Yúcì

Yuci lies on the Shanxi plain, a region whose merchant families built fortunes in long-distance trade. At Chewang village, the Chang family rose to prominence through commerce, especially the tea trade. Their wealth supported a large group of courtyards and gardens in their home village, where the family also valued learning and maintained a library. The Changs began to prosper during the Kangxi reign, and generations continued to enlarge their residences as their business developed.