"Shanxi folk residences" is a general name for all folk residences in China's Shanxi Province, including a wide range of house types from simple cave dwellings, to majestic courtyards to well decorated urban houses.

The ancient city of Pingyao, a UNESCO world heritage site, lies in central Shanxi Province and has a history of over 1,500 years. Covering an area of 2.25 square kilometers, Pingyao is home to 3,197 exquisitely-decorated folk residences built with gray bricks, retaining its city layout from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Pingyao is seen as a representative city of Shanxi folk residences.

Folk residences in Pingyao are typical courtyards with houses on four sides. The most striking feature of these houses is the combination of cave dwellings and common houses. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Pingyao witnessed booming commercial development and there appeared lots of superrich families operating big firms and private banks. So, the buildings here were built in style.

A typical residence is composed of bedrooms, living rooms, studies, gardens, kitchens and threshing grounds etc, the layout of which is based on traditional Fengshui theories, with distinctions between the superiority and inferiority. The decoration is elaborate and carvings are exceptionally exquisite. Eaves, galleries and doorways are key parts for decoration. Inside the courtyard, intricately-carved partition walls are used to divide the area into several parts and screen walls are usually built on top of main rooms to enhance the height of the building.