The earliest Dangs and Jias built their houses in the traditional architectural style of northwest China: two-storey dwellings that allow for grain storage above and living below, which is different from those courtyards in Beijing. In most cases, a courtyard is led in through a weather-beaten door, from where one can gain a good view of the hall, the gatehouse and the wing-rooms built on all sides of the courtyard. The ground covered with blue bricks in the middle is the inner courtyard. The height of the buildings boxes in the courtyards, with only a sliver of light coming through narrow openings between the tall buildings on each side.

The most interesting part about Dang Jia Cun's courtyard dwellings is the gate leading into the courtyard. Usually, the entrance gate is set right or left of the gatehouse, and sometimes on a parados (an intercepting mound, traditionally used for military purposes). The gates on the parados are mostly narrow and simple, just for decoration. The wealthy families, however, often built a large impressive gate in place of the gatehouse, commonly known as "Horse Passing Door", by the sides of which mounting-horse stones, tethering stake and rings of all kinds can still be found. Many visitor here have been puzzled with these rings, not knowing they are for tying down the horses. In one household, the owner, who must have been a wealthy layman and dreamed of being an official every day, built on the top of the gate a sedan-like attic, so that every time he passed the door, he would have the feeling of an official.

Another important thing about the courtyard dwellings in Dang Jia Cun is the horizontal board placed above the gate upon a courtyard's completion, which is also a traditional Hancheng custom. Prior to entering the courtyard, one should look at the board. Some inscriptions, such as "Jin Shi (palace graduate)" or "Shi Jin Shi (palace graduate for generations)" shows the owner's political status or official rank, while others, like "loyalty and tolerance" and "amiability begets riches", represents the nobility and morality of the owner, who might have also used such words as mottoes of life.

Boards with inscriptions of "tranquil residence" or "family of poetry and etiquette" were used to signal the owner's cultural accomplishment and good tastes. These inscriptions were invariably done by people with a good mastery of Chinese calligraphy , which are all considered exquisite calligraphic works with delicate penmanship and fine arrangement.

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