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Pingyao Tour of
Chang’s Compound
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Chang's Compound is found in Dongyang Town southwest of
Yuci District in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. Actually it is a
splendid group of constructions of northern folk houses in the Qing
Dynasty (1644-1911), and at the same time, it is the largest one in
scale among so many compounds of Shanxi merchants.
The owners of Chang's Compound, the Chang family, were
among the well-known Shanxi businessmen in the Qing Dynasty. In
ancient China, there were a large number of people who were both
government officials and businessmen; or they were officials and
scholars. The Chang family, however, represented a rare group of
people who were both businessmen and intellectuals. The main trade
of this family was with Russia. The whole family became rich around
the middle period of the Qing Dynasty and after that they paid great
attention and huge sums of money toward building new houses. This
construction went on up to the early years of the reign of Emperor
Guangxu. In the Chang family, there were not only scholars but also
painters and calligraphers, so the compound is far more fascinating
than Qiao's Compound and many other compounds in Shanxi Province.
The houses standing in row upon row in Chang's Compound
are very different from each other. Strolling in the compound, you
can easily figure out the living area of this big family consisting
of the grey streets, stone roads, decorated archways, quadrangles
and stages. Although the owners are gone and only the empty
buildings remain, you can still be blessed in this place with a feel
for the history and the culture. As mentioned above, Chang's
Compound is a typical northern one, but it has flavors of other
parts of China. Probably the owners persevered in the traditional
standard of etiquettes and living criterions, but simultaneously
they integrated other architectural styles into their own
structures. Its main constructions reveal the mightiness of this
rich and powerful family, while the attached structures give
visitors the flavor of southern gardens.
In Chang's Compound there is one wooden decorated
archway in the center of every inner yard. And on each side of this
small and exquisite decorated archway you will see brick sculpted
walls which enrich the beauty of the whole yard with the elegance of
southern gardens. Between and behind the courtyard of Chang's
Compound, there are flower gardens and vegetable gardens. All of
these gardens have wickets connecting with the courtyards. Stepping
into those gardens, you will feel drawn into the poetic environment
created by the cloisters, pavilions, bridges and mirror-like water.
In every courtyard of Chang's Compound, you are
provided with the chance to enjoy brick, wood and stone sculptures.
The inscriptions on these sculptures are verses, adages or patterns
of flowers like plums, orchids and chrysanthemum. These sculptures
show the particular cultural refinement and strong life interest of
the compound owner. They are considered the most elaborate examples
of the Qing Dynasty's building art.
Among all the stone sculptures, the most eye catching
ones are the more than 100 various, lifelike and vivid stone lions.
The largest stone lion is carved on the stone folding screen in the
center of the compound. One of its feet treads on the craggy krantz.
It cocks its head and looks into the distance. It is said that four
baby lions surround it. If you are not careful enough, however, you
can see only three of them, because the fourth adorable baby lion
hides itself on the head of its mother. The whole sculpture gives
you the feeling of affection within an animal family.
Tour Pingyao
with Great Wall Adventure Club, the best Pingyao
tour agent to help
you with your hotel booking and transfers.
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