Qiao’s Grand Courtyard in Shanxi province, a typical example of a folk dwelling in North China, is displayed on the Nasdaq big screen in Times Square, New York on Nov 7. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Qiao's Grand Courtyard in Shanxi province was displayed on the Nasdaq big screen in Times Square, New York on Nov 7, showing a typical example of a folk dwelling in North China.

Built in 1755, Qiao's Grand Courtyard –– representative of the dwellings Shanxi merchants used to live in –– covers an area of 2.56 hectares and has 731 rooms. The magnificent residential complex, in the architectural style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, is a major tourism attraction of Shanxi province, attracting more than 1 million visitors from home and abroad each year.

Known as "The Crossroads of the World", Times Square is in Manhattan, New York City, and is the busiest shopping and recreation area in the United States, with annual visitor numbers reaching 100 million.

The advertisement will be shown for three days, appearing around 20 times a day on the big screen, promoting Shanxi's attractions and the culture of Shanxi merchants?to a global audience.