(Photo/Xinhua)
This grand courtyard, in the village of Chewang, Dongyang county, 17 kilometers to the southwest of Yuci, Shanxi, underwent 200 years of construction, from the reign of the Kangxi emperor to the Guangxu emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), resulting in a grand courtyard with more than 4,000 rooms covering 66,667 square meters.
The Chang family’s courtyard impresses visitors with its rich history and culture, every part of it is telling a story. It is a perfect example of Chinese architecture and combines northern and southern styles and integrates the residence and garden.
The Chang family were explorers for the Fujian-Europe tea route reached their peak after nine generations of work so that the courtyard occupied two whole streets.
