HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsWang's Family Compound (Wang Jia Dayuan)
Shanxi · China
Wang Family Mansion is nicknamed ‘the Forbidden City of the Peasant Residences’. Its construction took nearly over 300 years by the efforts of several generations of the Wang family. You can imagine how large and prosperous the Wang Family was in its prime. Its architecture and decorations reflected the sense of strict social hierarchy in ancient time. Those intricate carvings and statues all have special meanings and stories behind them.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Wang's Family Compound (Wang Jia Dayuan)
Welcome to the Wang Family Compound, or Wang Jia Dayuan, a site so vast and architecturally sophisticated that it is often referred to as the 'Forbidden City of the Shanxi Province.' While the emperor’s palace in Beijing…
Listen in the app2The East Gate and the Defensive Walls
Your journey begins at the massive East Gate, the primary entrance to the Gaojiya section of the compound. As you stand before these towering brick walls, you are immediately struck by the defensive nature of the architecture. …
Listen in the app3Gaojiya Residential Complex — Confucian Order
The Gaojiya complex is perhaps the most refined part of the compound, consisting of two main courtyards and numerous side chambers. Built in the late 18th century, it is a perfect example of the 'Siheyuan' or courtyard house on a…
Listen in the app4The Art of Stone Carving — The Wang Encyclopedia
As you explore the courtyards, your eyes will naturally be drawn to the stone carvings that decorate the bases of pillars, the frames of windows, and the tops of doorways. In the Wang Family Compound, stone carving reached a…
Listen in the app5Redmen Castle (Hongmen Bao) — The Fortress Within
Across the bridge from Gaojiya lies the Redmen Castle, or Hongmen Bao. This section is even more fortress-like, characterized by a more regular, grid-like street plan and even higher walls. …
Listen in the app6The Ancestral Temple and Family Piety
The spiritual heart of any great Chinese compound is the Ancestral Temple, and the Wang family’s is no exception. Located in a position of high honor, this temple was where the family gathered to pay respects to their…
Listen in the app7The Rooftop Walkways — A View of the Labyrinth
One of the most unique features of the Wang Family Compound is the ability to walk along the top of the defensive walls and the interconnected rooftops. This provides a 'bird's-eye' view of the labyrinthine structure below. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As you descend from the heights of the Wang Family Compound and pass back through its massive gates, I hope you carry with you a profound sense of the scale of human ambition. We have seen how a family of simple sellers…
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What is Wang's Family Compound (Wang Jia Dayuan)?
Wang's Family Compound (Wang Jia Dayuan) is a place in Shanxi · China with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Shanxi · China |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 36.8961, 111.8746 |
| Last updated |