Pingyao, officially known as Pingyao Ancient City, is a walled city in central Shanxi Province, China. It is famous for its role in Chinese economic history and for its well-maintained city layout and buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Administratively, it includes the town of Gutao in Pingyao County, Jinzhong. According to the 2020 census, the permanent population of the county is 450,697. This is a decrease of 52,015 people compared to the 2010 census, which recorded 502,712 residents. The population dropped by 10.35% over ten years, with an average annual growth rate of -1.09%.

The town was established in the 14th century and has served as a local government center since at least the Qin dynasty. By the 16th century, it became an important financial hub. Some historians believe it was the financial center of the Qing Empire in the late 19th century. Pingyao Ancient City is located in Pingyao County, Shanxi Province. The city was built during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (827–782 BC) and has a history of more than 2,800 years. It is a top-rated tourist attraction and was added to the World Heritage List in 1997 along with the surrounding Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple.

History

A settlement already existed in Pingyao during the rule of the Xuan King (r. c. 827 – c. 782 BC), when the Zhou built earth walls around the area. During the Spring and Autumn period, the region was part of the kingdom of Jin. In the Warring States period, it belonged to the kingdom of Zhao. Under the Qin dynasty, it was called Pingtao. During the Han dynasty, it was the main location of Zhongdu County.

Pingyao became a financial center for the region in the 16th century and for the entire Qing Empire in the late 19th century. At that time, more than 20 financial institutions operated in the city, making up more than half of all financial institutions in the country. Rishengchang was the first and largest institution, controlling nearly half of China’s silver trade during the late Qing period. It later went bankrupt in 1914 after the Xinhai Revolution. Restorations of the city have been done regularly since the 15th century, with the most recent work starting in 1979. In 1986, China named Pingyao one of its Historical and Cultural Cities. In 2004, part of the southern walls collapsed. In 2015, Pingyao ancient city was designated a national 5A-class tourist attraction.

Geography

Pingyao is located on the east side of the Fen River, near the southwestern edge of the Taiyuan Basin. It is in the central part of Shanxi Province, northern China, southwest of the Taiyuan Basin and on the middle part of the Yellow River, near the eastern Loess Plateau. Pingyao is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of central Taiyuan and 715 kilometers (444 miles) southwest of Beijing, the capital of China. Pingyao County is next to Qi County, which is also a protected historical and cultural city.

Pingyao County has a temperate continental climate. This means the weather is usually mild and dry, with large temperature differences between winter and summer. Strong sandstorms often occur in winter. The average yearly temperature is 10.2°C, and the yearly rainfall is about 540 millimeters, mostly during summer. Winters are cold, with frequent northwestern winds and little snow or fog. Spring has big changes in temperature between day and night, with little rain and some wind. Summer is hot, humid, and rainy. Autumn has cooler temperatures, little rain, and clear, sunny days.

Pingyao still has its city layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, arranged in a typical ba gua pattern. More than 300 ancient ruins are found in or near the city. The city has over 100 streets and lanes lined with nearly 4,000 shops and homes from the 17th to 19th centuries. The streets and buildings still look much like they did in the past. The ancient city is also home to more than 20,000 people, making Pingyao one of the best examples of an ancient "living city."

Pingyao's city walls were built in 1370, during the Ming Dynasty. They enclose an area of about 2.25 kilometers (0.87 square miles). The city has six barbican gates: one each on the north and south walls, and two each on the east and west walls. This pattern is similar to a turtle, with the head, tail, and four legs, giving Pingyao the nickname "Turtle City." The walls are about 12 meters (39 feet) high and have a perimeter of 6,163 meters (20,220 feet). A moat 4 meters wide and 4 meters (13 feet) deep is found just outside the walls. In addition to four towers at the corners, there are 72 watchtowers and more than 3,000 battlements. The number of defensive structures is said to match the number of Confucius's students and followers. These walls are among the best-preserved ancient city walls of this size, aside from the Great Wall of China.

In the early 19th century, many families in Pingyao became wealthy through trade. This allowed them to build large, fortress-like homes. One example is the Qiao family compound, built outside Pingyao in 1756 during the Qing Dynasty. The Qiao family earned money as tea and tofu merchants. By the third generation, the family leader, Qiao Zhiyong, expanded their business into an empire across Shanxi Province. He built Qiao's Grand Courtyard, a large courtyard complex. When viewed from above, the complex looks like the Chinese character "Xi," meaning "pleasure." The courtyard has six large yards with 20 smaller courtyards inside. These courtyards are surrounded by 313 rooms and connected by alleys for guards to patrol. The complex is made of stone and wood using traditional Qing Dynasty methods. Large stone lion statues guard the entrances, symbolizing protection in Chinese culture. The walls are 10 meters high. The Qiao family lived in the mansion until the 1980s, after which it became a museum and now welcomes thousands of visitors each year.

Demographics

In 2009, Pingyao had 48,531 people living in 16,634 households. Of these residents, 12,132 had local household registration, and 36,399 came from other regions of China.

By the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, the total population of Pingyao was 442,785. At that time, 50.3% of the population lived in urban areas, while the remaining 49.7% lived in rural areas. There were 222,832 people in urban areas and 219,953 in rural areas. The population included 225,301 males and 217,484 females.

Governments

Pingyao Ancient City and its surrounding areas are part of the town called "Gutao," which serves as the main location of Pingyao County. Gutao is responsible for managing 10 villages.

Economy

In the early years of Pingyao, the city played an important role in China's financial activities. By the late 18th century to early 19th century, traveling across northern China was dangerous. Merchants often faced robbery while traveling to Pingyao, which was located between the imperial city of Xi'an and what is now Beijing, making it a key trade route. To address this, Pingyao merchants created paper remittances or bonds, allowing traveling merchants to avoid carrying gold and silver, which made travel safer. Because Pingyao was a major trade center, many families, including the Qiao family (mentioned in the architecture section), became very wealthy.

As of 2009, the town had 19,059 workers. Of these, 3,811 farmers worked 9,977 mu (613 hectares or 1,510 acres) of farmland, producing 33.7 million RMB worth of crops, livestock, and other goods. The area focuses on using machines more and working land efficiently. Pingyao is known for its beef and also produces grain and cotton. The rest of the workforce is divided between industry and services, especially tourism. Industry generated 840 million RMB and focused on improving energy efficiency. A local product is lacquerware. The service sector, including tourism, earned 790 million RMB, which is less than industry but is growing quickly and receiving special attention from the government.

Pingyao Ancient City is 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan, Shanxi, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the best-preserved example of an ancient Chinese county town from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city includes complete walls, streets, shops, temples, and homes, showing the architectural style of those dynasties.

Increased tourism has created challenges for Pingyao. During China's Golden Weeks, visitor numbers sometimes reached 2.5 times the city's planned maximum capacity. For example, during the week around May Day in 2007, the town earned about 94.5 million RMB from tourists.

Since 2007, the government has shortened China's "Golden Weeks" to spread tourism more evenly throughout the year. The Global Heritage Fund has also partnered with the Pingyao County People's Government to protect the town from overdevelopment and damage caused by too many visitors. The goal of their Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program is to better preserve local traditional buildings and arts through improved planning and stronger conservation efforts.

Culture

Local foods include Pingyao beef (平遥牛肉, Píngyáo niúròu) and wantuo (平遥碗托, Píngyáo wǎntuō), which was a favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi. Other local items are Changshengyuan rice wine (长升源黄酒), bean flour Minjian (豆面抿尖), and Jiupian (揪片).

Pingyao holds the Pingyao International Film Festival and the Pingyao International Photography Festival. These events show how the city is important for both modern art and its old history. In addition, the silver merchants of Pingyao in the early 20th century were the subject of the 2009 film Empire of Silver.

Conservation

There is a current project to protect and bring back to life the ancient city of Pingyao. This effort aims to preserve the city's long history while meeting the needs of its modern residents. The Conservation and Revitalisation Programme for Pingyao's Ancient City was first planned and approved in 2014. Many groups, including Tongji University, Pingyao County People's Government, the Bureau of Natural Resources, the Global Heritage Fund, and UNESCO experts, are working together to achieve several goals. One goal is to add modern services, such as electricity and sewage systems, to the 2.4 square kilometer area of the heritage site. This will improve living conditions for the more than 20,000 people who live and work in the ancient city. A main goal is to reuse unused areas within the ruins as museums and other facilities to help preserve and celebrate Pingyao's heritage.

Gallery

• Market Tower, built in the 14th century
• Qingxuguan (清虚观), a Daoist temple located in Pingyao
• The Confucius Temple of Pingyao
• A street in Pingyao
• The city walls of Pingyao
• A door in a courtyard decorated with red Chinese lanterns
• Examples of traditional roof architecture
• A courtyard situated along a street in Pingyao
• The gate of Shuanglin Temple
• A polychrome statue of a Heavenly King (Tianwang) located at Shuanglin Temple