Huizhou Local Resident Houses were built originally by the merchants from Anhui Province. In the China's past, many merchants were engaged in business across the country and in time returned home as wealthy men. In order to show their fortune and dignity, they built large residences. The two main branches of such merchants came from Shanxi and Anhui Provinces. Qiao's Compound is testimony to the achievements of a Shanxi Merchant while those of the Anhui Merchants are typified ..

Overview
The earthen buildings of Hakkas are considered a wonder of oriental architecture. Spread around Yongding, in the west of Fujian Province , there are 4,000 square buildings and 360 round ones, which are quite breathtaking. The buildings usually are formed as two or three circles. The outer circle can be as high as 10 meters (31 feet) and its four stories may hold between one and two hundred rooms. The kitchen and dining room will be found on the first or ground floor. The second floo..

Besides Qiao's Compound, Qi County has another famous compound located on its east street, the Qu's Compound. Being built during the reign of Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), this 240-rooms compound has history dating back over 300 years and covers an area of over 5300 square meters (6340 square yards); yet it is only one-fifth of the Qu family's estate. The Qu family was an outstanding representative of Shanxi Merchants and their estate used to occupy a..

Chang's Compound is found in Dongyang Town southwest of Yuci District in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. Actually it is a splendid group of constructions of northern folk houses in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and at the same time, it is the largest one in scale among so many compounds of Shanxi merchants.
The owners of Chang's Compound, the Chang family, were among the well-known Shanxi businessmen in the Qing Dynasty. In ancient China, there were a large number of people..

Historically, the businessmen of Jin (short for Shanxi Province) have played a crucial role in Chinese commerce. They have both contributed greatly to its development and written extensively about their achievements. Pre-eminent among these wealthy businessmen is the Cao's Family. The Cao's Family business, at the height of power and splendor in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), owned more than 640 firms and 37,000 employees. It had an estimated worth of 12 million taels of s..

民居建筑艺术明珠——“三晋第一宅”的灵石县静升村的王家大院；
Wang's Compound is located in Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) from Pingyao Ancient City and 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) from Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It is a luxurious residence built during 1762-1811 by the descendants of the Wang Family, one of the Four Families of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Shanxi Province.
The compound occupies a total area of 150,000 square meters (..

People say that the real culture of Beijing is the 'culture of the Hutong' and the 'culture of the courtyard'. How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding Hutongs that attract tourists from home and abroad rather than the high-rise buildings and large mansions.
Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). 'Hutong' is a Mongolian word, meaning 'water well'..

I. The Qiao Family History
Family tree
I.Qiao Guifa
    II.Qiao Quande
    II.Qiao Quanyi
      III.Qiao Zhiyuan
         IV.Qiao Changrong
         IV.Qiao Chaowu
    II.Qiao Quanmei
       III.Qiao Zhiguang
       III.Qiao Zhiyong (had six sons)
         IV.Qiao Jingdai
      ..

Dali Ancient City is 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) away from Xiaguan in Dali City, Yunnan Province and is one of the 'Three Ancients' (Ancient Cities, Ancient Pagodas and Ancient Steles) of the Dali Scenic Spot. It can be dated back to the year 1382 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has been among the top listed historical cities of China since 1982. With Erhai Lake to the east, and Cangshan Mountain to the west, its grand city wall, traditional Bai ethnic minority folk hous..

The Old Town of Lijiang, a well-preserved old city of ethnic minorities with brilliant culture, is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. Located on the plateau which is 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) above the sea level and embraced by the tree-covered Lion Mountain in the west, Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north, vast fertile fields in the southeast and crystal clear water running through, the old town looks like a big jade ink..

Jingdezhen Old Street is located on the west bank of the Chang River, in the center of Jingdezhen. It is a famous street in China, renowned for its long history and beautiful traditions that come from its ancient culture. This street is composed of three parts each of which fully reflects its prosperous past and its important position as a transportation center: Ming Street, Qing Street and the Old Pier.
Ming Street was established in the Ming Dynasty (1271-1368) and is about 90 meters (ab..

Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China, situated in Kunshan City which is only 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Suzhou. It is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. In the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC), Zhouzhuang was a part of the fief Yaocheng and called Zhenfengli. After being donated to Full Fortune (Quanfu) Temple by Zhou Di..

西递村位于安徽省黄山市黟县东南部，四面环山，两条溪流从村北、村东经过村落在村南会源桥汇聚。现存明、清古民居124幢，祠堂3幢。2000年11月30日，被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产名录。
青山碧水环抱的西递村，素有“桃花源里人家”的美誉。当你站在山岗上，眺望这座山区谷地的满布着明清民居的村庄时，会发现——它很像一艘古朴的舟船，村头的牌楼似船上的桅杆和船帆；鳞次栉比的民居如同素色的船舱；四周起伏的山峦和秧田则像大海的波涛。这满载徽派建筑文化的古船从北宋至今已航行了六百多年！
Located in Yixian Cou..

The past prosperity of Shanxi lies in Pingyao while the soul of Pingyao lies in its Old City. There is no charming landscape. No green mountain or clear waters. What's unique here is this well-preserved ancient city with its grand, solemn city wall, its residences and shops, and even the government office all in the style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). In 1997, when it was declared a World Cultural Heritage site for its Old City, Pingyao gradually opened up to the outsi..

Chinese people say that unless you visit the Great Wall then you haven't been to China. For any visit south of the Yangtze River; one place not to be missed is the town of Wuzhen.
Located in the centre of the six ancient towns south of Yangtze River, 17 kilometres (10.56 miles) north of the city of Tongxiang, Wuzhen displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings..

Located in Kunshan city about 25 kilometers east of Suzhou, Luzhi is an old but extremely beautiful water town. With a history of more than 1400 years, it compares favorably to Zhouzhuang Town. Covering just one square kilometer, it has been awarded the great name of 'the first water town in China'.
The natural beauty of the town is indescribable. Old stone bridges, limpid water, venerable maidenhair trees and old-style dwellings, as well as the traditional women's ..

Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years. Located on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake, just 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Suzhou City, Tongli town is 63 square kilometers (24 square miles) in area and has a population of over 33 thousand. True to its reputation, Tongli is a really wonderful travel destination where you can spend a marvelous holiday or experience traditional Chinese culture. Follow our guide and ..

Nuorilang Waterfall is 32 meters (about 105 feet) wide and 25 meters (about 82 feet) tall, and it is the widest waterfall in Jiuzhaigou Valley. Nuorilang means 'grand and magnificent' in Tibetan, so it is a gorgeous waterfall. The top of the waterfall is very flat. It is said that originally there was no waterfall but a platform here long ago. Then a monk brought a spinning wheel when he returned to this place. A Tibetan girl learnt the skill of spinning very soon, so she carr..

Hukou Waterfalls (Kettle Spout Falls):
The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation. In its basin, there is a tourist attraction that visitors should not miss. That is Hukou Waterfalls, a glistening pearl in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is located in Yichuan County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is the only magnificent yellow waterfall in the world and the second biggest waterfall in China after Huangguoshu Waterfall .
When the mighty Yellow Riv..