Shanxi ~ Pingyao Ancient City ~ Ma Family Courtyard.

Beautiful scenery on the journey ~ Ma Family Courtyard is a pleasant surprise, with many treasures worth seeing. The Ma Family Courtyard is located near the north gate of Pingyao Ancient City in China. It is a large-scale ancient building complex. The courtyard was built by Ma Zhongxuan, a wealthy merchant in the Qing Dynasty, during the Guangxu period. It is said to be the former residence of Ma Zhongxuan, the head of the "Four Great Merchants" of Pingyao in the Qing Dynasty. Ma Zhongxuan was born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. He was intelligent and studious from a young age, not only skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, but also an excellent calligrapher. Although he took the imperial examinations and achieved some success, he did not choose an official position, but inherited his family's traditional Chinese medicine business and focused on business. Although Ma Zhongxuan made a living as a doctor, he was actually more adept at investing and managing. He was a master strategist, investing in and operating multiple businesses, accumulating a vast fortune over decades, and eventually becoming the richest man in Pingyao. The Ma Family Courtyard as a whole resembles the Chinese character for "horse". The eldest wife had a son in her old age, whom she doted on. After the master's death, the eldest son began to squander the family fortune (according to the tour guide at the entrance). Therefore, only 1/3 of the original courtyard is now open to the public. One can imagine the extravagant wealth of the time. The tour guide said that the eldest wife was the personal maid of Ma Zhongxuan's mother, and eventually married Ma Zhongxuan. I said at the time that it seemed that the eldest wife was very much loved by Ma Zhongxuan's mother. Later, I learned from Baidu that the eldest wife was Ma Zhongxuan's child bride. I think this is more reasonable, after all, it is more common for maids to become concubines than to become wives. The second wife came from a relatively well-off family, so she had some temper. Later, Ma Zhongxuan's second daughter, Ma Lan, married Qiao Zhiyong of the Qiao Family Courtyard. Ma Zhongxuan and his third wife's marriage was also a rare free love at the time, which was considered a wonder in feudal society. The third wife was born into a wealthy family, and when she married Ma Zhongxuan, she brought a huge dowry, which is said to have been worth half of the Ma family's assets at the time. It can be said that she played an important role in the success of Ma Zhongxuan's career. The third wife was also a remarkable woman. She had studied abroad and required her daughters and the second wife's daughters to study. She also taught them foreign languages, and they became the four famous talented women in the area. The master loved his third wife the most. Not only was it a free love, but the third wife could also assist the master in handling business, and was considered a virtuous wife. PS: You can take a DiDi in the ancient city, which is cheaper than a taxi. Come to the home of the richest man in Pingyao and be a Jin Shang young lady for a day ||| Ma Family Courtyard, the home of Ma Zhongxuan, the head of the "Four Great Merchants" of Pingyao and a wealthy merchant in the Qing Dynasty, is also the largest residence in Pingyao Ancient City, no less than the Qiao Family Courtyard in Qixian County. As it is not located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City and is far from other attractions such as the ticket office and county government, there are fewer tourists, making it very suitable for taking photos of Jin Shang young ladies or young mistresses. Must-see highlights: [1] The gatehouse of the Ma Family Courtyard The three-story gatehouse is like a castle. The middle floor is called the "Wangjing Tower", with an aerial observation corridor that offers views of the courtyard. The highest floor is the "Peacock Tower", which offers panoramic views of Pingyao Ancient City. [2] Room furnishings Various precious furniture and antique porcelain are worth a fortune. There are also four-person maid's rooms, which feel like university dorms haha. [3] Ma Family Treasury It is said among the people that the "Ma Family's underground treasury is endless and bottomless", and that it is as rich as a country.