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location map of Chang Family Compound

Detail (click image for full map):常家庄园的位置Location of Chang Family Garden Compound -- green arrow

Region: 山西Shanxi

常家庄园图片Chang Family's Compound Pictures

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The main entrance tower to the manor and large garden.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    A closer view of the main entrance tower.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound
  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 观稼阁 Chang Family's Compound - Guanjiage Pavillion

    The large pavillion overlooking the private lake.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 观稼阁 Chang Family's Compound - Guanjiage Pavillion

    A closer view of the large pavillion overlooking the private lake.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    Toward the end of a long road leading from the entrance.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩书院一角 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩书院一角 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩书院一角 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩书院一角 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩书院一角 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 石芸轩法帖 Chang Family's Compound - Shiyunxuan Library

    The library consist of several hallways of carved calligraphy carved on stone slabs attached to the walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The surrounding walls outside the main entrance with the moulded calligraphic characters.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 影壁 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the many designed (or imaged) walls.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 影壁 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the many designed (or imaged) walls carved out of bricks. 砖雕brick carving is a well-known specialty of the area.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    A seatting area in one of the long outdoor pavillion-styled corridors.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 拴马柱 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the many carved stone posts used to tie the horses along the compound's road. This one has the popular monkey on guard.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 门楼 Chang Family's Compound
  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    A large broom.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the areas in the 静园(Tranquil Garden), the large private garden of the compound.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the areas in the 静园(Tranquil Garden), the large private garden of the compound.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    One of the areas in the 静园(Tranquil Garden), the large private garden of the compound.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The family's large lake.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The area beside the lake, viewed from atop the 观稼阁Guanjiage Pavillion.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound
  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    A view of the farmed areas from the tall pavillion.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The roof brackets of the another large pavillion beside the lake.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    The intricate designs of everything. That is very common among the wealthy manors, for obvious reasons - the more the wealthier.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound
  • Picture of 常家庄园 - 门楼 Chang Family's Compound
  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    Details of the distinct brackets used in Chinese architecture.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    A pair of lions guarding this buffer room.

  • Picture of 常家庄园 Chang Family's Compound

    Local crafts on sale.

image of Tulufan's Emin MinaretPortriat of a Uygur girl in 二堡乡 Erbaoxiang

See 吐鲁番Tulufan's well-known attractions -- 苏公塔Sugonta (Emin Minaret), 高昌城Gaochang Ruins, and 火焰山Huoyan Shan (Flaming Mountains).

clay figure of 钟馗 Zhong Kui

Arts and Crafts that I bought along my travels.

image of a group of Mongolian gersimage of dunes near Baotou city

Enjoy the wide 希拉穆仁草原Xilamuren grassland, the huge dunes of 响沙湾Xiangshawan, and the ancient Wall of the 秦Qin state in 内蒙古Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia).

image of Tiananmen gateimage of the seventeen arch bridge in Yiheyuan

Walk through Beijing's great attractions -- 故宫Gugong (The Palace Museum), 天坛Tiantan (Temple of Heaven), 天坛天安门广场Tiananmen Square, 颐和园Yiheyuan (Summer Palace).

image of Jiayuguan fort

嘉峪关Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass) - the lone fort at the edges of the desolate and bare Gobi desert. It is at once both a timeless symbol of human's uncompromising reach and an otherworldly mirage.

Travelogues and travel notes.

trucks on the desert road

Pictures I took while on a bus traveling through the sandy deserts of 甘肃Gansu on my way to 嘉峪关Jiayuguan.

Travel Information

Getting There:

常家庄园Chang Family Garden Compound, like the 曹Cao, 乔Qiao, 渠Qu, and the 王Wang Family Compound, is located in 晋中Jinzhong areas.  All these manors are within very short distance from one another, so that anyone who wishes to visit them can easily design a simple itinerary, which is basically up and down the 108 National Highway. Before seeing the Chang manor, I was in 太谷县Taigu County visiting the nearby 曹家大院 - 三多堂Cao Family Compound.  I didn't know how to get to the Chang compound, so I had a chat with the owner of the first restaurant that I dined when I got here, which is a block away from the highway. He gave this direction: To get to the Chang compound from Taigu, I can get on any bus going north along the 108 National Highway, such as buses going to 太原Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, and buses to 榆次Yuci, which is the county where the Chang compound is in. So with my loaded Chinese army duffel bag and my German rushsack, I waited on the highway for such buses. No more than 15 minutes later I hopped on a Yuci bus (Y5). I let the driver know that I would like to be dropped off at 东阳镇Dongyang town.  Another half hour of sightseeing out the window, I was in the town.  Overhanging on the highway was a huge banner with these characters: "常家庄园"Chang Family Garden Compound, leaving you no mistake that you have arrived at the domain of the Changs. The quiet town is simply one straight and long, long house-lined street (all 3 km. long) to the grand entrance building of the compound, which sits in the village of 车辋村Chewang village. My arrival didn't seem to make a sound since it appeared that I was the only one around. So I squatted and wait for a bus. In the near distance were mostly stores; one was selling motuoche (motorcycles), and these bikes lined the sidewalk. A bus arrived 15 minutes later and I took a seat on its wood benches. The fare was 3 yuan which is expensive for a local bus. But it got me there in 6-7 minutes, skipping several empty stops.  The first thing I noticed on arrival was the vast empty parking lot. Large parking lots are usually designed for the expected hordes of tourist buses. But that day was an exception. I brought the expensive ticket, dropped off my luggage in a luggage drop-off area and went through the extrordinary entrance tower.

From 太原市Taiyuan City, you can also get to the Chang compound by taking the Yuci bus in the 建南汽车站Jiannan Bus Station (South Bus Station).

Accomodations:

As with any main tourist attractions, there are always guesthouses closeby. Outside the compound and in the town are many guesthouses.

Entrance Ticket:

60 Yuan. Summer 2006.