在山西众多晋商中,常氏家族可称翘楚。从清康熙年间到光绪末年,经过二百余年的修筑,常氏在榆次整整建起了南北、东西两条大街。街两侧深宅大院鳞次栉比,蔚为壮观,其中楼房几十幢,房屋上千间,民间有谚曰:“乔家一个院,常家二条街。”常家庄园的建设规模,在当时称为三晋民居建筑之首,和晋中的一些县城相比,也毫不损色。
如今游客所参观的庄园,只有历史上的五分之一规模,但也是非常的庞大,当你来到这里,会感到这不是一个私家庄园,而是一座城池。游览常家庄园非常方便,游客从庄园东北门进入景区后,一条大街呈现在眼前,景区内的各个主要景点都位于这条大街的两旁,主要景点有尝试宗祠、华夏文明山西展览、常氏简史馆等。主要建筑后面,还有一个不是很大的湖泊——沼余湖,更为这座北方的庄园,添加不少柔性。
常家庄园的魅力,主要在于三个方面。首先是每所院落的里院正中都建有一座木结构的牌楼,牌楼两侧各有砖雕花墙,使方正雄浑的北方庭院增添了画龙点睛般的南国园林秀色。其次是院落之后,大多建有花园、菜园,有小门与正院相通。进园之后,有小路贯通,回廊、亭榭、小桥流水,一番似南方园林的景色。
第三则是在每个院落中随处可见的砖雕、木雕、石雕和木构件上的彩绘艺术。这也是庄园内最大的看点,房脊的吻、兽和雕花护脊,线条娴熟,刀法细腻;院落中的照壁、花墙砖雕,既有传统的“百寿图”、“吉祥图”以及佛道故事,又有花卉鸟兽等具有地方特色的内容;三是每排厢房“硬山墙”上端的“墀头”,有花、鸟、兽等,造型各异;四是现存的部分砖雕护栏,全部由砖雕砌成,栏柱、栏板浑然一体,丝毫不见砌缝。
常家庄园还是重要的影视拍摄基地,目前已经有近三十部电视连续剧陆续来园拍摄。其中有《龙票》、《白银谷》、《金锁记》、《亮剑》、《乔家大院》、《狼毒花》、《白银帝国》等影视作品,将这里作为外景地进行实景拍摄。
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