The Qu Family Compound (渠家大院), located in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, was originally established during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. Covering an area of 5,317 square meters with a building area of 13,271 square meters, the compound primarily features architecture from the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty. The compound consists of eight main courtyards, nineteen smaller courtyards, and 240 rooms, with the main buildings resembling a castle.
The layout of the compound is complex and well-organized, incorporating various elements such as railing courtyards, Minglou courtyards, Tonglou courtyards, and theater courtyards. The roofs vary in style, including xieshan, xuanshan, juanpeng, and yingshan types. Tall archways and intricately designed viewing pavilions are prominent features, with pailou (archways) and corridors creating rich transitional spaces between courtyards. The Qu Family Compound is a microcosm of Jin business culture, preserving a wealth of folklore, historical, and artistic information.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlight of Qu Family Compound
- Vlog about Qu Family Compound
- Other Compounds in Jinzhong City
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | 40 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 8.30 – 18.30; Last admission: 18.00 (1st May – 31st September) 8.30 – 17.30; Last admission: 17.00 (1st October – 30th April) |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0354-5223101 |
Location and Transportation
The Qu Family Compound is located at 33 East Avenue, Qi County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. To reach the compound, you can take a bus from Pingyao Bus Station to Qi County Courtyard. Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle for around 10 yuan per day. For those driving, there is a small parking lot right at the entrance, and a larger parking lot 500 meters away, with fees of 10 yuan for small vehicles and 15 yuan for larger ones.
Highlight of Qu Family Compound
Stone Carved Railing Courtyard
Inside the main gate, on the west side, is the Stone Carved Railing Courtyard, originally used by the owner for receiving guests, hence also known as the Guest Hall Courtyard. The main building and the western building have gabled roofs, while the southern building is a flat-roofed structure. A lotus-shaped plaque inscribed with “若虚斋 Ruoxu Studio” hangs from the eaves of the main building.
The courtyard features a 17.5-meter-long and 1.75-meter-high stone carved railing. The railing is intricately designed with openwork carvings depicting various figures, stories, flowers, birds, and insects. The railing pillars are square, adorned with traditional patterns such as the Eight Immortals. The tops of the pillars are decorated with stone lions, and the railing sections between the pillars are shaped like bamboo, with central openwork peony designs. The entire railing exudes a sense of grandeur and weightiness.
Five-Courtyard Compound
The Five-Courtyard Compound is the easternmost section of the Qu Family Compound, spanning approximately 100 meters in length. This deep and expansive layout is quite rare in residential architecture.
The second courtyard features a gate with a curved roof and a passage door. The third courtyard gate is a screen-style passage door with three tiers of stone steps. Two stone lions flank the threshold, and the lintel is inscribed with the characters “观光第 Guangguang Pavilion,” with brick carvings decorating the wall-mounted gatehouse. The fourth courtyard gate is a square opening with a stone-carved floral wall, while the fifth courtyard gate features a brick-carved door with a round top and a square base. The fifth gate is slightly off the central axis, shifting to the east, creating a layered and intriguing appearance.
The eastern wing of the third and fourth courtyards contains “dumb rooms” with a continuous brick-carved parapet wall. Measuring 28.5 meters in length and 1.2 meters in height, this wall is the longest brick carving in the compound. The carvings are richly detailed and orderly, featuring traditional Chinese auspicious patterns and motifs, such as peonies symbolizing wealth, the Eight Treasures representing good fortune, bats with coins symbolizing blessings, gourds for longevity, and mythical dragon motifs.
Archway Courtyard
The Archway Courtyard is the central hub of the entire compound, featuring a traditional four-courtyard layout with five inner and three outer sections. The entrance gate is a step-style brick archway adorned with traditional folk motifs like grapes, a stove, and orchids, symbolizing prosperity and harmony. It includes three tiers of stone steps, and the lintel bears the inscription “载籍之光 Light of the Book,” indicating enduring historical significance and eternal glory. This plaque was presented by the Qing Dynasty governor of Shanxi, Zeng Guofan, to honor Qu Yuanchao’s charitable acts during the great drought of 1877 in Shanxi, including his substantial donations and establishment of porridge sheds for the poor.
The most distinctive feature of the Archway Courtyard is the intricately designed eleven-step archway that stands between the two main courtyards. This archway, which serves as a passage between the courtyards, is approximately 7 meters high and 3.5 meters wide, with decorative brick-carved floral walls on either side.
Theater Courtyard
To the south of the Archway Courtyard is the Theater Courtyard (also known as Shengping Courtyard, referring to the traditional phrase “歌舞升平” which means “music and dance in peace and prosperity”). The entrance features a small screen door.
The Theater Courtyard includes east and west wing rooms designed as private boxes. The viewing area, covering 108 square meters, is fitted with tiled roofing. The façade of the wing rooms is decorated with hollowed wooden screens with a central round window and diagonal lattice designs. During performances, these screens can be removed to create a spacious viewing area.
The courtyard is paved with blue bricks and is wide and level, accommodating over 400 people for performances. At the southern end of the courtyard stands a theater stage with five bays in width. The stage, oriented north-south, covers over 100 square meters. The stage features an overhanging roof supported by exposed columns, with paintings depicting scenes from the Three Kingdoms era on the horizontal beams and carved wooden and painted decorations on the sparrows.
Study Courtyard
The Study Courtyard features a wall-mounted gate, with intricate carvings on the right pier depicting paired melons, symbolizing unity, and book scrolls and paintings on either side, representing a scholarly family. Inside, there is a delicate reverse-gate pavilion that complements the imposing overhanging structure of the southern house.
The southern house serves as the main building of the Study Courtyard. Previously, it was flanked by a tiered stone railing, with wooden couplets on the columns reading: “Ink-stained sleeves, I am intoxicated; the richness of poetry and books makes one elegant.” This courtyard was specifically designed by the Qu family as a private school for their descendants. They invested heavily to hire renowned teachers, and the school was open not only to boys but also to girls and young daughters-in-law, reflecting the family’s commitment to education.
