Wang Family Compound. Day 5 of the tour.
The Wang Family Compound, also known as the Wang Family Mansion, is the largest of Shanxi’s courtyard houses.
Located in Lingshi County, Shanxi, it consists of several courtyard residences that are so large that it took me 2 hours to tour just some of the homes.
The compound was built by the Wang family, one of four historically prominent families in the county.
Over the course of several generations, the compound was built on a grand scale from the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1661–1722) to the Jiaqing Emperor (1796–1820).
However, by the 19th century, the fortunes of the family had declined.
For a good historical autobiography of the good and pleasurable lives and subsequent decline of a similarly rich clan during the Ching dynasty, one can do no better than to read the 4-volume Dream of the Red Chamber.
It is now more or less settled that the author of chapters 1 to 80 of the Dream of the Red Chamber is Cao Xueqin, the grandson of Tsao Yin, who was a favorite of Emperor Kang Xi.
It is also accepted now that the last 40 chapters were completed by someone very close to Xueqin, probably a family member.
During my tour, I observed that the homes were richly carved with Chinese idioms and stories of filial piety.
Homes with 5 steps up from the pathway to enter the home would mean the owner is a Mandarin of the 5th rank.
Such intricate carvings and philosophical details can only come from a Civilisation of 5000 years, with numerous generations of craftsmen and literatis.
Lwh @ Shanxi.
16 March 2025.
