An old house in the Courtyard of Family Zhang.[Photo/Chinapic.people.com.cn]

Located in Shibi vilage, Guxian county, North China's Shanxi province, the Courtyard of Family Zhang was built in late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

The courtyard consists of two grand yards and five separate small yards. Zhang's Family settled in Shibi village in late Ming dynasty, rose in the reigns of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) and Emperor Daoguang (1821-1850) in Qing dynasty, and reached its apogee in the beginning of Minguo period.

Zhang's Family is a courtier family, which enjoys a reputation of "Father and son are both provincial graduates, brothers pass the ancient imperial examination in the same year". Besides, many family members had engaged in farming and merchandising, making the family one of the richest in the region at the time. Zhang's Family is a typical representative of Jin merchants in ancient China.