Pingyao:the struggle in China between history and modernity

Looking over old Pingyao at daybreak is like traveling back a few centuries, A Qing Dynasty fortress, complete with giant wooden gates and cast-iron cannons to repel any invading hordes.

----- Asiaweek Magazine's Liu Yuan

Profile of Pingyao(1)

LocationThe Old Town of Pingyao is in Pingyao County, in the center of Shanxi Province

Profile of Pingyao(2)

History The city has a history of over 4,

000 years. It is said that Yao, a legendary monarch in ancient China had won his title in Pingyao some 4,100 years ago. It was constructed during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (C.1100-771B.C.) and has been the county seat ever since the establishment of the prefecture-and-county system in ancient China.

Pingyao is the best preserved of the ancient cities in the regions populated by the Han et

hnic group.

Profile of Pingyao(3)

Present Today, Pingyao looks much th

e same as it did during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties

Since 1997, it has been listed as a World Heritage Site.

Now Pingyao city is the only one in China completely reserved as it was hundreds of years ago, no modern buildings, only narrow stone-plate street with many Chinese-style shops on the two sides. 

Pingyao is the best preserved of the ancient cities in the regions populated by the Han et

hnic group.

Profile of Pingyao(4)

The Old Town of Pingyao is an outstanding example of the Han cities in the Ming and Qing dynasties, retaining all the features of these periods. Pingyao presents a picture of unusual cultural, social, economic, and religious development in Chinese history.

—from a report of the World Heritage Commission of UNESCO

AttractionsFor its well-preserved city wall and streets, stores, temples and residential housing built in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCOin 1997.

City Wall(1)

First built about 2,700 years ago,

the ancient city wall was expanded in the Ming Dynasty. It was the most well-preserved wall among the ancient historical and cultural cities in China. It is square, 10 meters high, 5 meters wide, and 5.4 kilometers in circumference. There are 72 terraces with battlements. A bird's-eye view of the city, the wall looks like a turtle, hence the name 'Turtle City'.

City Wall (2) Turtle city

The city has six gates, two each on the east and west and one each in the south and north side. All the gates project outwards and have two doors each. This has given the city the name "Turtle City" with the two gates on the south and north representing the head and tail of the turtle and four gates on the east and west as the four legs. The doors on the south and north stand opposite each other, like the head of the turtle extending out and two wells just beyond southern gate are like a turtle's two eyes. 

The city wall, rebuilt in 1370.

City Wall(3)The city wall extends for six kilomete

rs and testifies to the profound influence of Confucianism in this region, as the disciples of Confucius are said to be represented by the 3,000 embrasures on the wall and the 72 best disciples are represented by the 72 small watchtowers. In the later period of the Qing Dynasty, the Kuixing Pavilion was built on the southeast section of the wall and became a symbol of the flourishing culture of the ancient city.

The recently rebuilt tower on top of the North Gate has retained

its original appearance

Chinese Financial House Museum Ri Sheng Chang(1)

• Ri Sheng Chang was established in the early Qing Dynasty. It was China's forerunner for organizing Chinese early finance system, handling remittance, money exchange, deposit, loan and other financial business. There were 35 branches in China's big and medium-sized cities. Its business covered Europe, America and Southeast Asia.

Rishengchang_the first draft bank of China

Chinese Financial House Museum Ri Sheng Chang(2)• The banking company had established a

complete and strict management system because at that time the communication and transportation conditions are quite backward. For example, when a new employee came into the company, the manager always left several dollars in the yard to test the employee. If he returned the money to the manager, he passed the first examination. Second pass is the abacus, the main tool to calculate. Young people had to stand in the yard to practice abacus for several weeks, even in winter. What is more, the owner of the company did not involve in the daily business because he employed a general manager, and gave him some shares to attract him work harder and earned more money.         

The Clerk is writing the draft.

South Street (Ming-Qing Street)

With a length of 440 meters, the street used to be the commercial center of Pingyao ancient city. The traditional and orderly-located shops of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are still well preserved. The cross-street Town House, is the highest building of the city (18.5 meters high). On its top, you can take a whole view of the Ming–Qing Street. Walking along the street, tourists can get the first-hand experience of ancient China.

Tongxinggong Armed Escort Company Museum (1)

•Situated at No. 105 Nanda Jie in Pingyao, this museum is housed in the grandeur of a Ming styled complex. It is an excellent place to discover the history of the armed escort firms that played an important role in the development of Chinese commerce.

Tongxinggong Armed Escort Company Museum (2)

The business boom in Shanxi during the mid 19th century meant that there were substantial transits of money earned through trade. So that this wealth should not fall into the hands of thieves, merchants employed the services of professionally organized armed escorts.

Wang Zhenqing, who was a master of martial techniques, established a company to provide a much needed escort service. His unparalleled bravery and military skills earned him and his firm such a good reputation that his firm became the established leader in its field. For several decades this firm and others like it played an important role in providing the security so necessary to the safe conduct of trade

Qiaojia Dayuan Qiaojiabu Folklore Museum(1)

• Located in a large courtyard in Qiaojiabu village of the Qi County, Qiaojia Dayuan was the residential house of Qiao Zhiyong, a capitalist in the Qing Dynasty who attained his fortune in financial and commercial business in the periods of Emperor Jiaqing and Emperor Daoguang. With typical northern China architectural characteristics, the Dayuan (courtyard) is divided into 6 big yards and 20 small yards with 313 rooms and covers an area of over 8,700 sq meters.

Qiaojia Dayuan Qiaojiabu Folklore Mu

seum(2)• Here you can watch farming activities in e

very season, ceremonies of sacrifice and ancestral warship, wedding ceremonies and daily life. Through which you’ll have a view of the folk customs of Shanxi during the period of late Qing Dynasty.

• 位于祁县乔家堡村。始建于清嘉庆、道光年间，为清末民初金融商业资本家乔致庸的宅邸其建筑具有北方特色，清代民居风格。被誉为“北方民居建筑史上罕见的一颗明珠”。如今是祁县民俗博物馆。整个建筑群分为 6 个大院、 20 个小院， 共有房屋 313 间，占地 8700 多平方米。馆内展鉴共分 6 大部分， 12 个单元， 31 个展室。分别以时序节令、奉祀祭祖、婚丧礼仪、生活起居等为主题，较为系统地反映了清末民初晋中一带的民情风俗。并有木器、衣饰、陶瓷、字画、工艺品等专题陈列。

Courtyard Residences in Pingyao(1)WANG'S Dayuan

• The courtyard residences in Pingyao are elegantly designed with local features. Standing for a long history, the buildings are still perfectly preserved. There are two types of residences – commercial and civilian, which are all well known for their typical representation of China's traditional residences. One example of these courtyards is Wangs Compound House. Wang's family was originated from Shanxi Province, and after earning some money from their business and farm, the family took three generations to build its house, and now is called as Wangs' Compound House, which is at least two centuries old.

Courtyard Residences in Pingyao(2) wANG'S Dayuan

the Wang's Compound, titled as the "First House of the Chinese Folk Residence", is located in the south of Shanxi Basin under the foot of the Mianshan Mountian, the only one in Shanxi Province into West China Folk Residence, the first volume of "Collection of China Folk Residential Buildings".

The residence was built from about the 1660s to 1800s, covering area of 150,000 square meters, of which 45,000 are defined as provincial preserve, including the building cluster, in Gao's Gliff, the cluster in the Hongmen Blockhouse, Yi'an Garden, Danpu Garden, ancestral temples, etc.

Courtyard Residences in Pingyao(3) wANG'S Dayuan

The Wang's Compound are built along with the tendency of the hills, in massive scale, harmonious layout, and completely functional. The styles of the South China and the and the North China are combined in the building art and decoration skills, formulating a unique workmanship model, presenting a wonderful art style rooted in the land of China.

The Temple of the City God (1)

• Pingyao's Temple of the City God was built during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127) and is an essential venue for visitors who seek to appreciate and understand the cultural and religious background of this city.

The Temple of the City God (2)• The temple has a rich cultural heritage and it b

ears witness to the way in which aspects of Confucianism, Taoism and the ancient customs of the Han people of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River have been brought together in ritual, design and decoration. The architectural style is Taoist involving the use of blue and green tiles that confirm the high level of importance the temple had for the city. Elaborate wall paintings, lifelike clay sculptures, exquisitely carved bricks and wood carvings as well as the ingenious carpentry used in the construction of the buildings are monuments to the craftsmanship and skill of those responsible for their completion. The classical Qing Dynasty ornamentation of the roof ridges, with their myriads of floral and fauna, both real and mythical, is a feast for the eyes.

Zhenguo Temple (1)

• The temple is located in Hedong Village, 15 kilometers northeast of the seat of Pingyao, 85 kilometers south of Taiyuan. It was built in the year of 963, that is, in the seventh year of reign of Emperor Tianhui in the Northern Han during the Five dynasties.

Zhenguo Temple(2)• Wanfo Hall, the main hall of the te

mple, is square-shaped while its roof resembles an umbrella.

The hall is a rare well-preserved wooden structure built in the Five dynasties. Indoors are 11 round tall statues in the style of the Tang dynasty, including Buddha, Bodhisattvas, disciples, and Vajra, etc.Furthermore, the treasure of closely-planted ancient trees add lustre of simpleness and g

race to Zhenguo Temple.

A painting on the wall immediately inside the door of Wanfo Hall in Zhenguo

Temple

Zhenguo Temple(3)

The painted sculptures in the Wanfo Hall in the Zhenguo Temple are of a rare type from the Five

Dynasties period in China.

The Wanfo Hall in the Zhenguo Temple. Built 1,000 years ago, the temple is one of the oldest existing wood buildings in C

hina.

Government office(Xianya)

• 平遥县衙位于城内的政府街（旧称衙门街），座北朝南，占地二万六千多平方米。经过历代添修和现在精心复原，平遥县衙已成为中国现存极少的、完整的古县衙之一。

Government office(Xianya)(2)

• 平遥县衙位于城内的政府街（旧称衙门街），座北朝南，占地二万六千多平方米。经过历代添修和现在精心复原，平遥县衙已成为我国现存极少的、完整的古县衙之一。

• 衙署大门西侧，是申明亭，是有关吏员对民间纠纷进行了解和调解的地方。衙门两边是赋役房，为窑洞厢房，是收取赋役、钱粮的地方。东西赋役房北面，左侧是厨灶，右侧是炭房，供衙役们做饭、烧水之用。紧接大门的是仪门，也称“礼仪之门”，建于明万历四十七年，是象征封建礼教的建筑物，两柱楹联分别是“门外四时春和风甘雨，案内三尺法烈日严霜”。深刻说明了衙门内外的区别。

Presentation of ancient lawsuit

Government office(Xianya)

县衙大堂

　　大堂上书“亲民堂”坐北朝南，高耸威严，在建筑上是县衙署中最为宏伟的，在职能上也是最为重要的，全县所有的大案、要案、命案都要在这里审理，大堂为五楹厅堂，中间为三楹公堂，公堂楹柱上悬有一联曰：

　　得一官不荣失一官不辱勿说一官无用地方全靠一官　　吃百姓之饭穿百姓之衣莫道百姓可欺自己也是百姓