Shi Family Compound
The village sits in a mountain formation shaped like a phoenix, and the compound lies right at the bird's heart. Stone paths are one of Shi Family Compound's signature features.…
Shi Family Compound, Pingyao
Key facts
- Admission
- From ¥20
- Opening hours
- 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 09:00-18:00
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Getting there
- Take Fenxi Bus Route 1 (汾西1路) on its return leg and get off at the Chengdong (城东) bus stop, then take a taxi to the compound
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 1822. Open in Google Maps
About Shi Family Compound
The village sits in a mountain formation shaped like a phoenix, and the compound lies right at the bird's heart. Stone paths are one of Shi Family Compound's signature features. Every courtyard is linked by paths paved with uniform sandy stone slabs, and stone streets and lanes wind through the village. The architectural carving here is exceptionally fine. Most notable are the window lattices and partition screens dominated by the character 寿 (shòu, "longevity"), which feature 108 different designs. These are said to represent the Shi family's 108 businesses and Shanxi's 108 counties.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shi Family Compound cost?
Admission to Shi Family Compound is From ¥20, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Shi Family Compound?
Shi Family Compound is open 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 09:00-18:00.
How do I get to Shi Family Compound?
Take Fenxi Bus Route 1 (汾西1路) on its return leg and get off at the Chengdong (城东) bus stop, then take a taxi to the compound
How long should I spend at Shi Family Compound?
Plan on 1 day for Shi Family Compound.
Where is Shi Family Compound?
Shi Family Compound is in Pingyao, Shanxi Province, in the North China of China. Shijiagou Village, Sengnian Town (僧念镇), 5 km southeast of Fenxi County seat
More places in Pingyao

Chang Family Manor
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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.
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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.
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Rishengchang Draft Bank
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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.
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