Jinzhong

Jinzhong is situated on the Xiao River. It was founded in 1999 and is a prefecture of the Shanxi province. The city houses a series of “Shanxi courtyard houses” or hutongs: fortified residences with an inner courtyard, usually the homes of businessmen and wealthy merchants. These structures – built during the Qing Dynasty and Unesco sites – bear witness to the Chinese architecture and construction techniques of the time.