Qiao Family Courtyard

I'm behind on my posts because after the trip to Shanxi province with the school, my friend Jeff O arrived in town and I've been hanging out with him. In addition, due to the change in the schedule at school, I teach at 730AM which means no real late nights for me.  But, I'm back on the blogging trail and here goes.  The first stop on the trip to Shanxi province, which I call the West Virginia of China, because it is known for having 1/3 of all the coal reserves in China, was to the Qiao Family Courtyard/Home.

It was made really famous as the location for the filming of the movie, Raise the Red Lantern in 1990.  The Qiao family made its fortune by running one of the first private banks in China.  This family courtyard estate (built in the 18th century) covers some 4,000 square meters of living space. There are five main courtyards (one for each wife?) which in itself is its own home. It is one of the finest remaining examples of a wealthy private residence in all of Northern China.

Qiao Family Courtyard

In the movie "Raise the Red Lantern", a red lantern was raised in the courtyard of the wife the master of house had chosen to spend his evening with.

One enters the complex along this main axis.  There are three courtyards on the left side and two on the right.  At the end on the right, is the entrance to the gardens.

Looking into one of the five courtyards.

Each of the five courtyards was its own entity with the living quarters at the far end with other servants quarters or rooms with different functions along the sides.

The roof line has these towers, which played a key role in the movie. In Raise the Red Lantern, the main character, wife #4, walks along the roof of the courtyards and discovers the dead body of another wife in one of these towers.