As a famous cradle of Chinese merchants in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), Shanxi is now cashing in on the swish ancient residences left by those early entrepreneurs.
The Qiao and the Wang mansions are the best-known examples which attract millions of visitors every year.
But in Shanxi, there are hundreds of other impressive old homes which are still well worth a look.
Huangcheng mansion, for example, has only come under the spotlight relatively recently.
Located in Beiliu Town of the province's Yangcheng County, Huangcheng was the residence of Cheng Jingting, a minister during the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722).
Started in the Ming Dynasty dates in 1634, the plush residence took a decade to complete. The mansion grew and evolved over the next few hundred years with expansion and renovation taking place after Cheng Jingting made the place home.
Covering an area of 60,000 square meters, the buildings are stone-and-brick structures with the dual functions of family residence and defense.
To protect the family from the chaos of war at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Cheng family fortified the mansion with high, and thick stonewalls. They even included a sentry post, observation towers and caves for soldiers along the walls.
The 705-meter-long wall was constructed by using more than 30 million bricks and 200,000 cubic meters of earth and stones.
The seven-story, 100-metre-high Heshan Tower is the highest building in the mansion and is the only one of its kind in China. The ancient high-rise was designed to shelter more than 1,000 people in times of danger.
Observation posts were built in each of the floors above the third story. Under the tower are places for rest, cooking and channels connecting areas outside the mansion.
The Huangcheng mansion perfectly satisfies the requirements of the three architectural elements of practicality, firmness and beautiful appearance. It also embodies originality from its cultural connotations to the scale and imposing appearance and from the selection of terrain to the internal design.
The brick, wood and stone carvings are also very original, linking the south and north of the country in design and ranking highly as a cultural treasure.
Huangcheng Mansion now ranks among the top 10 attractions in Shanxi, along with Wutai Mountain and Qiao's Mansion. During this year's Labor Day Holiday week, it attracted more than 50,000 visitors.
To get there: From Beijing, flights and trains are both convenient, going to Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province. Flights usually take one hour and cost 800 yuan (US$96) one-way. The train from
Beijing to
Taiyuan takes about 10 hours and costs 200 yuan for a sleeping berth.
After getting to Taiyuan, buses leave for Yangcheng County every half hour. The mansion is about 10 kilometers from the town.
Admission: 20 yuan (US$2.5).
Tel: 0356-4858062
