Tucked away at the foot of the Mianshan Mountains in Jinzhong,Shanxi, is a Qing-period mansion house-the Wang Family Courtyard-in Jingsheng Village of Linshi County, which is grand enough to rival any of the royal houses of Qing princes. The Wang Family Courtyard unabashedly enjoys being called the “crown jewel” of civic houses of north China, in architectural scale,hierarchy, culture or art.