✨ “Xizhou: The Living Museum of Bai Culture and Timeless Courtyards” ✨

#chinatravel 严家大院 YanJiaDaYuan in XiZhou of Dali is a must if you like exploring Chinese ancient architecture. As a successful businessman, landlord Yan controlled a big trading company that exchanged tea leaves from Yunnan with Tibetans for horses. It’s called 茶马古道 Chamagudao — the Tea Horse Trading Route. Yan’s yard has remained until today. He used a lot of knowledge of Fengshui (a belief that creating harmony between humans and nature can bring fortune to the family) when he built this yard. The rooms you can visit include Yan’s meeting room, ladies’ rooms, sacred room for praying to gods, studying room, and his vault. There used to be many gangsters along the trading route in West Yunnan, so Yan had his horsemen and private guards to protect his goods. Those men were called Mabang 马帮.