The Meng Family Courtyard

The Meng Family Courtyard

The Meng Family Courtyard is located on North Street in Zhao Guan Town. Originally a guesthouse for the prominent local Meng Jiyang family, it is built from brick, stone, and wood, covering an area of 440 square meters, and has a history of 250 years. The Meng family, generation after generation, upheld the tradition of farming and scholarship. By the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, they already owned 800 hectares of fertile land. The main gate of the courtyard faces due south, and the five northern rooms form the central structure of the complex, built in the "Two Mountains Carried by a Second Son" (Erlang Dan Shan) style. The middle three rooms serve as the living hall and feature a front porch, while the two end rooms are single rooms without porches. On the east and west sides, there are three symmetrical wing rooms each, complete with porches. At the southern ends of both wings are small side chambers, connected by a decorative corridor adorned with intricate wooden carvings of the Eight Treasures (symbolizing good fortune), all finely crafted. The ceilings inside the rooms are paved with blue bricks, which have remained flat and undisturbed for over 200 years. The roof tiles are small grey tiles, most of which are still intact. The Meng Family Courtyard is the only relatively well-preserved ancient building in the county, showcasing typical characteristics of traditional northern Chinese residential architecture.

Zhao Guan Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Qihe County. In 1958, the Zhao Guan Town People's Commune was established, and in 1984, it was reorganized as Zhao Guan Town. Located in the southern part of the county, it is 40 kilometers from the county seat. It covers an area of 61 square kilometers and has a population of 28,000. The town administers Zhao Bei, Guan Zhuang, Da Ma Tou, Cheng Guan Zhuang, Wu Zhuang, Ji He, Shao Jia Zhuang, Dong Liu Zhuang, Dong Si, Dong He Zhuang, Ruan Zhuang, Li Quan Zhuang, Xiao Ma Tou, Xing Zhuang, Yin Xiao Wang, Xiao Po Zhang, Da Hu, Liu Huang, Xi Yin Zhuang, Xi Han Zhuang, Ji Guang Wang, Shui Po (East and West), Zhao Dong Jie, Zhao Xi Nan Jie, Zhao Bei Yi, Da Xu Zhuang, Lv Dong, Lv Xi, Lv Bei, Liu Ji Dong, Liu Ji Xi, Qiu Zhuang, Dong Qiao, Chuan Zhuang... Detailed information about Zhao Guan Town++