Off the beaten track: Shanxi – Pingyao

3 must-visit spots within the walls of Pingyao Ancient City

The Pingyao Ancient City, situated in the heart of Shanxi Province, has a history of 2,700 years and was named a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1997, which makes it a must-visit spots for all history geeks.

Known as the best-preserved old city inhabited by Han people, it still maintains the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). The Pingyao Ancient City Wall, built in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1045 - 771 BC), has a history of more than one thousand years and is the largest of its kind in Shanxi.

The streets and local residences of the city still remain their traditional layout and style.

The area can get pretty busy - especially in the afternoon and evening – and since most tourist attractions open as early as 8 AM, we recommend you to explore the city in the early morning.

How to get there: Take bus No1 from Pingyao Ancient Town Railway Station to the North Gate (1 RMB)

Opening hours: open all day

Entrance fee: 125 RMB

This ticket covers the admission fee for major sightseeing spots inside the

city. Children below 1.2 meter and visitors to over 60 can enter for free

English: There are a few places that offer English e-guides. If you have the possibility, opt for a local tourist guide

Time necessary to visit: 1-2 days

1) Rishengchang Piaohao (Piaohao Museum)

Address: No. 38, Pingyao West Street

Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00

Entrance fee: none

Time necessary to visit: appr. 1h

This draft bank – or Piaohao – is said to be China’s earliest draft bank and is also called the grandfather of all sorts of banks in China today.

Pingyao is known as the birthplace of Shanxi Merchants who did trading throughout China and abroad, which favored the development of such draft banks.

Established during the Qing Dynasty in 1923 by Xiyuecheng Dye Company Pingyao, the Rishengchang Piaohao served as a private financial institution specializing in money transfer and accounts savings. The bank managed to opened branches not only in China but also abroad and controlled almost half of the country’s economy before closing its doors in 1932.

After restoration, the bank reopened as a museum and was included on the List of Monuments of The People’s Republic of China.

The complex, covering an area of 1,700 square meters, consists of a series of buildings and rooms, such as the cabinet room, the letter room, the account room and three traditional courtyards.

2) Temple of the City God

Address: No. 51, Chenghuangmiao Street,

Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00

Entrance fee: none

Time necessary to visit: appr. 1h

Pingyao Temple of the City God, located in the middle of Chenghuangmiao Street, is a Taoist temple and one of the best preserved temples in China despite its long history. It is not exactly known when this temple was built, but it is estimated that it was during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127).

During the years, it has been repaired several times, especially after being heavily damaged by fire in 1554 and 1859. Today it is listed as an important protection unit of cultural relics of China.

Local people visit the temple for their prayers and its overall relaxed atmosphere make it a good place to calm down after walking through the bustling streets of Pingyao.

After entering the main gate (first picture below) there plenty of things that wait to be discovered. Covering a total area of 7302 square meters, the complex consists of three temples: Temple of the City God (with an impressive statue of the City God in the main hall), Caishen Temple (worshipping the God of Prosperity) and Zaojun Temple (worshipping the so-called “Kitchen God”), and several other buildings.

3) Pingyao Ancient Government Office

Address: No. 77, Yamen Street

Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00

Entrance fee: none

Time necessary to visit: appr. 2h

Although not located in the geometric center of the city, the Pingyao Ancient Government Office was the political center of the city and was also used as a court. The 26,000-square-meter Yamen – which stands for administrative headquarters in feudal China - was originally built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but the buildings we see now are the architectural remains of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The earliest building, the Tai Sin House, located behind the Inner Mansion, was built during the Yuan Dynasty (appr. 1346).

Different to the other two spots introduced in this article, this one needs a little bit of courage to explore. As this was also a place where citizens were punished, the complex inhabits a prison, ancient torture tools and a series of exhibitions that might not be to everyone’s taste.

A short play is shown several times a day with professional actors reacting a court trial the way it was done in ancient times. While the traditional clothes of the actors are already worth the visit, for those who understand Chinese, we suggest you to listen closely to the dialogue, as actors tend to throw in some modern buzzwords from time to time…