North China Trip Part III — Qiao Family's Compound

After we left Jinci Temple, we went to see the Qiao Family's Compound. This is where Zhang Yimou filmed Raise the Red Lantern. At first we got a little lost, went down a street full of flags and ended up in a strange courtyard full of gourds. It was a bizarre little museum in the end, with a lot of posters from the movie and wax figures, and traditional furniture with televisions sitting on top of it.

The street of flags. This is a New Year's thing.


Gourds for sale, I guess.


An empty street near the compound, that I liked because it felt mournful and desolate in the howling wind.


All the doors within the compound are surrounded by beautiful carvings.


This wax figure is very dedicated to his studies, which would have consisted mostly of Chess and Calligraphy, according to the information posted.


Everyone's best Kung-Fu pose.

Next up: Pingyao, the neatest place so far.