Yángchéng

Yangcheng lies in the mountains of southeastern Shanxi. At Zhongdaozhuang, a fortified complex of courtyards was home to the Chen family, whose members gained distinction in scholarship and office. Its walls and towers sheltered a lineage that produced several successful examination candidates and officials. The most prominent was Chen Tingjing, who served the Kangxi emperor and became a grand secretary in 1703. He also oversaw the compilation of the Kangxi Dictionary. His family's residence, later known as the Imperial Chancellor's House, reflects the wealth and standing that generations of learning and service could bring to a Shanxi household.