Ancient City of Ping Yao (simplified Chinese: 平遥古城; traditional Chinese: 平遥古城; pinyin:ping yáo gǔ chéng; literally “Ping Yao Ancien City”) is located in the middle of Shanxi Province in northern China. It was built in the Zhouxuan Wang period (BC827-782), and the city was expanded in the Ming Dynasty (AD1370). It has more than 2700 years of history. It is also keep the basic style of the Ming, Qing Dynasty till now and it is called the most complete ancient city in China. The Ancient City Ping Yao has three treasures. The ancient wall is one of them. The ancient wall was built in 1370 and it is 6.4km long. It is the largest ancient wall in Shanxi now. People had mended the wall in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, but the style of the ancient wall not changed. The shape of the city is square and the wall is 12 meters high. The outside of the wall was built by bricks and there is a crenel on the wall. The moat is 4 meters wide and 4 meters depth in the outside of the ancient wall. There are six gates in the different side of the city. In the east side has two and the two gates also in the west side and in the south and the north have two. People built small towns around the ancient city in order to defend. All small towns total have 3000 crenels and 72 buildings and symbolized the 3000 disciples of Confucius and 72 saints. After 600 hundred years, the
small towns still look solemn and nobody can invade the ancient city. The streets, shops and residents are all keep the original style in the ancient city. The streets are cross and the shops were built along the streets. The eaves of shops have colorful pictures. Residents house behind the shops are quadrangle courtyards and the courtyards have clear axis and look symmetrical. The whole city shows an ancient style. The Zhenguo Temple is in the right of the north gate of the city and it is the second treasure of the city. The Thousands Buddha Palace of the temple was built in the Wudai period (AD10 century). It is the third ancient architecture with wood structure in China. It has more than 1000 years of history. Painted sculptures of the Wudai period in the temple are rare treasures of sculpture art. The third treasure of the ancient city is located in the Shuanglin Temple of the west of the city. It was built in the AD571. More than 2000 painted sculptures of the Yuan to Ming dynasty in the 10 palaces in the temple. People called them “treasure – house of the painted sculpture.” The Ping Yao is one origin places of business in ancient China. In the fourth year of the Qing Dynasty (BC1824), the first modern bank “Risheng Chang” Exchange Shop emerged in the Ping Yao. Three years later, the “Risheng Chang” Exchange Shop set many branches in many provinces of China. In the 40s 19 century, the business of the bank developed and the bank expanded to Japan, Singapore and Russia. At that time, by the lead of the “Risheng Chang” Exchange Shop, the exchange shop industry developed quickly. The number of exchange shop reached into 22 in the flourish time and it was the financial center of China.
Ancient City Ping Yao Attractions
Ancient City Ping Yao Stories
1. Burn the God City Temple
In the 27th May to 27th July of the lunar calendar is the temple time. In the temple fair in 1895, there is an old man who sells Huoshao (In ancient China, people usually called Huoshao instead of pancakes). But nobody bought his Huoshao because of too small. A young man told the old man honestly that his Huoshao are too small and all the people like to eat big pancake. Then the old man answered:” today I sell small Huoshao and tomorrow is big Huoshao (the literally meaning of Huoshao is fire or burn, so big Huoshao means big fair).” In the night of that day, the temple was really burned (just as the old man said “tomorrow is big Huoshao”). All the palaces were burned down except the backyard of the temple. The young people recalled the old man he met yesterday and thought he was the fair god. Then the story spread.
2. The anecdote of Risheng Chang Exchange Shop: Remit Industry Management, not bully children and old people
In the end of the Qing Dynasty, there is a widow begged along the street in the Ping Yao City. One day, she took a draft of a branch exchange shop of Risheng Chang and the draft can exchange 12000 taels of silver. The head of the exchange shop saw the date in the draft is in the 1868 and that day in the 1898. So the heads of the exchange shop examined the draft carefully and pay the money to the widow. The story is the husband of the widow did fur business in Zhangjia Kou many years ago. Her husband earned 12000 taels silvers and returned home, but he died in the way home. His wife was in big sorrow, his family became more and more poor and she became a begger. One day he found a draft from his husband’s coat and tried to exchange in the exchange shop. Finally she got the money. From then on, the “Risheng Chang” got the trust of people and more and more people put their money into there.
3. The secret Mistress of the Minister of the God City
In the imperial palace of the God City has a beautiful lady and she is the mistress of the city’s minister. Here is a story of the mistress. The minister of the God City is omnipotent. One day, he played chess and bet with the minister of Jiexiu God City. The minister of God City said if he won the beautiful lady will marry him. The minister of Jiexiu didn’t believe he would win. Finally, he won. So he just took the beautiful lady home because he had the words before. The beautiful lady became the mistress of him and she stayed in the palace which the minister built for her. During the temple fair of ancient time, the minister of Jiexiu held the comb hair ceremony and the custom lasted to 70s-80s. The story makes people believe the minister of God City really exists.
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