Weifenghou (Ancient Residential Architecture Exhibition Park in Pingyao)

Weifenghou (Ancient Residential Architecture Exhibition Park in Pingyao)

Weifenghou (Ancient Residential Architecture Exhibition Park in Pingyao) is.

Not far east from Huiwulin, you’ll find Weifenghou, once one of the “Wei” Five United Banks. It has now been converted into an Ancient Residential Architecture Exhibition Park, displaying items related to traditional dwellings—mainly building materials and furniture. The grand entrance of Weifenghou is instantly recognizable as a Republic-era building blending Chinese and Western styles: hexagonal Roman columns, a triple-arched portico, with column capitals and bases featuring traditional Chinese stone carvings; the back section of the building also has traditional Chinese lattice doors.

The Ancient Residential Architecture Exhibition Park is located at No. 18 West Street in the ancient city, on the former site of the “Weifenghou” Draft Bank. The compound has five bays across and consists of two courtyards—one to the north and one to the south—connected into one large residence. The northern courtyard faces south and has its gate opening onto the street, representing a typical commercial-style quadrangle; the southern courtyard faces north, with its gate tucked away in a quiet alley, composed of “one main section and two wings” along with a rear courtyard, making it a classic residential-style quadrangle. The north and south courtyards are connected by a narrow passageway. With high walls and deep premises, the unusual layout and exquisite construction have earned it the reputation of the “Ingots Courtyard.”

This property has three courtyards in total. In Beijing, siheyuans (courtyards) are usually square, but in Pingyao they are rectangular—long from north to south and narrow from east to west. The distance between the wing rooms on the east and west sides is no wider than the total width of the main house’s façade, so the ends of the main house are partially hidden by the side rooms. This design stems from Pingyao’s location on the Loess Plateau, where sandstorms are common. The elongated courtyard shape creates a more compact space that helps block direct wind and sand intrusion.

Furthermore, because business was booming in Pingyao and the wealthy liked to show off and observe formalities, architecture at the time incorporated feng shui principles. For example, the rooftops along the central axis would rise higher with each level, culminating in the tallest roof over the main room or central窑, symbolizing continuous improvement and advancement.

The Weifenghou Draft Bank was another bank established by the Hou family of Jiacun in Jiexiu. It was founded in the 19th year of the Daoguang reign (1839), with its head office located on West Street in downtown Pingyao. Later, branches were set up in Beijing, Tianjin, Hankou, Shashi, Shanghai, Changde, Changsha, Yangzhou, Jiangxi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Sanyuan, Lanzhou, Suzhou, Dihua (Urumqi), Baotou, Harbin, and other locations. The bank had a capital of 170,000 taels of silver, with each share valued at 10,000 taels, plus human-resource-based shares, totaling over 50 silver shares.