The Courtyard of the Shi Family is located in the Town of Yangliuqing near Tianjin city. Built in 1875, the courtyard was originally the residence of the Shi Family, one of the eight prominent families in Tianjin in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The Shi family first became rich through the grain and cotton trade, using the – at that time – popular mode of canal transportation. They made enough money to buy land and build their own houses. They subsequently opened up shops, factories and private banks to multiply their wealth. During the reign of Emperor Jia Qing, the Shi family owned thousands of hectares of land and 500 houses. [China.org.cn/Photo by Zhang Wei]