Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall)
The whole complex is laid out in the shape of the character 寿 (longevity), and is characterised by its towering, thick and simple architecture.…
Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall), Pingyao
Key facts
- Admission
- ¥40
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 1819. Open in Google Maps
About Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall)
The whole complex is laid out in the shape of the character 寿 (longevity), and is characterised by its towering, thick and simple architecture. Cao Family Compound preserves architectural complexes from the Ming, Qing and Republican periods and displays countless treasures. It is a newly developed tourist site celebrating Shanxi merchant culture.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall) cost?
Admission to Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall) is ¥40, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How long should I spend at Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall)?
Plan on 1 hour for Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall).
Where is Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall)?
Cao Family Compound (Sanduo Hall) is in Pingyao, Shanxi Province, in the North China of China. Beitao Village, Taigu County, 7 km from Qiao Family Compound
More places in Pingyao
Chang Family Manor
Chang Family Manor is a Qing-dynasty complex of northern residences. The saying from central Shanxi, 'One courtyard for the Qiaos, two streets for the Changs', conveys its vast scale. Within the courtyards, pavilions, terraces, towers and studios sit among unusual rocks and rare flowers. The exquisite brick, wood and stone carvings, along with the painted decoration on the timber components, are all considered masterpieces of Qing architectural art.
¥80 · 2 hours
Wang Family Compound
Known as 'the First Residence in China' and 'the Forbidden City of the folk'. The Wang Family Compound referred to here means the two most distinctive of the many Wang family properties in Lingshi County: Gaojiaya and Hongmenpu. Their combined built area exceeds 30,000 square metres. Gaojiaya is an enclosed, fortress-style complex, a veritable museum of architectural art. Built into the mountainside, it is imposing and grand. It has 26 courtyards and more than 200 rooms, divided into front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard served as the social space, where exquisite brick, stone and wood carvings can be seen everywhere from the gate to the interior rooms. The rear courtyard was the owners' living quarters, likewise decorated mainly with carvings, refined and elegant. Hongmenpu faces Gaojiaya across the east-west axis and takes its name from its red gate. The stone carvings within the fortress are distinctive and richly meaningful, blending northern and southern styles. They are a model of Qing-dynasty carving art.
¥55 · 2–3 hours
Shuanglin Temple
Shuanglin Temple was originally called Zhongdu Temple and was built in the early Northern Wei dynasty. Across its three courtyards and ten halls, more than 2,000 colored sculptures of Vajra guardians, Guanyin, Arhats and others from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties have been preserved. Particularly noteworthy are the lifelike donor figures, rare examples of secular sculpture from ancient times. The religious statues inside the temple are also not overly stylised. Each one has its own distinct form and spirit, making them rare artistic treasures of antiquity. Among them, the 'Guanyin Crossing the Sea' and the 'Guanyin at Ease' are especially exquisite.
¥33 · 2–3 hours
Rishengchang Draft Bank
Experience the legend of the Shanxi merchants. Founded in the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty, Rishengchang was China’s first and also largest draft bank (piaohao) handling remittance business. At its peak, Rishengchang had branches in 35 cities large and small across the country, with annual remittance volumes ranging from 1 million to 38 million taels of silver. Today, Rishengchang is also known as the China Draft Bank Museum. It has more than 20 exhibition halls, broadly divided into a historical display section and a section recreating the original layout, which together trace the development of China’s national banking industry.
Included in the Pingyao Ancient Town combined ticket · 1–1.5 hours
Pingyao Ancient City Wall
The Pingyao Ancient City Wall is one of the few complete ancient county-level city walls still standing in China. The earliest rammed-earth walls are said to have been built by Yin Jifu, a great general of the Western Zhou dynasty. During the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, the wall was expanded on the old foundation into the brick-and-stone structure seen today. The city’s overall layout is shaped like a tortoise, giving rise to the saying “the tortoise plays in the water, mountains face the sun,” which is why Pingyao is also commonly called “Tortoise City.” The old town has six gates, each with its own symbolism: the South Gate is the tortoise’s head, facing the Zhongdu River; outside the city there were originally two wells, likened to the tortoise’s eyes; the North Gate is the tortoise’s tail and the lowest point of the town, so all the city’s rainwater drains out through it; the four gates and barbicans in the east and west are like the tortoise’s paws stretched forward. Only the outer gate of the barbican at the East Lower Gate opens straight to the east. Legend has it that the builders feared the tortoise would crawl away, so they straightened its left leg and tied it to the Lutai Pagoda in Cisi Temple outside the city. The city wall is said to have 3,000 crenellations and 72 small watchtowers, symbolizing Confucius’s 3,000 disciples and 72 sages, so that this bustling commercial city would never lack literary refinement.
The ancient town is open free of charge; a combined ticket for the sights costs ¥125. · 2–4 hours
Qiao Family Compound
The filming location of Raise the Red Lantern. The compound has not a single blade of grass or tree. Its near-absolute symmetry and layered repetition have a powerful impact. It is a typical residence of a wealthy Qing-dynasty family, with 19 courtyards and over 300 rooms arranged in the shape of the double-happiness character 双喜. On the brick screen wall opposite the main gate, the 'One Longevity Becomes a Hundred' panel features 100 different styles of the character for 'longevity'. Their archaic, vigorous forms make it a rare artwork. The compound also holds more than 500 ancient paintings and calligraphy works by famous masters of the Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, most of them treasures.
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