[2025 Dingxiang Attraction] Travel Guide for Hebian Folk Museum, Xinzhou (Updated Mar)

My dears, take a 6-day trip to Xinzhou, Jinzhong and Linfen to experience the best of Shanxi! Super practical guide, hurry up and start your historical journey! . Route Overview: 🚩 Day 1: Qiao Family Courtyard Visit Qiao Family Courtyard and experience the charm of Shanxi merchant culture and the beauty of ancient architecture. Day 2: Hukou Waterfall Tourist Area of ​​the Yellow River in Shanxi Appreciate the majestic momentum of Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River and experience the magnificence and power of the Yellow River. Day 3: Former Residence of Yan Xishan Visit the former residence of Yan Xishan, trace the footsteps of historical figures, and enjoy a different historical style. Day 4: Hanging Temple Trip to the Hanging Temple to explore the ancient temple on the cliff and appreciate the wonders of ancient architecture. Day 5: Yanmen Pass Walk around Yanmen Pass, listen to stories about the ancient battlefield, and feel the weight and vicissitudes of history. Day 6: Taiyuan--Lüliang--Wuhan Starting from Taiyuan, passing through Lüliang, and finally arriving in Wuhan, the pleasant trip to Shanxi ends, and we look forward to meeting again. . Travel essentials: 👗 Clothing: down jackets, sweaters, thermal underwear, essential for winter cold protection, and non-slip and warm boots. 🎒 Things to bring with you: don’t forget your charger, power bank, mobile phone, camera, and selfie stick to record the beautiful moments! 💊 Common medicines: bring some cold medicine and gastrointestinal medicine just in case, as well as moisturizing cream and lip balm. Moisturizing is very important in winter. 🆔 Documents: Be sure to bring your ID card and passport, as you may need them during your trip. Also bring cash and bank cards to make your travel more convenient. . Come to Xinzhou, Jinzhong and Linfen to enjoy the perfect combination of history and nature, and make your trip a cultural journey through time!

Yan Xishan's former residence is located in Hebian Village, Hebian Town, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. It was built in 1913 and took 24 years to complete. It now covers an area of ​​more than 33,000 square meters. There are various architectural styles here, including traditional palace-style buildings of the late Qing Dynasty, such as the East Garden with flying eaves, walking walls, and carved beams and painted buildings; there are simple and elegant northern residences, such as the Old Master's Mansion; and there are exquisite and unique buildings that combine Chinese and Western styles, such as the Dudu Mansion. Its layout is rigorous, with east-west as the central axis, left and right symmetry, and clear priorities. The stone carvings, brick carvings and wood carvings on each building are exquisite and amazing. Yan Mansion also has a mysterious tunnel, which is said to be about ten kilometers long and runs underground with complete facilities. This is not only a precious object for studying the rise and fall of the Yan family, but also a historical relic of the ups and downs of Yan Xishan's political career. It has unique cultural and aesthetic value. Today, it has become a famous tourist attraction, attracting many tourists to visit.

Shanxi Cultural Tourism Card - Yan Xishan's Former Residence✨Shanxi Treasure Check-in Spot | Yan Xishan's Former Residence✨ 🎈Today I'm going to share with you a place full of historical charm - Yan Xishan's Former Residence in Hebian Town, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou District, Shanxi Province. 🏰The construction of this former residence began in 1913 and took 24 years to complete. It was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in May 2013. It covers an area of ​​more than 33,000 square meters, with 27 courtyards and more than 700 houses. 🌟The architectural style is unique, with a perfect fusion of folk customs and the artistic style combining Chinese and Western styles. The layout of the courtyard is centered on the east-west axis, with left-right symmetry and a clear distinction between the primary and secondary, fully displaying the beauty of tradition. 🌸East Garden is a must-visit place. This is a traditional Chinese palace-style building with flying eaves, walls, carved beams and painted buildings. The main gate is a stone archway-style gatehouse, and the four large characters "Welun Caolu" on the gate are particularly eye-catching. As soon as you enter the gate, there is a small rockery. The ground of the first courtyard is made of pebbles and blue bricks in geometric patterns. Opposite is a two-story building, and on the north and south sides are tiled houses of Xiamen University. The main hall of the second courtyard consists of three large rooms, which can be used by the Yan family for meetings and banquets. There are eaves on the north and south sides leading to the backyard. The palace-style building of the Third Courtyard is tall and magnificent, and standing on it you can overlook the entire village. 🌳Opposite the East Garden is the West Garden, which is smaller and more severely damaged. There is also the Second Old Master's Mansion, which is a large courtyard house where Yan Xishan's second uncle Yan Shudian lived. The carvings and paintings are very exquisite. Next to the Second Old Master's Mansion is the Governor's Mansion. At the northeast corner of the backyard of the Governor's Mansion is a small courtyard with the "Deyi Building" standing inside. The front of this building leads to the Governor's Mansion, and the back is connected to the second courtyard of East Garden by a tunnel. On the exit of the tunnel are three large stone characters "行得通". In addition, there are courtyards such as the General's Mansion and Ziming Charity Home. 💎Yan Xishan’s former residence is not only a precious object for studying the rise and fall of the Yan family, but also a historical relic of Yan Xishan’s rise and fall in his political career, and has extremely high historical value. Its exquisite stone carving, brick carving, wood carving art and unique architectural style demonstrate unique cultural and aesthetic value. Today, it has been developed into a riverside folk museum, where folk cultural relics are mainly exhibited. It is arranged according to six major series of content: agriculture, food, housing, transportation, entertainment, and faith. It includes 58 exhibition rooms such as folk dough modeling, embroidery, carving, food, faith, wedding customs, and the Lantern Festival Folk Customs Street, with a total area of ​​1,980 square meters. It vividly reflects the unique folk culture and colorful folk art of northern Shanxi in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. 💕Come to Yan Xishan’s former residence and feel the charm of history!

|Late Qing Dynasty Governor's Mansion. The former residence was built in 1913 and took 24 years to complete. It consists of nearly 30 courtyards and over 800 rooms. The mansion is large in scale and features a mix of Chinese and Western styles, with most of the buildings being a blend of Chinese and Western architectural forms. Yan's Mansion is a luxury house built by Yan Xishan after he came to power in Shanxi. He used his power to do business and accumulate wealth. Therefore, it is different from the private houses of ordinary Shanxi merchants. It exudes an air of supremacy and is full of family instructions and maxims. The mansion is luxurious and flamboyant, and it is full of hidden mechanisms, with tunnels and bunkers crisscrossing, revealing Yan Xishan's uneasiness and cunning. The construction of Yan Mansion changed with the rise and fall of Yan Xishan's official career. Every time he was promoted, he would build a new place. When Yuan Shikai appointed him as the "Tongwu General", he immediately built the "Tongwu General Mansion". When Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor and made him a "first-class marquis", he built a small and exquisite four-cornered tower and named it "De Yi Tower". Tickets are CNY 50 per person.

| Xinzhou | Yan Xishan's Former Residence.💫Yan Xishan's former residence, also known as Yan's Mansion, is located in Hebian Village, Hebian Town, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou City. This place was originally part of Wutai County. Hebian Village is as large as a big town, and it is quite popular, with a constant stream of tourists. Try to park your car in the parking lot near Yan's Mansion. The parking lot at the entrance of the village is far from the mansion. Yan's Mansion was built in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, expanded in 1913, and completed in 1937. There are 27 existing courtyards and more than 700 rooms. It has both traditional forms and a combination of Chinese and Western styles. Enter Yan's Mansion from the east garden gate. The east garden has three courtyards, which is a traditional Chinese palace style. The first courtyard is the largest courtyard in the mansion. The core building of the second courtyard is the east hall, which was originally the place where the Yan family discussed and entertained guests. The main hall of the third courtyard is the place where Yan Xishan entertained guests and worked, named "Dangren Hall". Behind Dangren Hall is a small courtyard where Yan Xishan often lived. Other important buildings in the mansion include the Governor's Mansion, Deyi Building, and Qixing Building. The most distinctive feature of the mansion is the stone carvings of the Yan Mansion's family motto, all of which are Yan Xishan's remarks. There is also a Yan family photo exhibition in the mansion, with many valuable historical materials, which can give you a glimpse of Yan Xishan's life. Yan Xishan ruled Shanxi for nearly 40 years. In 1949, he fled to Taiwan with Chiang Kai-shek and died of illness in Yangshan's home in Taipei on May 23, 1960, at the age of 78. The exhibition truly reflects the contributions Yan Xishan made to his hometown, including village political construction, industrial development, school establishment, medical promotion, and a series of reform experiments. 💞Tourist information: Address: Hebian Village, Hebian Town, Dingxiang County (formerly Wutai County) Opening hours: 08:30-18:00 Ticket price: CNY 40 Public transportation: Depart from the People's Government of Hebian Town, walk 50 meters to the town government station, take the Hebian bus line, get off at the museum station, and walk 80 meters.

During the summer vacation of 2024, I discovered Yan Xishan’s former residence after visiting Yanmen Pass. The tickets are very cheap and can be purchased when you arrive at the scenic spot. There are also many parking spaces, but you need to pass through the residential alley to enter the parking lot. There are old men from the village guarding the door, and generally people are not allowed to enter for the traffic safety of the villagers. It takes a while to walk in, and if it is inconvenient for the elderly and children to walk, the uncle will be very understanding and let them in. [ThumbsUp][ThumbsUp][ThumbsUp] It was already 5pm when we arrived, but there was no need to rush. As long as you enter the scenic area at the end of the day, there is no restriction on leaving the scenic area. Some people took photos after entering the scenic area. They looked very energetic after wearing military uniforms [Chukle][Chukle] Yan Xishan’s former residence is very unique and it feels similar to Heshen’s residence. The former residence is very large and it is recommended to spend two hours to visit. It's best to do your homework before going, it's really worth watching. Be sure to remember the way when you enter the scenic area, especially the old house, it is easy to get lost [Incapable][Incapable][Incapable] After I went in, I was dazzled and couldn’t find the secret passage, so I came back. There are typical Manchu palace-style buildings, traditional northern dwellings, a combination of Chinese and Western buildings, and cave dwellings with corridors built according to the terrain. The more than 30 courtyards in Yanfu Manor are both rigorous and orderly and rich in changes, with a distinctive northern Shanxi local style. To the south of the garden, close to the Second Old Master’s Mansion, there is an exquisite tiled building with two connected courtyards at the front and back. This is the famous Governor’s Mansion. In the northeast corner of the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, there is a small courtyard, in which stands the second high-rise building of the Yan Mansion - the first floor. Every time Yan Xishan was promoted, he would build a house. This first floor is the masterpiece that he was most satisfied with. 🏠🏠🏠The front of this building leads to the Governor's Mansion, and the back is connected to the second courtyard of East Garden by a tunnel. At the tunnel exit, bats are flying, auspicious clouds are floating, and three big characters "It works" are clustered together, all of which are stone carvings. That it works is also the essence of this house. It connects two houses, and the bat 🦇🦇🦇 is standing upside down, which means blessing has arrived. The passage is very low, so you need to pay attention to safety. There are few people in the scenic area, so you can relax and have fun. I highly recommend it. [Clap][Clap][Clap]

Yan Xishan's former residence: also known as the Hebian Folk Museum, located in Hebian Town, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. This was the old residence of Yan Xishan during his forty-year rule in Shanxi. It was originally built in the mid-Qing Dynasty and expanded in 1913, with the expansion completed in 1937. The entire courtyard is grand in scale, with more than 30 courtyards such as the Governor's Mansion, De Yi Building, General's Mansion, New South Court, East Garden, West Garden, and nearly a thousand rooms. The architectural style of the courtyard is a typical combination of Qing Dynasty palace style and Chinese-Western fusion. The buildings in the courtyard are well preserved and are a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national 4A level tourist attraction, and a national second-level museum.