The Wangs

Besides the unique constructions and the cultural bearings, what attract tourists most are the legends and tales about the Grand Courtyard's owner, the Wangs. The Wang clan originally lived in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, before their ancestor Wang Shi moved to Jingsheng during the reign of Emperor Huangqing (1312-1313) of theYuan Dynasty(1271-1368).

After moving to Jingsheng, Wang Shi mainly engaged in agriculture, but also made bean curd. The business gradually thrived as a result of the family's hard work and business virtues. Some members began to attend school, making the Wangs a distinguished family in the town.

The Wangs prospered during the reigns of EmperorsKangxi(1662-1722),Qianlong(1736-1795), and Jiaqing (1796-1820) in theQing Dynasty(1644-1911). The family conducted large-scale constructions at the time, building many houses, ancestraltemples, graveyards, stores, and workshops. Besides, they also set up some free private schools and barns, built roads and bridges, dug channels, offered relief to those people struck by disasters, and did some other philanthropic works. In this period alone, the family produced 12 top-ranking government officials.

The Wangs began to decline during Emperor Daoguang's Reign (1820-1850). Besides the social and political reasons, another important factor that led to their decline was the later generations' abandonment of the family's traditional values like diligence and thriftiness. They became increasingly luxurious; some gave up attending school, choosing instead to bribe their way into government positions; while others indulged in opium, leading to the erosion of the once-prosperous family.

The few members of the family who still had shops and stores within the province or other big cities likeBeijingandTianjinbefore the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945) lost what little they had after the outbreak. The whole family moved southward after theLugou BridgeIncident (orMarco PoloBridge Incident, staged by Japanese imperialists in their attempt to control the whole of China, which marked the beginning of China's war against Japan).