Ancient City of Pingyao

Synopsis

Pingyao Ancient City is located in Jinzhong, Shanxi Province. It was first built during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty, dating back over 2,800 years. In 1997, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming one of only two ancient cities in China to achieve this status as an entire ancient city. The Ming and Qing dynasty city walls are well-preserved, and the Rishengchang Exchange Shop is recognized as the birthplace of China's banking industry. South Street serves as a commercial thoroughfare from the Ming and Qing periods. The city boasts a profound Jin merchant culture and is celebrated as one of China's Four Great Ancient Cities, alongside Lijiang, Shexian, and Langzhong.

Overview

Pingyao Ancient City is located in Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. It was initially built during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (around 827 BC), boasting a history of over 2,800 years. Pingyao Ancient City is the most complete ancient county town preserved in China, retaining the basic layout and features of a county town from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In December 1997, Pingyao Ancient City was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the two ancient cities in China (the other being the Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan) successfully listed as a World Heritage site as an entire ancient city, pioneering the inclusion of whole ancient cities on China's World Heritage list.

The most precious value of Pingyao Ancient City lies in its integrity and authenticity. The entire ancient city's walls, streets, residential houses, shops, temples, and other structures have largely maintained their original appearance from the Ming and Qing periods, having escaped large-scale destruction by modern construction. The layout of the city, featuring four main streets, eight smaller streets, and seventy-two winding lanes, is well-preserved, serving as a living specimen of ancient Chinese urban planning. Strolling through the streets of Pingyao Ancient City feels like stepping back in time to the Ming and Qing dynasties hundreds of years ago.

Core Attractions

Rishengchang Draft Bank is the most historically significant site in Pingyao Ancient City. In 1823, Pingyao merchant Lei Lutai founded Rishengchang Draft Bank, China's first draft bank—essentially China's earliest bank. The invention of the draft bank was a milestone event in Chinese financial history. It allowed merchants to conduct trade across the country without carrying large amounts of cash, greatly promoting commercial development. At its peak, there were 22 draft banks within Pingyao City, with over 400 branches spread across the country. Pingyao became China's financial center at the time and was known as China's Wall Street.

The Ancient City Wall is the most spectacular structure in Pingyao. The wall was initially built during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty and underwent a large-scale expansion in the third year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD). The wall has a circumference of approximately 6.2 km, a height of about 12 meters, a base width of 8 to 10 meters, and a top width of 3 to 6 meters. The wall is equipped with 72 watchtowers and 3,000 crenellations, symbolizing Confucius's 72 virtuous disciples and 3,000 students. Each of the four sides has a city gate, and barbican enclosures were built outside the gates, forming a rigorous military defense system.

Jin Merchant Culture

Pingyao is one of the birthplaces of the Jin Merchants. The Jin Merchants were one of the most famous merchant groups in Chinese history, alongside the Hui Merchants, Yue Merchants, and Yong Merchants. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Jin Merchants, with their business philosophy of integrity and their adventurous spirit of exploration, expanded their trade across the country and even to Russia, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The emergence of Pingyao's draft banks propelled the Jin Merchants' commercial empire to its peak.

Practical Information

References

1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812
2. Pingyao Ancient City Scenic Area Official Website: https://pingyao888.cn
3. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/平遥古城
4. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/平遥古城