# Qiao Family Compound (乔家大院)

Pingyao, Shanxi Province · North China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qiao-family-compound
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥115
- **Opening hours:** 8：30—17：30
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Getting there:** Near Pingyao Railway Station, take a bus bound for Taiyuan and get off at Qiao Family Compound. The journey takes about half an hour. After getting off, walk a few hundred metres along the row of big red lanterns to reach it.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Old Towns & Villages

## About 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.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Plaques: A plaque titled 'Fuzhong Langhuan' (福种琅缳) hangs on the top floor, presented by the Governor of Shanxi at the time. The Qiao family has two similar plaques: one, 'Renzhou Yipu' (仁周义溥), was inscribed by Li Hongzhang himself, and the other, 'Danfeng Ge' (丹枫阁), was written by Fu Shan.
- 2. Photography: Qiao Family Compound is a great place for photos. The screen walls, ornamental gates and screens all make striking backdrops.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1818. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.