The Wang Family Courtyard House is a luxurious residence built during 1762-1811 by the descendants of the Wang Family, one of the Four Families of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Shanxi Province. It is an excellent example of Chinese residential architecture style and has been turned into a museum. Among the Chinese it is known as the Civilian Forbidden City, and because of its picturesque and traditional beauty, it is a popular location for shooting films and television.
The entire house occupies a total area of 150,000 square meters (about 179,399 square yards), 45,000 meters (about 53,820 square yards) of which have been declared a protected cultural relic of Shanxi province. The exquisitely crafted sculptures of stone, wood and brick can be found everywhere in the courtyard and are certainly a highlight of the compound. Today, the areas in the complex open for viewing are Gaojia Ya, Hongmen Bao, and Chongning Bao. Altogether there are 231 courtyards and 2,078 houses.
The Wang Family Courtyard House is located in Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) from Pingyao and 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) from Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.
