Folk House Xi'An

This well-rounded historic residence also serves as an art gallery, entertainment centre and teahouse. Originally the home of the Qing bureaucrat Gao Yuesong, it’s a fine example of a courtyard home and has been tastefully restored. There are reception rooms, bedrooms, servants’ quarters, an ancestral temple and a study (now the teahouse). Admission includes a tour that starts with an optional marionette or shadow-puppet demonstration. As the complex currently belongs to the Shaanxi Artists Association, there’s an art gallery here where you can pick up reasonably priced traditional Chinese art. Confusingly, despite the address, this place isn’t at No 144, but is about 20m down the street.