Qiao Family Compound

Qiao Family Compound is a grand courtyard of a rich family in Shanxi with the family name of ''Qiao''. It is 12 kilometers northeast of Qixian County. This family compound has become extremely famous because of the film “Raise the Red Lantern” directed by Zhang Yimou. Quao Family Compound was first built during Qianlong Years of Qing Dynasty and covers an area of 8724 square meters. It is comprised of six big courtyards and 20 small courtyards, with 313 houses in total. 

Seeing from the top, you can see the whole compound arranged in the layout of ''囍'' with the meaning of happiness. A straight paved path divides the six big courtyards into south and north rows, with courtyards inside and gardens outside. There are many details worth pondering, such as the wooden carving, brick carving, stone carving, tablet and color painting. Here you will be able to see farming activities, sacrificial practices, wedding ceremonies, and so on, through which you may learn local folk customs in late Qing Dynasty. 

Qiao Family Compound was built into a folk culture museum of Qixian County in 1986. The 42 exhibition rooms and more than 2000 items in the museum are themed by Time and Season, Basic Necessities of Life, Wedding and Funeral Ceremonies, Agriculture and Commercial Activities, etc, generally reflecting the folk culture of the Middle Shanxi Province in Ming and Qing Dynasty.