in caves built into the hillside around the complex. The architectural style of the Wang Family Mansion inherits the front hall and rear bedroom courtyard style formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty. It not only provides enough space for external communication, but also meets the requirements of internal private atmosphere. The layout of the rooms was built orderly by generations, hierarchy, gender and use. There are 231 large and small courtyards, 2,078 houses with an area of more than 80,000 square meters, much larger than the Qiao Family Mansion.
History of Wang Family Compound
The Wang family is originally from Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi. In the time of Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1312-1313), Wang's ancestor moved to Jingsheng Village and began cultivating and selling tofu. From peasants to merchants, businessmen to government officials, the Wang family gradually began to prosper and become rich, and their wealth increased with a large amount of real estate holdings generation after generation. Over time, he built a huge complex of buildings such as "Three alleys, four castles and five ancestral halls." The family continued to prosper even in the early years of the Qing Dynasty. At the same time, he did many good works, such as building schools and roads, digging ditches, etc. However, after the 18th century (during the reign of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty), the Wang family gradually declined and most of the mansion was sold to other people. During the Anti-Japanese War, they say the Wang family fled to Sichuan for refuge, and the mansion has been uninhabited ever since.
Be that as it may, the Wang Family Mansion is exquisite, beautiful, novel, elegant and delicate in many aspects with the local residential and architectural characteristics. Therefore, it enjoys fame among China and abroad. It is worth taking a deep trip to know the history of the great family.
