Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Courtyard were two tourist attractions in Shanxi Province. The Wang Family Compound was located in Jingsheng Town, 12 kilometers east of Lingshi County, Shanxi Province, about 35 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City. The Wang Family Courtyard was the epitome of the Qing Dynasty's residential architecture. It was known as "the world's best sculptor." The Wang Family Compound consisted of five alleys, five castles, and five ancestral halls. Currently, only the Red Gate Castle and Gao Jiaya were open to the public, occupying a quarter of the entire compound. Travelers could take the tourist train from the Wang Family Courtyard to Pingyao Ancient City. The journey was about 58.5 kilometers and took about 2 hours and 4 minutes. Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Compound were popular tourist attractions in Shanxi. The tourists could spend a day in Pingyao Ancient City and then visit the Wang Family Compound. The specific travel strategy and itinerary could be formulated according to individual needs and time.
Pingyao Ancient City was located in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, and the Wang Family Courtyard was about 35 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City. The Wang Family Courtyard was an architectural art museum built by the Jingsheng Wang Family over 300 years, with a total area of 250,000 square meters. It was known as the Forbidden City in Shanxi and the first mansion in China. It was a complex of buildings with traditional cultural characteristics. The Wang Family Courtyard consisted of five alleys, five castles, and five ancestral halls. There were a total of 123 courtyards of various sizes, 1118 houses, and a total area of 45000 square meters. Although only one-fifth of the Wang Family Compound was open to the public, its scale and grandeur were second to none among the Jin merchants. The Wang Family Compound was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit and a 4A scenic spot. As for how to get to the Wang Family Compound, one could choose to take a car or drive from Pingyao Ancient City. One could also take a bus or train from Pingyao Ancient City to Lingshi County and then take a bus to the Wang Family Compound.
The route map of Pingyao Ancient City, the Wang Family Compound, and the Qiao Family Compound was as follows: Day4: From Wutai Mountain to Pingyao Ancient City, visit the night view of Pingyao Ancient City. Day5: From Pingyao Ancient City, head to the Wang Family Compound in Lingshi, Shanxi Province, and then head to Ji County. Day6: From Ji County to Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River (Shanxi or Shaanxi side), and finally to Taiyuan City. In addition, they could also set off from Taiyuan and visit the Qiao Family Compound first, then head to Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Compound. Please note that the above route map is only based on the search results provided. The specific route and mode of transportation may need further confirmation.
Pingyao Ancient City and the Wang Family Compound were very popular day trip destinations. A few tourists shared their experience of participating in the one-day tour of the Wang Family Compound in Pingyao Ancient City. The tourists said that they could take a day trip in Pingyao Ancient City so that they could easily visit the Wang Family Courtyard and Hukou Waterfall. The tourists usually set off from the north gate of Pingyao Ancient City at 7 a.m. and took a bus to the Wang Family Compound. The tour guide would show the tourists around and explain for about 1.5 hours. Then, the tourists headed to Hukou Waterfall and arrived at about 1 p. m. After eating at the Hukou Waterfall scenic area, tourists could gather and enter the scenic area to enjoy the spectacular waterfall scenery. The entire journey lasted for about a whole day, and they returned to Pingyao Ancient City at around 7 p. m. According to the sharing of the tourists, the scenery of Hukou Waterfall was very shocking, far surpassing the feelings in the video. If there was no self-driving car, tourists could book a day trip in Pingyao Ancient City to avoid the trouble of changing cars. In general, a day trip to the Wang Family Compound in Pingyao was a very popular tourist choice.
The Ma Family Courtyard was the largest mansion in Pingyao Ancient City. It was also the former residence of Ma Zhongxuan, the head of the four great families of Pingyao and the great merchant of the Qing Dynasty. It was famous for its rigorous and functional architectural style, and was known as the representative of the architectural style of Pingyao Ancient City. The Ma Family Courtyard had preserved more than a thousand of the original Ma Family artifacts, displaying the merchants, culture, and life of the Ma Family. The overall layout of the courtyard resembled a large "Ma" shape, implying that the Ma family would prosper for generations. The architectural decoration of the Ma Family Courtyard was extremely artistic. The interior was rich and exquisite, and it was orderly. It was an isolated " independent kingdom ". After closing every night, it became a quiet place to hide from the world. The underground vault of the Ma Family Courtyard was known as the " endless underground vault ". It was said that the owner's wealth was even richer than the owner of the Qiao Family Courtyard. The Ma Family Courtyard was located in a remote alley in Pingyao Ancient City, so there were relatively few tourists.
The Wang Family Compound was located in Jingsheng Town, Lingshi County, Shanxi Province. It was a grand and magnificent building complex. It was the epitome of the Qing Dynasty's residential architecture and took more than 300 years to build. The Wang Family Compound included five alleys, five castles, and five ancestral halls. It was known as the pearl of northern China. The visitors could admire the unique architectural style of the Wang Family Courtyard and the exquisite wood, stone, and brick carving art. The Wang Family Courtyard had been included in the preparatory list of China's World Cultural Heritage. The tourists could take the train to the Lingshi Station and then take the bus to the Wang Family Compound. The ticket price was 55 yuan. If there were more people, they could buy a tour guide ticket for 120 yuan. The recommended tour time was one day. You could taste the authentic Wang Family Tofu in the food street near the Wang Family Courtyard. In addition, there was also a homestay near the Wang Family Compound. The environment was beautiful, and a free car service was provided.
There were several modes of transportation from Pingyao Ancient City to the Qiao Family Compound. First of all, they could take the direct bus from Pingyao bus station to the Qiao family's compound. The fare was 21 yuan, and it came every 20 minutes. Secondly, you can contact a travel agency to carpool or rent a car to the Qiao Family Compound. The one-way fare is 25 yuan, and the round-trip fare is 50 yuan. Groups with more than four people can choose to rent a car, which costs 260 yuan. In addition, if you have a driver's license, you can also rent a car directly. The rental fee in Pingyao is 100 yuan/day. In addition, they could also take the train from Pingyao Station to Qi County Station. The fare was 5 yuan, and then they could take a taxi to the entrance of the Qiao Family Courtyard. In general, car-sharing or chartering was the most convenient and cost-effective choice.
The Qiao Family Compound was about 30 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City.
The Qiao Family Compound, the Wang Family Compound, and Pingyao Ancient City were all popular tourist attractions in Shanxi. The Qiao Family Compound was the residence of Qiao Zhiyong, the representative of the Jin merchants. Although it was smaller than the Wang Family Compound, it was very famous because of the popularity of the famous TV series. However, the Qiao Family Compound lost its 5A rating in 2019. The Wang Family Courtyard was an official residence in Shanxi. After more than 300 years of expansion, it was larger than the Qiao Family Courtyard. The ancient city of Pingyao was a world cultural heritage and was considered one of the best preserved ancient cities. It had rich scenic spots and resources. Based on the information provided, there was no clear answer.
The Qiao Family Compound was about 30 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City.
The price of a one-day trip to the Qiao Family Compound in Pingyao Ancient City started at 68 yuan.