The Piangyao Ancient City
Pingyao Ancient City, first established during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty, boasts a history spanning over 2,800 years. It underwent extensive expansion and renovation during the Ming Hongwu period, emerging as one of the largest and most well-preserved ancient cities in China. This city, renowned for its unique architectural style, profound cultural heritage, and abundant historical relics, is hailed as a "living fossil" for studying the development and changes of ancient Chinese cities, the evolution of human habitation forms, and the relationship with traditional Chinese culture.
The ancient city wall, a crucial component of Pingyao, stands approximately 12 meters tall with an average width of 5 meters and a perimeter of 6.4 kilometers. Six barbican forts remain intact along the wall. The 72 watchtowers and 3,000 battlements embed rich connotations of Confucian culture. The wall, a perfect blend of defensive and cultural functions, exemplifies the typical characteristics of cities in northern China during the Ming and Qing dynasties.Within Pingyao Ancient City, numerous well-preserved ancient commercial buildings, or ancient shops, can be found. Mostly located on main streets, these shops exhibit a prosperous scene of ancient commerce. Additionally, traditional residential buildings, mostly constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties, are another highlight of the city. These residences maintain their original appearance and layout, offering a glimpse into the past.
Architectural Features of Pingyao Ancient City
Pingyao Ancient City stands out among ancient cities in China with its unique architectural features, fully exhibiting the urban planning concepts and layout patterns of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Here are some of the main aspects of Pingyao's architectural characteristics:
City Wall: The city wall of Pingyao Ancient City is one of its iconic structures and also one of the best-preserved ancient city walls in China. With a perimeter of approximately 6.4 kilometers, a height of around 12 meters, and a width of about 2.5 meters, the wall is primarily constructed with bricks and stones, featuring battlements, watchtowers, and other defensive facilities. There are gates on the south, north, and west sides of the wall, with the south gate being the main entrance. A watchtower stands atop the gate, serving as one of the highest points in Pingyao Ancient City.
Confucian Temple: Pingyao's Confucian Temple is one of the earliest existing temples dedicated to Confucius and also one of the largest Confucian temples in China. The main buildings of the temple include the Dacheng Hall, the Ji Gate, and the Lingxing Gate, with the Dacheng Hall being the primary structure where a statue of Confucius is worshipped. This temple embodies the respect and inheritance of Confucian culture.
Ancient Market Tower: The Ancient Market Tower is one of the central points of Pingyao Ancient City and a crucial venue for trade and commerce during the Ming and Qing periods. It has witnessed the prosperity of the city's commercial activities and is an integral part of the daily lives of the residents.
County Yamun: Pingyao's county yamun is one of the earliest existing county administrative offices in China and a significant historical building in the ancient city. The layout and architectural style of the office reflect the authority and dignity of ancient administrative institutions.
Other Religious Buildings: Pingyao Ancient City also hosts Taoist temples such as Qingxu Temple. These buildings each have their unique characteristics, collectively contributing to the rich and diverse architectural landscape of the ancient city.
Folk Activities
The ancient city of Pingyao preserves numerous folk activities with ethnic and regional characteristics, which are rich and colorful, reflecting the profound cultural heritage and unique local charm of the city. Traditional folk performing arts occupy a significant position in Pingyao. Among them, stilt walking and land boat are two popular forms of performance.
Stilt (高跷): In the stilt show, actors walk on tall sticks, wear colorful costumes, and perform various movements and dance steps. The scene is lively and spectacular.
Land Boat(旱船): Land Boat is a kind of simulated water sailing performance, actors dressed as boaters and paddlers, through tacit cooperation and vivid performance, show the water sailing scene. These performance forms are not only entertaining but also contain profound cultural connotations.
Taige(抬阁): In the pavilion performance, actors are fixed on beautifully decorated iron bars and carried by adults to walk and perform various movements and scenes.
Beigun(背棍): The Beigun is a form of acting, in which adults carry children dressed as various characters on their backs and act out the story through walking and simple movements. These performance forms not only test the skills and physical strength of the actors but also show the love and pursuit of the ancient city people for art.
There are also many traditional festivals and celebrations in Pingyao. For example, during the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and other traditional festivals, grand temple fairs, lantern fairs, and Shehuo performances are held in ancient cities, attracting tourists and residents to watch and participate. The folk art and opera of Pingyao Ancient City are also its cultural treasures. Paper-cutting, dough sculpture, clay sculpture, and other folk art spread widely in the ancient city, these artworks not only have ornamental value but also contain profound historical and cultural connotations. At the same time, Pingyao Opera, as one of the representatives of Shanxi Clapper, its melody is graceful and beautiful, and the actors are good at shaping roles, which is loved by the audience.
Travel information
Opening hours
April 1 - October 7:08:00-18:00
October 8 - March 31:08:00-17:30
Pingyao Ancient City tickets
The entrance fee is free, and the attractions are charged as follows:
1, Shuanglin Temple: adult ticket 35 yuan, half price ticket 15 yuan
2, Zhenguo Temple: adult ticket 25 yuan, half-price ticket 10 yuan
3, Ancient City pass: adult ticket 130 yuan, half-price ticket 65 yuan
Travel tips
1. There are fixed costume performances in ancient city blocks and scenic spots, at no extra charge. Interested can go to watch on time, and the specific performance time can be asked at the time of ticket purchase.
2, holiday Pingyao tourists a lot, it is recommended to travel peak, holidays need to book in advance.
3, please do not drive into the ancient city, there are cameras at the gate of the ancient city, will be taken photos score fines.
4, around the ancient city, there will be a lot of enthusiastic fellow volunteers to give you directions, let you stay, let you take a tour bus and so on, be careful.
5, Pingyao Ancient city is a cultural mecca, it is suggested that you can ask for a guide, can have a deeper understanding of Jin Shang culture.
