Pingyao Ancient City is located in Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. It is one of the best-preserved ancient cities from the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, and also a national 5A-level tourist attraction and a World Heritage Site. The ancient city features well-preserved ancient architectural complexes such as city walls, streets, residential houses, shops, and temples as its core characteristics, showcasing the architectural style and urban life of northern Chinese cities during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is known as the "living fossil of ancient Chinese cities". The city wall of Pingyao Ancient City has a circumference of 6163 meters, a height of 10 meters, a top width of 3-6 meters, and a bottom width of 9-12 meters. It has 6 city gates, 4 corner towers, and 72 watchtowers. The area within the city wall is approximately 2.25 square kilometers. There are 3797 traditional courtyard houses in the city, among which more than 400 are well-preserved. The street layout is in the shape of a "soil character", consisting of 4 main streets, 8 small streets, and 72 alleys, completely retaining the urban layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Historical Culture
The history of Pingyao Ancient City can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (827 BC - 782 BC), Pingyao was an ancient pottery land and a military stronghold for defending against northern nomadic tribes. During the reign of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty (424 - 452), it was renamed Pingyao County, and the name has been used ever since.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao became an important commercial town in northern China due to its developed financial industry. Especially in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the rise of Piaohao (draft banks) in Pingyao made it one of the birthplaces of modern Chinese financial industry. At that time, 22 Piaohao including Rishengchang and Weitaihou were established in the city, accounting for more than half of the total number of Piaohao in the country. Their business covered more than 30 cities across the country and overseas, and it was known as "China's Wall Street". Its advanced management system and financial concepts had a profound impact on the development of modern Chinese financial industry.
The architecture of Pingyao Ancient City combines the functions of military defense and civil life. The diverse architectural forms such as city walls, streets, temples, Piaohao, and residential houses reflect the superb level of ancient Chinese urban planning and architectural art. In 1986, Pingyao Ancient City was listed as a national historical and cultural city; in 1997, due to its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty urban pattern and rich cultural relics, it was included in the "World Heritage List", becoming one of the only two ancient cities in China that successfully applied for World Heritage as a whole city (the other is Lijiang Ancient City).
Main Attractions
Pingyao City Wall
Pingyao City Wall is the core symbol of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Western Zhou Dynasty and was largely rebuilt in the third year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1370). The existing city wall is a relic from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city wall has a circumference of 6163 meters, a height of 10 meters, a top width of 3-6 meters, and a bottom width of 9-12 meters. The wall is rammed with earth and covered with bricks and stones, making it extremely strong. There are 3000 crenels and 72 watchtowers on the city wall, symbolizing Confucius' 3000 disciples and 72 sages. The city wall has 6 city gates, each with a barbican. The barbican is square or rectangular with double gates, having a strong defensive function. Tourists can climb the city wall from entrances such as Yingxun Gate (South Gate) and Gongji Gate (North Gate), walk along the wall to overlook the whole ancient city. The whole walk takes about 2-3 hours, or you can choose to take the battery car in the scenic area (10 yuan per section) for transportation.
Rishengchang Piaohao
Rishengchang Piaohao is located on West Street of the ancient city. It was established in the third year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1823) and is the first private financial institution in China specializing in remittance, deposit and loan businesses, known as "the ancestor of modern Chinese banks". The Piaohao covers an area of more than 1600 square meters, facing south from the north, consisting of three courtyards. The overall architecture is of Ming and Qing style with a rigorous layout, divided into functional areas such as counter room, accounting room, guest room, manager's room, and vault, reflecting the professionalism and safety of Piaohao's operation. The courtyard preserves precious cultural relics such as bills, account books, and seals from that time, showing the operation process and management system of Piaohao. Among them, the anti-counterfeiting technology of Piaohao is particularly exquisite. The combination of handwriting, seals and codes on the bills is unique and almost impossible to forge at that time. The success of Rishengchang Piaohao led to the rise of Pingyao's Piaohao industry, with an annual remittance amount of tens of millions of taels of silver at its peak.
Pingyao County Yamen
Pingyao County Yamen is located in the southwest of the ancient city. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the existing buildings were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is one of the best-preserved ancient county yamens in China, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters with a construction area of more than 4,700 square meters. The county yamen faces south from the north, following the layout of "front court and back bedroom", consisting of three parts: the central axis, the east axis, and the west axis. The central axis is followed by the main gate, yimen (ceremonial gate), main hall, second hall, third hall, etc. The east axis includes kitchens, studies, etc., and the west axis includes prisons, official offices, etc. The main hall is the core building of the county yamen, with five bays in width, three bays in depth, and a height of 11 meters. It is the place where the county magistrate hears major cases. In front of the hall, there is a "Gongshengming" archway, symbolizing justice and integrity. The county yamen also has a prison, divided into inner prison, outer prison, and women's prison, preserving physical objects such as torture instruments from that time, which is an important physical relic for studying ancient Chinese judicial systems. There are regular performances of simulating the county magistrate's court session every day, attracting many tourists to watch.
Confucian Temple
Pingyao Confucian Temple is located in the southeast corner of the ancient city. It was first built in the early years of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, and the existing buildings are relics from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is one of the earliest existing Confucian temples in China and the best-preserved Confucian temple complex in Shanxi Province. The Confucian Temple covers an area of more than 40,000 square meters, facing south from the north, consisting of buildings such as Lingxing Gate, Pan Pool, Dacheng Hall, Minglun Hall, and Jingyi Pavilion, with a rigorous layout and magnificent momentum. Dacheng Hall is the main building of the Confucian Temple, with five bays in width, three bays in depth, and a height of 15 meters, with a single-eave gable and hip roof. The hall enshrines statues of Confucius, his four disciples, and twelve philosophers. The platform outside the hall is spacious, which is the place for worshipping Confucius. The Confucian Temple preserves a large number of inscriptions, among which the "Seventy-two Sages" stele and the "Confucius' Sacred Traces" stele are the most precious. In addition, the Confucian Temple also houses the Chinese Imperial Examination Museum, displaying cultural relics of the imperial examination system from the Sui to the Qing dynasties, including examination papers and imperial examination utensils, which is an important window to understand the ancient Chinese imperial examination system.
Qingxu Guan
Qingxu Guan is located on East Street of the ancient city. It was first built in the second year of Xianqing in the Tang Dynasty (657), originally named Taiping Guan, and renamed Qingxu Guan in the first year of Zhiping in the Song Dynasty (1064). It is the largest Taoist temple in Pingyao Ancient City. The temple covers an area of more than 6,000 square meters, facing south from the north, consisting of buildings such as the mountain gate, Longhu Hall, Sanqing Hall, and Chunyang Palace. Most of the existing buildings were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Longhu Hall enshrines statues of Qinglong (Green Dragon) and Baihu (White Tiger), which are tall and majestic; Sanqing Hall is the main hall of the temple, with five bays in width and three bays in depth, enshrining statues of Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun. The temple preserves a large number of Taoist sculptures and murals, among which the statue of "Xuanwu Emperor" from the Yuan Dynasty and the murals from the Ming Dynasty have high artistic value. Qingxu Guan is now the Pingyao County Museum, exhibiting cultural relics related to the history and folk customs of the ancient city, and is an important place to understand Pingyao's culture.
City God Temple
Pingyao City God Temple is located in the northeast corner of the ancient city. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the existing buildings were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is one of the best-preserved City God Temples in China, covering an area of more than 7,300 square meters. The City God Temple faces south from the north, consisting of buildings such as the mountain gate, opera house, offering hall, main hall, and bedroom, with architectural style integrating Taoist and folk belief elements. The opera house is connected to the mountain gate, facing north from the south, opposite to the main hall. It was a place for performing operas during the worship of the City God in the old days. The opera house has exquisite architecture with superb wood carving and brick carving craftsmanship. The main hall enshrines the statue of the City God, with statues of judges, ghosts, etc. on both sides. The bedroom is the resting place of the City God. The wood carvings, stone carvings, and brick carvings in the City God Temple are known as the "three wonders", especially the wood carving que ti (bracket) of the offering hall, with exquisite shapes and auspicious meanings. Every year on the 27th day of the fifth lunar month, which is the birthday of the City God, grand sacrificial activities and temple fairs are held in the ancient city, which are very lively.
Cuisine
Pingyao Beef
Pingyao Beef is a traditional famous dish in Pingyao County with a long history. It originated in the Han Dynasty and became famous in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is famous across the country for its tender meat, mellow taste, and ruddy color, and is a national geographical indication product of China. The production process of Pingyao Beef is unique. It selects high-quality yellow cattle raised locally, goes through multiple processes such as slaughtering, cutting, pickling, boiling, and drying. During pickling, salt, Sichuan pepper and other seasonings are used, and after boiling, it is soaked in old soup to form a unique flavor. Authentic Pingyao Beef has a dark red color, firm meat, and clear texture when cut. It can be eaten directly in slices, or used for stir-frying, cold mixing, etc. In Pingyao Ancient City, many time-honored shops sell Pingyao Beef, such as "Guanyun" and "Yunqing". The price varies from about 80 to 150 yuan per catty according to quality, which is a good gift for relatives and friends.
Pingyao Wotuo
Pingyao Wotuo is a traditional snack in Pingyao County, also known as "Wantuzi". It originated in the Qing Dynasty and is made from buckwheat flour. When making, buckwheat flour is mixed with water into a paste, poured into a bowl and steamed, then demoulded after cooling to form a round Wotuo with a soft and smooth taste. Wotuo can be eaten in various ways: it can be cold mixed with seasonings such as vinegar, soy sauce, mashed garlic, and chili oil; it can also be stir-fried with bean sprouts, shredded pork, etc., with a delicious taste. Wotuo can be tasted at snack stalls and restaurants in the ancient city, with a reasonable price of about 5-8 yuan per serving, and it is a favorite daily snack of Pingyao people.
Kaolaolao
Kaolaolao is a traditional pasta in northern Shanxi, also very common in Pingyao. It gets its name because its shape is like a kaolao (a bamboo container). Kaolaolao uses oat flour as raw material. The dough is rubbed into thin strips, rolled into a cylindrical shape, and steamed in a steamer, with a chewy texture. When eating, it can be dipped in seasonings mixed with tomato sauce, meat sauce, and vinegar, or stewed with meat and vegetables. In restaurants in Pingyao Ancient City, a serving of Kaolaolao costs about 15-25 yuan, which is one of the daily staple foods of local people, reflecting the characteristics of northern pasta.
Surrounding Cuisine - Taigu Cake
Taigu Cake is a traditional pastry in Taigu District, Jinzhong City, about 80 kilometers away from Pingyao Ancient City, and is a delicious food worth tasting in the surrounding area. Taigu Cake uses flour, sugar, and oil as main raw materials, made through processes such as forming and baking. It is round, golden in color, with a crisp, soft and sweet taste, melts in the mouth, and has a strong wheat fragrance. Taigu Cake has a long history, created in the Qing Dynasty, and was once presented as a tribute to the imperial court, and is now a national intangible cultural heritage. Taigu Cake can be bought in specialty stores in Pingyao Ancient City or shops in Taigu District, with a price of about 2-3 yuan each, easy to carry, and a good choice for gifts to relatives and friends.
Tickets
Unified ticket: 125 yuan per person (only including attractions in the city).
You can search for the official WeChat public account "平遥古城景区" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
Pingyao Ancient City is open 24 hours a day for tourists to enter and exit freely. The opening hours of each chargeable attraction in the ancient city are: 8:00-18:00 from April 1 to October 31; 8:30-17:30 from November 1 to March 31 of the next year. Some attractions such as Pingyao County Yamen will hold performances at specific times, and the specific performance time is subject to the announcement of the scenic area on that day. It is recommended that tourists arrange their time reasonably and try to visit during the opening hours of the attractions to avoid missing the opportunity to visit.
Tour Route
Recommended tour route (2-day tour): On the morning of the first day, arrive at Pingyao Ancient City, enter the ancient city from Yingxun Gate, first climb Pingyao City Wall (visit for about 2 hours) to overlook the whole ancient city; then go to Rishengchang Piaohao (visit for about 1 hour) to learn about the development of ancient Chinese financial industry. At noon, taste special foods such as Pingyao Beef and Wotuo in the ancient city. In the afternoon, visit Pingyao County Yamen (visit for about 1.5 hours) to watch the simulated court session performance; then go to the City God Temple (visit for about 1 hour) to appreciate the exquisite wood carvings and brick carvings. Stay in the inn in the ancient city that night to experience the night view of the ancient city.
On the morning of the second day, visit the Confucian Temple (visit for about 1.5 hours) to feel the atmosphere of Confucian culture; then visit Qingxu Guan (visit for about 1 hour) to learn about Taoist culture. Have lunch in the ancient city. In the afternoon, you can walk on West Street and South Street of the ancient city to appreciate the Ming and Qing style shop buildings, buy specialties such as Pingyao Beef and Taigu Cake; or choose to visit small attractions such as the Folk Custom Museum in the ancient city. End the trip in the evening. If time permits, you can add one more day to visit Qiao Family Courtyard (about 40 kilometers from Pingyao) or Wang Family Courtyard (about 65 kilometers from Pingyao) in the surrounding area to experience the culture of Shanxi merchants' courtyards.
Transportation
- Long-distance buses: Taiyuan Jiannan Bus Station has direct long-distance buses to Pingyao Ancient City, with one bus every 30 minutes from 7:00 to 18:30 daily. The journey takes about 2 hours, and the fare is 35 yuan per person; Jinzhong Yuci Bus Station has one bus to Pingyao Ancient City every hour, with a journey of about 1.5 hours and a fare of 25 yuan per person; there are 3 buses from Datong to Pingyao Ancient City every day, with a journey of about 4 hours and a fare of 80 yuan per person.
- Trains: Pingyao Railway Station is located about 1 kilometer northeast of the ancient city, about a 15-minute walk from the ancient city. There are direct trains to Pingyao Station from Beijing, Taiyuan, Xi'an and other places. Among them, the journey from Taiyuan to Pingyao Station takes about 1.5 hours, with a hard seat fare of 16.5 yuan; the journey from Beijing to Pingyao Station takes about 6 hours, with a hard seat fare of 72 yuan. In addition, Pingyao Ancient City Station (high-speed railway station) is located about 10 kilometers west of the ancient city, with high-speed rail connections to Taiyuan, Xi'an and other cities. The journey from Taiyuan South to Pingyao Ancient City Station takes about 40 minutes, with a second-class seat fare of 28 yuan. From Pingyao Ancient City Station, you can take bus 108 (3 yuan per person) or a taxi (about 20 yuan) to the ancient city.
- Self-driving: Starting from Taiyuan, drive south along the Beijing-Kunming Expressway (G5) and exit at Pingyao. The whole journey is about 100 kilometers, taking about 1.5 hours; starting from Beijing, drive south along the Beijing-Kunming Expressway (G5) and exit at Pingyao. The whole journey is about 550 kilometers, taking about 6 hours. Social vehicles are prohibited from entering the ancient city. Tourists need to park their cars in the parking lot outside the ancient city. The charging standard is 5 yuan per hour, with a maximum charge of 30 yuan within 24 hours.
Must-visit Attractions
- Pingyao City Wall: One of the best-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty city walls in China, with a circumference of 6163 meters and a height of 10 meters. It offers a panoramic view of the ancient city, and a full walk takes about 2-3 hours. It is a landmark attraction of the ancient city.
- Rishengchang Piaohao: China's first piaohao (draft bank), covering an area of more than 1600 square meters. It showcases the operation mode of ancient financial industry and is known as "the ancestor of China's modern banks". The visiting time is about 1 hour.
- Pingyao County Yamen: One of the best-preserved ancient county yamens in China, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. It is known as "the small Forbidden City" and has daily simulated court sessions. The visiting time is about 1.5 hours.
- Confucian Temple: One of the earliest existing Confucian temples in China, covering an area of more than 40,000 square meters. It preserves a large number of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings and inscriptions, and is an important place to understand Confucian culture. The visiting time is about 1.5 hours.
Travel Suggestions
- The ancient city has crisscrossing streets and lanes. It is recommended to download a map in advance or get a paper map at the tourist center to avoid getting lost; you can also hire a local guide (about 150 yuan per day) to gain an in-depth understanding of the ancient city's history and culture.
- Accommodation in the ancient city is mainly in Ming and Qing style inns. The price varies according to the room type and season. Economy inns cost about 150-300 yuan per night, and mid-to-high-end inns cost about 400-800 yuan per night. It is necessary to book 3-5 days in advance during peak seasons (May-October, holidays).
- For tasting Pingyao beef, it is recommended to choose well-known brands such as "Guanyun" and buy it in regular stores to avoid counterfeit products from mobile vendors; pay attention to checking the production date and shelf life when purchasing.
- If you plan to visit the nearby Qiao Family Courtyard or Wang Family Courtyard, it is recommended to make a day trip. You can take a bus from Pingyao Ancient City Bus Station to Qi County (where Qiao Family Courtyard is located) or Lingshi County (where Wang Family Courtyard is located), with fares of 15 yuan per person and 25 yuan per person respectively.
- Some roads in the ancient city are paved with stone slabs. It is recommended to wear comfortable flat shoes and avoid high heels to prevent inconvenience when walking.
Notes
- Motor vehicles are prohibited within the ancient city (except for the scenic area's work vehicles). Visitors must walk or take the human-powered tricycles available in the scenic area (with a starting fare of 5 yuan, and additional charges based on distance). Please choose tricycles with official signs to avoid being overcharged.
- Some ancient buildings in the ancient city have a long history. When visiting, you must abide by the regulations: do not touch cultural relics at will, climb buildings, or take photos in areas where photography is prohibited.
- There are many shops in the ancient city. It is recommended to compare prices from different stores and bargain appropriately when buying specialties, especially for antiques and handicrafts, and carefully distinguish the authenticity.
- The temperature in the ancient city is relatively high in summer, so you need to pay attention to sun protection and heatstroke prevention, and carry sun hats, sunscreen and other items; the temperature is low in winter, so you need to keep warm.
- Respect local customs and habits. There are still residents living in the ancient city. Avoid making loud noises during the visit and do not disturb the normal life of residents.
- Fire-fighting facilities in the ancient city are complete, but most ancient buildings are of brick and wood structure. Smoking and using open flames are strictly prohibited. Violators will face fines or other penalties.