Dangjiacun

East of Xi'an, along the Yellow River, is the village of Dangjia. Originally founded in the 14th century, many of the current buildings date back to the 17th century, when the village finally became prosperous, 17 generations after it was originally settled.

But after a long drive the first order of business was lunch. Friends of our friends did the driving, and when it came time to decide on a place to eat they insisted on poking their heads into a few kitchens until they were satisfied.

Once we ordered after an extended discussion with the owners, vegetables were picked from the garden. We declined to order the chicken that was running around the courtyard.

From the roof deck of this house there was a wonderful view of the nearby rooftops, with all of the associated decorative features.

We hired a guide who took us through the village, and into different courtyards, explaining the histories of the Dang and Jia families, how the layout of the village was planned and the meanings of some of the ornamentation.

This symbolized a level of achievement in government service. The house had two of them proudly displayed.

Even the hitching posts for horses were decorative.

All of the houses were built around a central courtyard. Rooms on the ground floor are assigned according to position in the family, with the upper floors generally used for storage.

A famous piece of calligraphy done by an Empress.

Every house seemed to have its own unique design of window - all quite beautiful.

A very memorable stroll through history. Remarkable how well preserved so much of it is.