Gao Grand Courtyard
Gao Grand Courtyard
4
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
66 reviews
Excellent
27
Very good
22
Average
12
Poor
3
Terrible
2
HKDave
Hong Kong, China339 contributions
You can easily miss this house if you do not look carefully. It's just on the corner of Beiyuanmen and West Yangshi. We only found it because a person we assumed be some kind of tout approached us on the pavement outside trying to convince us to go in. The compound is an old merchants house, nicely restored and now housing an artists complex. There are several options for entrance fees, which you can combine with a puppet show, shadow theatre show, tea drinking, paper cut making, etc. We chose the shadow theatre. The "tout" turned out to be government guide who was extremely knowledgeable about the house and its history. The artists have a small stall within the compound but there was no hard sell (actually there was no selling pitch whatsoever!). Following the guided tour, we saw a short shadow theatre play (journey to the west) which the kids really enjoyed. Plan on spending about an hour.
Written 27 October 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Singaporelonegranger
Singapore, Singapore546 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
Tucked in the bustling Muslim Quarter, this is a gem of a Ming dynasty heritage residence. We watched the puppet show which was quite enjoyable in spite of not being able to understand Mandarin. This quintessentially classic Chinese residence had been splendidly restored. It’s not large and would take less than an hour to view this exquisite house. Not to be missed!
Written 27 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Oslo, Norway236 contributions
Dec 2019
I am so glad I did not miss Gao's Grand Courtyard on my recent visit to Xi'an. Situated in the Muslim area, this offers a brief escape from the crowds. There are several beautiful rooms to visit and wonderful Chinese art and decorations. I also enjoyed the Shadow Puppet theatre.
If you find yourself in the Muslim quarter, which is an experience in itself, don't miss this gem.
If you find yourself in the Muslim quarter, which is an experience in itself, don't miss this gem.
Written 29 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JulesHongKong
Hong Kong29 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
We stumbled across the Gao Courtyard House as we were exploring the Muslim Quarter.
Its highly recommended for a short detour and I think is one of the last remaining courtyard houses inside the City Walls
Its highly recommended for a short detour and I think is one of the last remaining courtyard houses inside the City Walls
Written 29 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate
Suzhou, China30 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
We payed 35 RMB per person to tour the house, see a shadow puppet performance, and taste tea. There wasn't anything to see in the house, in fact, some rooms looked more like storage rooms for other projects unrelated to the house. There was no information available (in English or Chinese) about history or uses besides a placard with a single word desription (study, school, etc.). The shadow puppet show would have been charming, but the woman running it was clearly unenthused about life. At the tea house, the woman was perturbed to be interrupted from her phone and robotically showed us tea and after immediately tried to sell us the tea at an exorbitant price. (Side note: we had a similar tea experience in another place with the same amount of tea, it took 20 minutes whereas this one took 5).
Save time and find somewhere else to go. This is definitely not worth it.
Save time and find somewhere else to go. This is definitely not worth it.
Written 20 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megonthemove
Canterbury, UK70 contributions
Jan 2019 • Business
I came upon the entrance to Gao's Courtyard by accident, off Muslim Street, and decided to have a look inside. A combined ticket for 70 Yuan got me entrance not just to the courtyard family museum, but also to a costume exhibition, a shadow puppet show, a short selection of Chinese Opera, and a calligraphy exhibition. Buy the combined ticket is definitely my advice. The shadow puppet show, though all in Chinese, was wonderful (and I ended up buying a shadow puppet to bring home), the Opera fascinating and so unlike anything I had ever seen before, and the exhibits and old clothing really very interesting. So good I spent almost 2 1/2 hours wandering around here, and it was great value for money, and so interesting to see how rich Chinese folks lived 250 years ago and almost up until the communist revolution.
Written 21 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Triplyzer I
491 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
Gao Grand Courtyard - is really grand in every sense, it is difficult to fathom a place can built with so much grandeur.
Written 26 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fitzfloyd
Melbourne, Australia356 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
This was my favourite tourist site in Xi'an aside from the Terracotta Warriors. Unlike the Warriors, I had little idea what I would see after buying my entry ticket - free for tourists over 60. (I was not interested in attending the puppet show). Aside from the mansion itself, which is some 400 years old and in superb condition, I enjoyed the display of quality old silk clothing, beautifully constructed and embroidered.
You enter via an inconspicuous gateway in Beiyuanmen Street in the busy Muslim Quarter. There were few tourists when we visited and it was a welcome break from the buzz of the Muslim Quarter itself.
You enter via an inconspicuous gateway in Beiyuanmen Street in the busy Muslim Quarter. There were few tourists when we visited and it was a welcome break from the buzz of the Muslim Quarter itself.
Written 16 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stuart B
Deal, UK1,595 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
This original old house located near the end of the Muslim Quarter is well worth a visit. An interesting place to visit if you are in the Muslim Quarter and have a little time free. You won't need much time to explore, but worth it.
Written 18 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Life2Travel
Charlotte, NC1,640 contributions
May 2016 • Family
We were with a private tour guide and admission to this area was included in our tour. Even with a guide, there wasn't much to see, a courtyard and some non -descript rooms of an upper class official. Others mentioned having tea, we didn't get any and then tried multiple times to see the shadow puppet performance. Our a chinese speaking guide kept walking in to the small performance room only to be told 3 times, "no show yet" and they couldn't tell us when. We ended up leaving, after speaking with someone at the entrance who signed our entrance ticket, touring the nearby mosque (which was so much more interesting). We finally were able to see the shadow puppet show, a short production put on by one woman, narrated in Chinese. In the words of my 20 year old son, "mom, when you are reviewing this one, tell people to skip it". I would spend my time strolling the Muslim quarter or touring the mosque.
Written 15 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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