The best way to explore North China's Shanxi is simple – look up! Those wooden brackets under the eaves, called dougong, have supported Chinese architecture for over a thousand years. "Dougongs embody values and do have an ability to adapt over centuries, that makes them not only functional in terms of construction, but also deeply meaningful," says scholar Alexandra Harrer. For millennia, dougong have evolved in both form and meaning. Join Unboxing China in Shanxi and experience a living lesson in architectural history. With two weeks of summer left, why not plan a quick trip to see this part of Chinese history firsthand?