# Wang Family Compound (王家大院)

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

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥55
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Getting there:** From Pingyao, take a train bound for Yuncheng, Yichang, Baoji or Chengdu and get off at Lingshi. Alternatively, take a long-distance bus from the Taiyuan direction toward Jishan, Hengqu, Linyi or Houma, and get off at Lingshi along the way. The Wang Family Compound is 12 km from Lingshi County Town, and a dedicated shuttle runs directly there.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Old Towns & Villages

## About 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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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1817. 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.
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