Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Courtyard were two tourist attractions in Shanxi Province. The Wang Family Compound was located in Jingsheng Town, 12 kilometers east of Lingshi County, Shanxi Province, about 35 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City. The Wang Family Courtyard was the epitome of the Qing Dynasty's residential architecture. It was known as "the world's best sculptor." The Wang Family Compound consisted of five alleys, five castles, and five ancestral halls. Currently, only the Red Gate Castle and Gao Jiaya were open to the public, occupying a quarter of the entire compound. Travelers could take the tourist train from the Wang Family Courtyard to Pingyao Ancient City. The journey was about 58.5 kilometers and took about 2 hours and 4 minutes. Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Compound were popular tourist attractions in Shanxi. The tourists could spend a day in Pingyao Ancient City and then visit the Wang Family Compound. The specific travel strategy and itinerary could be formulated according to individual needs and time.
Pingyao Ancient City was located in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, and the Wang Family Courtyard was about 35 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City. The Wang Family Courtyard was an architectural art museum built by the Jingsheng Wang Family over 300 years, with a total area of 250,000 square meters. It was known as the Forbidden City in Shanxi and the first mansion in China. It was a complex of buildings with traditional cultural characteristics. The Wang Family Courtyard consisted of five alleys, five castles, and five ancestral halls. There were a total of 123 courtyards of various sizes, 1118 houses, and a total area of 45000 square meters. Although only one-fifth of the Wang Family Compound was open to the public, its scale and grandeur were second to none among the Jin merchants. The Wang Family Compound was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit and a 4A scenic spot. As for how to get to the Wang Family Compound, one could choose to take a car or drive from Pingyao Ancient City. One could also take a bus or train from Pingyao Ancient City to Lingshi County and then take a bus to the Wang Family Compound.
The Ma Family Courtyard was the largest mansion in Pingyao Ancient City. It was also the former residence of Ma Zhongxuan, the head of the four great families of Pingyao and the great merchant of the Qing Dynasty. It was famous for its rigorous and functional architectural style, and was known as the representative of the architectural style of Pingyao Ancient City. The Ma Family Courtyard had preserved more than a thousand of the original Ma Family artifacts, displaying the merchants, culture, and life of the Ma Family. The overall layout of the courtyard resembled a large "Ma" shape, implying that the Ma family would prosper for generations. The architectural decoration of the Ma Family Courtyard was extremely artistic. The interior was rich and exquisite, and it was orderly. It was an isolated " independent kingdom ". After closing every night, it became a quiet place to hide from the world. The underground vault of the Ma Family Courtyard was known as the " endless underground vault ". It was said that the owner's wealth was even richer than the owner of the Qiao Family Courtyard. The Ma Family Courtyard was located in a remote alley in Pingyao Ancient City, so there were relatively few tourists.
The Qiao Family Compound was about 30 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City.
The Qiao Family Compound was about 30 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City.
The price of a one-day trip to the Qiao Family Compound in Pingyao Ancient City started at 68 yuan.
There were several ways to get to the Qiao Family Compound from Pingyao Ancient City. The first way was to take a tour bus from the bus station outside the north gate of Pingyao Ancient City. It would take about an hour to get to the Qiao Family Compound along the 108 National Road. The ticket price was 26 yuan per person. The second way was a self-driving tour. He drove directly along the 108 National Road to the Qiao Family Compound, which took about 50 minutes. Pay attention to the speed limit of 80. Don't exceed the speed limit and pay attention to your safety. They could also rent a car or carpool to the Qiao Family Compound. The price would depend on the size of the car and the number of people in the car. In addition, you can contact the innkeeper to help you arrange transportation.
The Qiao Family Courtyard in Shanxi Province was an ancient house with the traditional architectural style of northern folk houses. It was located in Qiaojiabao Village, Qi County, Shanxi Province. The Qiao Family Compound was built in 1756 and covered an area of 4175 square meters. It was divided into six courtyards and 20 small courtyards. There were a total of 313 houses. The Qiao Family Courtyard was exquisitely designed and had exquisite craftsmanship, displaying the unique style of the Qing Dynasty residential buildings. The Qiao Family Compound was a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national second-class museum, an advanced national cultural relic unit, and a national youth civilization. The way to get to the Qiao Family Courtyard included taking a long-distance bus or train. Starting from Taiyuan or Jinzhong, you can take a passenger bus or train. The journey takes about 1.5-2 hours. There were many accommodations near the Qiao Family Courtyard, including the Qi County Qiao Family Courtyard Folk Museum, Rujia Hotel, and Seven Days Inn. In the restaurants near the Qiao Family Compound, one could taste local specialties such as knife-cut noodles, soup dumplings, and stir-fried bowls. The main attractions of visiting the Qiao Family Compound included visiting ancient buildings, admiring brick carvings and wood carvings, and listening to stories. The Qiao Family Compound was very large and was divided into many courtyards. Each courtyard had a different style and display. The tourists could discover the preferences and styles of different eras in the details. The doors, windows, and roof of the Qiao Family Compound were all uniquely designed and decorated, making it pleasing to the eye. The entrance fee for the Qiao Family Courtyard was 138 yuan per person. The scenic spot implements a real-name system to purchase tickets. When purchasing tickets, you need to show your ID card and relevant documents. The ticket sales for the scenic area began at 8:00 every day and stopped at 5:30 in the afternoon. Guests can book tickets online 30 days in advance, or book tickets for the day's tour before 09:00. Apart from the Qiao Family Compound, there were other popular tourist attractions in Shanxi, such as Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Compound. The tourists could arrange suitable tourist routes according to their interests and time to travel by car in Shanxi.
The ancient city of Pingyao was located in Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, in the middle of Shanxi Province.
There were many transportation options from Taiyuan to the Qiao Family Compound and Pingyao Ancient City. A more convenient way was to take the train. There were many trains going to Qi County and Pingyao from Taiyuan Train Station. The other way was to take public transportation. They could go to Jiannan bus station first, where there were buses heading to Pingyao and the Qiao Family Compound. He suggested that they find a hotel near the train station and stay there. The next morning, they would go to Jiannan and take a bus to Pingyao. The ticket price was about 170 yuan and allowed one to enter most of the main attractions. You could also choose to visit only a few major attractions. It might be more cost-effective to buy a single ticket. They could take a bus back to Taiyuan on the same day. There should be a bus before 7 pm. In addition, self-driving was also an option. One could choose a suitable route according to the navigation. In short, according to personal preferences and needs, choose the appropriate mode of transportation to go to the Qiao Family Compound and Pingyao Ancient City.
The Qiao Family Compound was about 45 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City.