[Photo by Thanin Yous/For chinadaily.com.cn]

About three hours by car south of Taiyuan, one of the finest ancient Chinese mansions ever built known can make visitors feel they have stepped back to the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). From the entrance of Qiao’s Grand Courtyard to the center of the complex, visitors can see numerous Chinese sculptures both on the sidewalks and the walls. The courtyard once belonged to the rich Qiao family, and has retained its charm and attracts hundreds of tourists to see its beauty each day.

The outside wall of each room displays statues and sculptures that represent the wealth and luxurious manner in which the Qiao family once lived. The household goods and equipment used by the family members remain for tourists to experience the lives of rich Chinese families five centuries ago. What captivated me most was the decorated Chinese lanterns hanging in every room and at every entrance.

Tourists can also tour the ancient town of Pingyao the same day as visiting Qiao’s Grand Courtyard, as it takes less than an hour to drive between the two sites. The old city with an area 1,260 square kilometers is one of the best sites to experience an ancient Chinese city and imagine the lives of its people. Pingyao was added to UNESCO’s world cultural heritage list in 1997.