Introduction of Pingyao

Pingyao, located in central Shanxi Province, is one of China’s best-preserved ancient cities. Situated approximately 715 kilometers southwest of Beijing and about 80 kilometers from the provincial capital of Taiyuan, Pingyao was once the financial center of China during the Qing Dynasty. Today, it is internationally recognized for its remarkably well-preserved ancient city walls and historic urban landscape and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ancient City of Pingyao has retained its original layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, following the traditional bagua (Eight Trigrams) design. More than 300 historic sites and cultural relics can be found within and around the city, while nearly 4,000 traditional courtyard residences from the Ming and Qing periods remain standing. Walking through Pingyao’s narrow streets, visitors can still experience the authentic atmosphere of imperial China, with many historic storefronts and buildings preserved in their original style.

Pingyao’s ancient architecture is renowned for its harmonious courtyard design, symmetrical layout, and distinctive Han Chinese architectural traditions. The county is home to an extraordinary collection of temples, residences, city gates, and cultural relics that have been carefully preserved for centuries. Rich in history, culture, and architectural heritage, Pingyao offers an unforgettable journey into China’s past and remains one of the country’s most significant historical destinations.

Main attractions in Pingyao

The City Wall

The city walls of Pingyao were constructed in the 3rd year of the Hongwu Emperor ( 1370)). The walls have six barbican gates. The north and south sides have one gate each. The east and west sides have two gates each. This pattern is similar to that of a turtle (the head, tail, and four legs), earning Pingyao the moniker "Turtle City." The walls measure about 12 meters high, with a perimeter of 6,000 meters. A 4-meter wide, 4-meter deep moat can be found just outside the walls. Aside from the four structured towers at the four corners, there are also 72 watchtowers and more than 3,000 battlements. In 2004, part of the southern walls collapsed but were reconstructed. However, the rest of the city walls are still largely intact and are considered among the best-preserved ancient city walls on this scale. This makes the city walls the centerpiece of the Heritage Site.

Rishengchang Exchange Shop

It is located in Pingyao, Shanxi province, China, is considered the first draft bank in China's history. It was founded in 1823.

Jin Ancestral Temple 

Jin Ancestral Temple is a temple complex garden. It was built around 400 A.D.It consists of many ancient building of different styles -- wooden ancestral hall, temple, pavilion, terrace, granite pagoda ... they were built by ancient artisans of different dynasties, throughout the past thousands years, but scattered orderly and existed harmoniously with nature. It situated in the area from where the "Jin" river origin, on the foot of XuanWeng Hill, about 25 kilometer southwest of TaiYuan . The Hall of Holy Mother, the sculptures, tablets and other historical relics in the temple still remain intact.

The Qiao Family Courtyard

The Qiao Family Courtyard is greatly admired as a very special artistic treasure by both common people and architects; it is also one of the ten best tourist spots in Shanxi Province. The Qiao Family Courtyard was built in during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) in the Qing Dynasty, and occupied 8,724.8 square meters of land, consisting of 6 large yards and 20 small yards with 313 houses in total. It was repaired and rebuilt many times during the reigns of emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty and the beginning years of the Republic of China (1911-1949). It was an old Chinese residential courtyard that thrived for over two centuries. When you look down at the overall yard above ground, it looks just like"喜喜"（double happiness in Chinese）.

Climate of Pingyao

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