This 700-year old
residential compound was first created prior
to the formation of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and at one
time in the later stage it boosted 8,000
rooms all together, famously known for
possessing five laneways, six castles plus
five temples (五巷六堡五祠堂) within one
household. Presently it has about 800 rooms
scattering in more than 50 courts (院), with an
approximate total site area of a quarter
million sqms, for this it is dubbed the
Private Palace.
Built according to fengshui principles, it sits
at the north with the hills as its backdrop and looks down at
open terrain in the south, which is pretty
like someone who rests comfortably in an
armchair before a screen wall with a view in
front of him.
The whole mansion,
constructed along the central axis, is
subdivided into six super-blocks, and the
overall site plan bears a marked resemblance
to Chinese character "王"
(Wang) which is, of course, the surname of
the household.
The courts within the
compound are well-interconnected to one
another, at the same time, each court
operates as a semi-independent unit. The
pivital mechanism that makes it possible to
achieve is of a magical spacial ingridient: inner courtyards, through which
nature is introduced into intimate living
quarters, and able to keep its compelling
presence in people's daily life. As it
provides the functional needs for natural
light and ventilation, and satisfies a
spiritual yearninng for the nourishments from
the nature, dignified engagements between the
units and thus an orderly harmony within the
entire compound are attained.
In this regard,
Wang's Mansion is more than just a piece of
architectural wonder, but sands as a silent testimony to a
civilisation that emphases the importance
to foster an open dialoge between man and
nature, allowing the built environment to
keep responsive and remain relevant to the
natural environment.
The locals are
tremendously proud of this particular piece
of heritage. When you meet them, they would
say, “我们老王家在山西有一座好大的宅院啊，走进去花三个小时还走不完，那气派、除了皇宫，没几处可比。” ("Our fellow
Old Wang family has a huge mansion in Shanxi,
tell'ya, three hours won't be enough for you
to go all the way through, that's
that kind of magnificence, put this way,
except the Forbidden City, it has very few
equals.")
And
here are what other Chinese say about Wang's
Mansion:
灵石古村山水间，四合坊巷礼为先，楼台塾馆凝文气，儒雅兴衰数百年。
放眼苍凉厚重的三晋大地，一片雍容华贵的历史遗迹。
不到紫禁城不知帝王之威，不到老王家不知晋商之富。
Finally, here is the
verdict of fengshui masters on Old Wang's
masterpiece: "既可登高望远，享受负阴抱阳；又能隐身山林，背风排涝，占尽地利之优。”
