Ancient Residential Houses of Yinjiazhuang

Ancient Residential Houses of Yinjiazhuang

Folk Village of Yinjiazhuang

The village of Yinjiazhuang is situated on the Loess Plateau in northeastern Shanxi Province, bordered by a sandy river to the east that separates it from Yu County in Hebei Province, while the Phoenix Mountain, a spur of the Hengshan Mountain Range, lies to the west. The terrain is flat, and the landscape is beautiful. The Tianzou Line (Tianzhen–Zoumayi) and the Shuowei Line (Shuozhou–Yu County) cross the area diagonally. It is 256 kilometers east of Beijing, 150 kilometers west of Datong City, and lies midway between the county towns of Guangling and Yu County. It is also 46 kilometers from the Yangyuan entrance of the Beijing–Datong Expressway to the north, and 17 kilometers from the Yu County entrance of the Zhangshi Expressway (Zhangjiakou–Shijiazhuang) to the east, making transportation quite convenient.

The climate of Yinjiazhuang is a typical continental one, with moderate temperatures. There are over 250 days a year with blue skies and white clouds (meeting national Grade II or higher standards), and the area has never been polluted, making it a “clean land” for tourism development in modern society.

Administratively, Yinjiazhuang belongs to Jiaoshan Township of Guangling County, known as the “Hometown of Chinese Paper-cutting Art.” Historical records indicate that the village was once under the jurisdictions of Yunzhou (now Datong), Yingzhou (now Yingxian), Weizhou (now Yu County), Daizhou (now Daixian), and, in more recent times, Chahar Province. It features distinct regional cultural characteristics and profound historical significance, and is a well-known ancient village in the area.

The village of Yinjiazhuang was established during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Yin clan residents lived here widely before the Yuan Dynasty, hence the name “Yinjiazhuang.” There was no significant prosperity during this period, and few historical records remain. From the mid-to-late Yuan Dynasty, the Ma clan, who migrated from elsewhere, gradually flourished, replacing the Yin clan as the largest family in the village. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the village reached its peak of prosperity. The northern fortress began construction in the Ming Dynasty, and during the Jiajing era, the “Renbing Gate” was completed, forming the initial layout of the ancient fortress. In the same period, a wealthy Ma clan merchant-official (name and identity yet to be further verified), built a residence complex — the “Seven-Star Courtyard” — for his brother and family who served as officials in the capital. This complex underwent continuous construction and renovation, and by the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, the “Three Temples and One Fortress” layout was finally completed.

1. The “Three Temples and One Fortress” Layout

Three Temples: The “Three Officials Temple” on Xinglong Mountain to the west of the village (now ruined), the “Bell-Wang Temple” in the northern fortress (now demolished), the “Seven Buddhas Temple” and “Guanyin Hall” to the south of the fortress (now ruined). One Fortress: the Northern Fortress.

Xinglong Mountain is said to be the “Dragon Eye” of the “Han Tomb Cluster” shared by Yu and Guang Counties. The “Three Officials Temple” is located atop the mountain, featuring a traditional northern-facing, four-sided temple layout. The main hall has five bays with two side wings, and above the gate hangs a plaque inscribed “Three Saints Palace,” enshrining the “Heavenly Official,” “Earthly Official,” and “Water Official” on either side. There are three side rooms on the east and three on the west: the left enshrines the “Five Grains God,” the right the “Horse King.” At the center is a mountain gate with three side rooms below, used to house monks and Taoists. At the southern foot of the mountain is a theater stage facing north. This temple is built in the Ming Dynasty style, with high walls, large tiles, and upturned eaves. However, most of it was demolished during the Cultural Revolution, leaving only bluestone floors and a centuries-old papaya tree silently witnessing the passage of time.

The “Zhenwu Temple” was built due north of the village fortress, featuring a “triple-hall structure,” with the main hall enshrining the “Zhenwu Emperor,” a drum tower to the left, and a bell tower to the right, resembling two arms embracing the fortress. The “Bell-Wang Temple” also met its demise during the Cultural Revolution.

The Seven Buddhas Temple to the south of the fortress: The largest temple in the village is the “Seven Buddhas Temple,” covering 3.5 mu and consisting of two courtyards. The front courtyard enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva, also called the “Guanyin Hall”; the rear courtyard houses seven Buddha statues. The mountain gate faces south, with stone steps leading down, flanked by two stone lions (reportedly stolen by criminals and currently being investigated), and a century-old pine tree (also cut down) stands inside. The architectural uniqueness and distinctive style of the temple are truly rare. But it too was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

The One Fortress: The Northern Fortress of Yinjiazhuang, initially built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, is over 500 years old. It is 280 meters long from north to south and 210 meters wide from east to west. The terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south, wider in the north and narrower in the south, resembling a prayer gesture. It features the traditional characteristics of a village fortress: “northern temple, southern gate” — the northern “Zhenwu Temple” and the southern “Renbing Gate.” The gate is 9 meters high, 6 meters wide, and 13 meters long (excluding the fortress wall). The two fortress doors were clad in iron during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, engraved with the characters “Peace Under Heaven.” The passageway of the gate is paved with bluestone, and after centuries of use, two deep ruts have formed, creating quite a spectacular historical imprint.

2. The “Seven Stars and Nine Linked Courtyards”

The village of Yinjiazhuang preserves over 80 well-maintained residential compounds from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The houses largely retain their original appearance, undamaged, all built with brick and wood structures, bluestone foundations, lime and blue brick walls, and double-layered roofing of flat and tubular tiles, with ridged roofs and ornamental animal figures. The gate towers are exquisitely carved. The layouts of the courtyards are diverse, and can be divided into linked-compound types, inner-outer compound types, and quadrangle types. The most typical linked-compound type is the Nine-Linked Courtyard, with nine courtyards arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper’s seven stars, hence called the “Seven Stars and Nine Linked Courtyards.” The architectural specifications and style of this courtyard differ completely from those of merchant residences — luxurious yet dignified, grand yet hierarchical, extravagant yet restrained, and ornate yet official in tone. Each courtyard clearly reflects social hierarchy, is fully functional, appropriately luxurious, and moderately imposing. The inner-outer compounds and quadrangles, although used for side rooms, lower-status quarters, or relatives, are also made of quality materials with fine craftsmanship, complete with brick-carved screen walls at the main and secondary gates. Even the courtyards for carts, horses, and kitchens are elaborately built and impressively laid out, facilitating the work and life of servants. All windows face inward for enhanced security.

The most distinctive feature of the “Seven Stars and Nine Linked Courtyards” is the underground defense system (subject to expert verification), with interconnected cellars leading directly outside the fortress — a feature that aligns more with the psychological traits of official families, fundamentally distinguishing this courtyard from other merchant residences.

The exquisite stone carvings, wood carvings, and brick carvings are a highlight of these ancient residences. The mounting stones, drum stones, carved foundation stones, wooden carved gate lintels, animal heads, carved wooden beams, carved window grilles, and various brick carvings on screens and chimneys — depicting figures, auspicious birds, mythical beasts, fish, or flowers — are all vividly lifelike, showcasing the exceptional skill of ancient architects.

The “fortress, courtyards, and temples” form the most distinctive tourism features of Yinjiazhuang Village.

The ancient relics left in Yinjiazhuang Village, especially the “Seven Stars and Nine Linked Courtyards,” are highly representative of the folk culture of ancient Ming and Qing residences. They are distinctly different from the “Wang and Qiao” Courtyards in our province, both in character and significance. Such courtyards are rarely found intact elsewhere in the country, which highlights the urgency and necessity of protecting and restoring these historic sites.

In 2016, the ancient residential houses of Yinjiazhuang were listed among the fifth batch of cultural heritage protection units in Shanxi Province.

Address: Yinjiazhuang Village, Jiaoshan Township, Guangling County, Datong City, Shanxi Province

Yinjiazhuang Village: Located in the eastern part of Jiaoshan Township, Yinjiazhuang is the eastern gateway of Guangling. The village has 309 households and a population of 1,431, including 88 low-income households (92 people) and 21 households of five-guarantee recipients (21 people). The arable land area is 3,668 mu, all dryland, with 457 mu under reforestation.

There are two enterprises in the village: Juluyin Industry Co., Ltd., mainly producing recycled aluminum and recycled lead; and Guanglong Chemical Co., Ltd., processing products primarily from corn cobs. … More detailed information about Yinjiazhuang Village ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province