Qiao Family Courtyard is 42 km away from Pingyao Ancient City, built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711 – 1799) in the Qing Dynasty. It takes an area of 10,637 square meters with a total of 6 large courtyards, 20 small courtyards, and 313 rooms.

From the outside, this Courtyard comparable to French castles can be considered a real fortified city. Inside, it’s a veritable maze of courtyards laid out in a double”喜” shape (double happiness in Chinese).

With Chinese classical architectural designs and exquisite decorations, it is representative of Chinese northern folk residences. This family courtyard shows not only the fortune and prosperity of the Qiao family but also the folk customs and culture of Shanxi Province during the period.

Getting around the courtyard, you can see various decorations almost everywhere, including wood carvings, brick carvings, stone carvings, murals, and wall sculptures with distinctive characteristics. Over 140 chimneys each has different features and decorations. On the underside of the eaves, murals are telling about folktales.

This imposing place is world-famous for being the site that served as the main setting in the film “Raise the Red Lantern” which was directed by Zhang Yimou.