Indulging one’s inner Marco Polo

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A corner of the Li Family Courtyard.[Photo by Khalid Sharif/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Friday was our last day and we once again boarded the bus bound for the village of Yanjing in Wanrong county to visit the Li Family Courtyard.

It was built during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) as the private residence of wealthy businessman Li Ziyong.

The courtyard is famous for its mix of Chinese, Japanese and European styles, including a Chinese quadrangle, Japanese sliding doors and some Gothic architecture.

It is a simply spectacular place and really worth visiting. Once again, time constraints did not allow us to tour the site completely, but we tried to explore it as much as possible in our short time.

Overall, it was an impressive and educational trip that taught me a lot about Chinese history. This made me feel that China is a land where anyone can indulge their inner Marco Polo. I hope to join another such trip in the future.

The author is a businessman from Pakistan working in Jiangsu province.