Pingyao is a pride for Chinese people, when there was no Wall Street, the people here had already been in full swing doing the business of Wall Street. The Ancient City of Pingyao is located in central Shanxi, has 2700 years of history, and is the only cultural city in the whole successful listed in the World Cultural Heritage, known as one of the “four best preserved ancient cities”.
Look at the majesty ancient city walls in the dusk.Originally built in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC), the Ancient City of Pingyao remained the original structure, it is rare! Pingyao still retains its city layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, conforming to a typical bagua pattern. To a great degree, it is the authenticity of the Chinese urban landscape.
The Ancient City of Pingyao is consisted by the four streets, eight side streets, and seventy-two lanes. South Street is the axis of the ancient city of Pingyao, at two sides of the streets there are old traditional shops, here is the most prosperous commercial street. Pingyao was the financial center of China in the late Qing Dynasty, so known as China's “Wall Street”. You cannot miss the ancient Chinese architecture when visit Pingyao. You can see the real case of various pavilions and streets, showing their accurate use in real life. As China’s first Piaohao, Rishengchang located in the west street of the ancient city, which was also know as Qing’s first financial street.
Chenghuang Temple is located in the southeast of Chenghuang Temple Street, consisted of Chenghuang Temple, Caishen Temple, and Zaojun Temple three building groups. The key residential areas in Pingyao, built in 1840. Deep courtyard, delicate wood carving, brick carving and stone carving, together with the vivid, lifelike, and strong local flavor of paper-cut window grilles, have the charm of the ancient residents communities.
The residential areas in the Ancient City of Pingyao are mainly brick roof and wooden structure courtyard, with strict, symmetrical and hierarchy layout. The big families usually pay attention to the structure of courtyard, and they would build more yard groups, separated by florid festoon gates. The decoration inside the residential houses is well-decorated.
The developed commerce also gave birth to the Escort Agency. Now, the Ancient City of Pingyao is still brilliant, full of charm.Have a look at Pingyao, you cannot only see its financial business, but also its cultural heritage. Confucian Temple is a key cultural heritage in Pingyao.
The first gate (Lingxing Gate) of Confucian Temple shows respect to the Confucius. Although Pingyao is a well-known commercial city in ancient China, it is still impacted by Chinese Confucian culture. In Chinese culture, jumping into the Dragon Gate is a realm of life. Even the Analects of Confucius is worshiped like this, you can imagine how deep people respect for Confucius, Confucianism, and cultural. The hall of Yamen, it was the place for officers to deal with the public affairs.