Work on the "Ji Family Courtyard", dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), in the city of Gaoping, Shanxi province, is underway, thanks to the local relics department, which began the repairs this September, at a total cost of around 510,000 yuan.

The courtyard, which was built in 1294, is China's only surviving example of living spaces with inscriptions intact. Because of its 700-year history, it was declared a Culture and Relics Unit with National Protection, in 1996.

Shanxi has the largest number of such buildings in China, with 120 wooden buildings erected before the Song (960-1297), Liao (916-1125), and Jin ((1115-1234)) dynasties, accounting for 75 percents of the entire number across the country.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw