Qiao's Compound, Historic residence compound in Qi County, Jinzhong, China
Qiao's Compound, also called Zaizhong Hall, is a courtyard house in Qi County, Shanxi, about 30 kilometers northeast of Pingyao. It covers 9,000 square metres and contains 313 rooms within 6 large and 19 small courtyards. The grey brick buildings have tiled roofs with upturned eaves, and red paper lanterns hang along the upper balcony and doorways.
The Qiao family built this residential complex during the Qing Dynasty starting in 1756 and expanded it twice during later periods. The final major construction phase occurred in the early twentieth century.
Stone lion sculptures and wooden carvings display the craftsmanship typical of traditional northern Chinese homes. The decorative details throughout show how wealthy families expressed their status and values through architectural design.
The compound is about 30 kilometers northeast of Pingyao in Qi County. It became the Qi County Folk Museum in 1985 and opened to the public on 1 November 1986. The site covers 9,000 square metres with 313 rooms across 6 large and 19 small courtyards, so allow time to walk between them.
The compound's layout is said to trace the Chinese character for happiness, but the sources also record a less flattering fact: its 5A rating was withdrawn in 2019 over over-commercialisation, and the site closed for ten days that August for rectification. The 2006 television series Qiao's Grand Courtyard was filmed here.
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