Ancient City of Pingyao

Introducing the Ancient City of Pingyao
The Ancient City of Pingyao stands as a remarkably intact representation of a traditional Han Chinese city. Established in the 14th century, it spans over 225 hectares and is characterized by its ancient walls, streets, lanes, shops, residences, and temples. The city’s design showcases the progression of Chinese architectural styles and urban planning over a period exceeding five centuries. Between the 19th and early 20th centuries, Pingyao served as a financial hub for all of China. The town’s nearly 4,000 existing shops and traditional homes, grand in structure and intricate in detail, attest to Pingyao’s economic flourishing over a hundred years.

The Ancient City of Pingyao offers a comprehensive depiction of the cultural, social, economic, and religious evolution in Chinese history. In recognition of its historical and cultural importance, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The Ancient City of Pingyao Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Pingyao Gucheng 平遥古城
• Best Time to Visit: All year round
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 day
• Things to Do: Walking Ming Qing Street & City Wall, visiting museums & temples
• Opening Hours: All day
• Entrance Fee: CNY150
• Address: Pingyao County, Shanxi Province

What UNESCO Says on the Ancient City of Pingyao
The Ancient City of Ping Yao is a well-preserved ancient county-level city in China. Located in Ping Yao County, central Shanxi Province, the property includes three parts: the entire area within the walls of Ping Yao, Shuanglin Temple 6 kilometers southwest of the county seat, and Zhenguo Temple 12 kilometers northeast of the county seat. The Ancient City of Ping Yao well retains the historic form of the county-level cities of the Han people in Central China from the 14th to 20th century.

Founded in the 14th century and covering an area of 225 hectares, the Ancient City of Ping Yao is a complete building complex including ancient walls, streets and lanes, shops, dwellings and temples. Its layout reflects perfectly the developments in architectural style and urban planning of the Han cities over more than five centuries. Particularly, from the 19th century to the early 20th century, the Ancient City of Ping Yao was a financial center for the whole of China. The nearly 4,000 existing shops and traditional dwellings in the town which are grand in form and exquisite in ornament bear witness to Ping Yao’s economic prosperity over a century. With more than 2,000 existing painted sculptures made in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shuanglin Temple has been reputed as an “oriental art gallery of painted sculptures”. Wanfo Shrine, the main shrine of Zhenguo Temple, dating back to the Five Dynasties, is one of China’s earliest and most precious timber structure buildings in existence.

The Ancient City of Ping Yao is an outstanding example of Han cities in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 14th to 20th century). It retains all the Han city features, provides a complete picture of the cultural, social, economic and religious development in Chinese history, and it is of great value for studying the social form, economic structure, military defense, religious belief, traditional thinking, traditional ethics and dwelling form.

What to Expect at the Ancient City of Pingyao
Established in the 14th century, the Ancient City of Pingyao is acknowledged as one of the four best preserved ancient cities in China. The city continues to maintain its urban structure from the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are over 300 locations within or near the city that house ancient ruins. The city is composed of more than a hundred streets and lanes, which are home to nearly 4,000 shops and residences dating back to the 17th to 19th centuries. The streets and storefronts predominantly maintain their historical facade.

The City Wall
The city wall of Pingyao, built in 1370, encompasses an area of approximately 2.25 km2 (0.87 sq mi). Entry to the town is facilitated by six barbican gates, with one each on the northern and southern walls, and two each on the eastern and western walls. The walls stand at a height of about 12 m (39 ft) and encircle a perimeter of 6,163 m (20,220 ft). A moat, 4 m (13 ft) in width and depth, is located just outside the walls. In addition to the four structured towers at each corner, there are 72 watchtowers and over 3,000 battlements. The city wall of Pingyao is regarded as one of the most well-preserved ancient city walls in China.

Ming-Qing Street (South Street)
Located in the heart of the Ancient City of Pingyao, the South Street, also referred to as Ming-Qing Street, stands as a vibrant symbol of the city’s rich history. As the central axis of the city, it has been the most bustling commercial area for hundreds of years. Spanning 410 meters, the street is home to approximately 80 antique stores, encompassing exchange shops, pawnshops, security guard companies, and various handicraft workshops. During the Qing Dynasty, this street dominated over half of China’s financial institutions, earning it the moniker ‘China’s Wall Street’. To this day, it remains the most thriving area in Pingyao.

Rishengchang Draft Bank
Founded in 1823, the Rishengchang Draft Bank is acknowledged as China’s earliest bank. The bank, aptly named ‘Sunrise Prosperity’, played a pivotal role in both defining the Qing Dynasty’s financial system and handling core financial activities like remittances, currency exchange, deposits, and loans. During its zenith in the nineteenth century, Rishengchang’s annual exchange volume reached a staggering 38 million taels (1,900 tonnes) of silver, effectively controlling nearly half of China’s economy.

The bank’s edifice comprises three halls and two enclosed open courtyards. For security purposes, the courtyard was encircled by wire netting, and bells were installed on the roofs. The subterranean vault is capable of storing ten thousand taels (500 kg) of silver and gold.

Presently, the Rishengchang Draft Bank functions as a museum, offering a window into an era when all accounting was done on paper, and the sole calculating tool was the abacus. The museum exhibits account books, abacuses, and bank operating procedures, providing visitors with a peek into the bank’s operations.

Armed Escort Museum
During the Ming & Qing Dynasties, China had what was called a “Biaoju”, also Biaohang, or escort office, as a predecessor of today’s security companies, mostly for transporting money to pay for goods, or guarding shops or courtyards, and money exchanges, or mail.

The First Armed Escort in North China, located on East Street, is now a museum named Armed Escort Museum. It showcases the history and culture of escort services, especially during the reign of the Qianlong emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Built in 1823, First Armed Escort in North China consists of three courtyards, the front one for business, with east and west wings, a gold depository, and a counter; the middle for offices, and a mail house, accounting house, and hall; and the rear one as the living area, with an ancestral hall, kitchen and martial arts area.

Pingyao County Government Office (Yamen)
Since the inception of the prefecture-county system during the Qin Dynasty, Pingyao has served as a county seat. The city boasts a well-maintained yamen, or county government office, which is a large compound that accommodated the residence and workspace of the magistrate, who was appointed to perform the roles of mayor, judge, and senior official. The yamen features an archway, a ceremonial gate, multiple offices, a prison, a court, meeting rooms, a residential area, and a garden. Constructed in 1346 during the Yuan Dynasty, the yamen complex now only retains one building from that era, with the rest having been built during the Ming Dynasty. The complex comprises over 300 rooms in total.

Market Tower
The construction date of the Market Tower is not precisely known, as historical documents only mention its first renovation in 1688. The tower, standing at a height of 18.5 meters, features a triple-eave wooden structure adorned with green and yellow glazed tiles on the roof and eaves. The spacious ground floor includes a north-south tunnel. Positioned at the town’s central intersection, the tower was expected to have east and west openings. However, arches were constructed on the two walls instead, creating a faux intersection with the North-South Street traversing the ground floor. The vicinity of the tower was Pingyao’s most thriving commercial area, hosting a market every morning, noon, and evening, which led to its current name.

The Confucian Temple
The Pingyao Confucian Temple was established during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Its main structure, the Dacheng (Great Achievement) Hall, was constructed in 1163 and maintains its original appearance to this day. The temple complex is organized into five courtyards that are arranged from south to north. The first courtyard was utilized as a staging area for sacrificial rituals. The second courtyard, where the Dacheng Hall is located, is dedicated to venerating Confucius. The third courtyard served as an educational institution in bygone times. The fourth courtyard was designated for Heaven worship, while the fifth courtyard functions as a library.

The temple is renowned for preserving a zhuangyuan’s answer sheet. Zhuangyuan is a prestigious title awarded to the top scorer in the ancient Chinese imperial examination. The zhuangyuan’s answer sheet refers to the top-ranking answer sheet from the first batch of imperial examinations, a system employed in China for recruiting candidates for government service. This answer sheet, which bears the inscription “highest of the first lot” left by the Wanli emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is the only one of its kind that remains today. The phrase “highest of the first lot” signifies that the answer sheet was the best among the first group of examinations.

Temple of the City God
The City God Temple was constructed during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1227) and has been significantly renovated twice due to fires in 1544 and 1859. The temple is made up of multiple courtyards and halls, accessible through a grand three-gate wooden archway. The temple’s main hall remains largely in its original form and is evidently still in frequent use. Visitors to the temple will encounter depictions of heaven and hell, with graphic representations of various tortures in hell, ranging from dismemberment to death by boiling, contrasted with images of blissful families adorning the walls of heaven. This temple is unique in that it venerates not only the City God but also the God of Wealth and the Kitchen God.

How to get to the Ancient City of Pingyao
By plane: Pingyao has no airport. The closest major city and airport is Taiyuan, 90km (55 miles) away.
By high-speed train: By far the fastest way is using bullet trains which now serve Pingyao at a new station southwest of the city (Pingyao Gu Cheng). It takes about 4 hours from Beijing or 3 hours from Xi'an. Tickets are often booked out so plan well in advance if you want to travel during the day. Contact GoGrandChina if you want to purchase bullet train tickets to Pingyao.