Yangzhou Wang Family’s Small Courtyard

Yangzhou Wang Family’s Small Courtyard

The Yangzhou Wang Family’s Small Courtyard is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yangzhou Wang Family’s Small Courtyard

An authentic salt merchant’s mansion — the Wang Family’s Small Courtyard not only features the ingenious layout and exquisite construction typical of classical gardens, but also includes exquisitely crafted brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings. Of course, the most fascinating aspect is the many hidden doors and secret rooms in the courtyard — legend has it that some treasure chambers are still yet to be found.

Situated at No. 14, Diguan Di, Dongquanmen Historical Block, the Wang Family’s Small Courtyard is one of the best-preserved large-scale salt merchant residences from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period in Yangzhou. Covering an area of over 3,000 square meters, the site retains nearly 100 historic houses with a built-up area of more than 1,600 square meters. The buildings are laid out in an orderly fashion, decorated with exquisitely carved details, and set within delicately designed courtyards, all rich in cultural significance. The courtyard has attracted numerous domestic and international visitors over the years with its unique features and little-known secrets of the salt merchant era.

The courtyard complex follows a well-structured layout: the residential section consists of three parallel sections along the width, and three successive courtyards along the length, with a central axis running through the front and back, and symmetrical wings on both sides, reflecting the Confucian philosophy of the Doctrine of the Mean. Side halls, corridors, rear bedrooms, and wing rooms demonstrate the feudal ethical concepts of hierarchy between genders and social status. The buildings follow an odd-number grouping pattern, reflecting the mysterious feng shui belief that odd numbers represent yang (positive) and even numbers represent yin (negative).

The residential courtyards maintain balanced proportions, with ample ventilation and lighting, interconnected horizontally and vertically, and flexible in separating or integrating indoor and outdoor spaces — one of the traditional layout forms of grand residences in Yangzhou. The gardens are exquisitely designed: small garden spaces such as “Keqi,” “Small Courtyard in Deep Spring,” and “Greeting the Dawn” are tucked in front of halls and behind houses, blending the residence and garden into one another with twists and turns. The craftsmanship of the carvings is exceptional: wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings are ingeniously integrated with decorations, walls, and floors, complementing each other. Precious materials are used, including white marble, golden-thread nanmu, mahogany, and cypress; various carving techniques are employed, such as incised carving, flat relief, shallow relief, deep relief, single-sided and double-sided openwork carving; and the motifs are diverse, featuring geometric patterns, birds and beasts, flowers and fish, figures and landscapes, all rich in symbolism and auspicious meanings.

Deep cultural and historical significance: the lintels, stone plaques, inscribed boards, and couplets feature calligraphy styles including “regular script, clerical script, running script, cursive script, and seal script,” all masterpieces by renowned artists. The literary allusions are subtle and thought-provoking, and blend seamlessly with the courtyard environment, creating a harmonious and interesting atmosphere. Little-known secrets: the courtyard contains hidden doors, secret rooms, concealed walls, hidden compartments, treasure hiding caves, and basements.

Address: No. 18, Diguan Di, Dongquanmen Historical Block, Guangling District, Yangzhou City

Type: Historic Site / Celebrity Residence / Historical Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: Approximately 1 hour

Phone: 0514-87328869

Opening Hours:

7:30–17:15; Ticket collection available from 7:30–17:00

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units