Shanxi Travel Guide
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional residences and commercial courtyards, 3797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are intact. These traditional residences are the carriers of history culture, which are valuable for studying its history, folk customs, architecture, and art, and still serve as homes of local people. They become the architectural cultural heritage, which are protected and utilized today.
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| Traditional Civil House, Pingyao |
The ancient civil structures can not only directly reject the construction standards and the way of living of human being in the ancient time, but also indirectly tell people the ancient politics, economy, philosophy, ethics, literature, art and even local customs. Through these old structures, ruined walls and broken columns., as if we have entered the ancient societies, walking in trade fairs, and observing the smoking battles.
In the long China's ancient societies, the ancient city id Pingyao step by step became a multitudinous, county-level city. The residents of Government officials, Businessmen, farmers, soldiers and so on earlier and later had built up their own houses,. Although these housing structures were damaged or destroyed through the seasons and years these are still 3,800 ancient houses in existance in the ancient houses and courtyards, the Pingyao is called as the collection civil structures. Also because of the different status, different financial capabilities, and different likings as will as the different families reflected an economical but comfortable manner, as for those of lower class families with limited means showed simplicities and even shabby. Therefore, this rich and colorful collection of the ancient civil structures are also a long and scrolled paintings of historical scense of China's social development. These ancient civil houses of different hinds have provided rich and excellent specimen for later generations to study the historical structural style and construction techniqure.
The yard structures are ranging from the sole gate yard, the multi-entrances yard, the passage yard, the principal yard plus side yards to the combined yard; the houses were structured differently with brick lined cave room plus frontly extending rafter, brick layed wall with tiled roof, tiled roof room above the care room, etc. And those tower gates and yard entrance gates, those up & down roof structures, and those changeable window structures all have displayed that how these old civil structures as a whole have shown the great ancient civilizations and creative mind of our early generations. Swallows previously only staying in King's courtyard now have landed on window frame of small family houses. The ancient city of Pingyao was not the capital city and the old residential houses inside neither were imperial palaces. But in the glow of the setting sun, the night scenery could arouse visitors thinking and sighing in pitiful mood. The aged and dark grey color civilian structures covered by heavy dusts is a valueable introduction mannal of Chinese tradition and civilization.
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| Traditional Civil House, Pingyao |
The Museum of Old Houses, originally Weitaihou Bank, is situated at No. 18, Xi Da Jie. The Museum is five rooms wide and consists of several courtyards. The northern courtyard, a typical business courtyard, faces north with its gate on the street. The southern part faces south with a gate opening to the lane. It consists of a main courtyard with two side courtyards and a back courtyard and is a standard residential compound. The northern and southern compounds are linked up by a narrow passageway. The walls are high and the courtyards are spacious. This courtyard is well known for its shape.
Compound of Lei Lutai, Lei Lutai (1770-1849) was a business tycoon in Qing Dynasty because he was one of the founders of China's first draft bank and was a major figure in China's financial history. The old house lies in No. 11, Shuyuan Street and was built during the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century. The compound faces south and consists of four courtyards: the east, the west, the side east and the side west. The compound is a typical one of this city, and provides a window to both the history of banking and to ancient architecture.
The Wang Family Courtyard, The courtyard lies in Shiling County. Three sections are still extant: the east courtyard, west courtyard and Xiaoyi Hall. The Wang Courtyard oc cupies 34,450 square meters. Many exquisite wood, stone and brick carvings, paintings, calligraphy and poems, statues of people, animals, birds and flowers still re main in the courtyard. The courtyard represents a typical style of residence in northern China.
