Famous Landmarks in Pingyao

Famous Landmarks in Pingyao are considered the Name Card of Pingyao, like the Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao Courtyard, Rishengchang Exchange Shop, etc. ancient and new. They are somehow, represent a certain character or role Pingyao played to the world. Come with Top China Travel, to witness and appreciate those famous Pingyao Landmarks.

Pingyao Ancient City
Pingyao Ancient City had been emerged gradually along with the city wall during the 11th century -256 BC. It is the only ancient city in China completely reserved as it was hundreds of years ago without any modern architecture, but only the narrow street flanking with Chinese shops in old style and the road plated with the original stone.

Several old courtyards have been turned into museums, most notably the homes and offices of Pingyao's old tongs, or banks. One of the most remarkable aspects of a visit here is realizing that this remote place was immensely important to China's financial history. Ancient City Wall is one of "Three Treasures" of Pingyao, the other two being Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple. This city wall enjoys the longest history compared with the others across China and remains almost intact.

Qiao Courtyard
It is not exaggerated that you will be go deeply into the once most prosperous merchant family by visiting Qiao Courtyard on your way to Pingyao Ancient Town which is located 20km north of Pingyao.

Qiao Courtyard was the home of a powerful trading family with significant commercial influence even beyond Shanxi, as they were in the trade sector, a nationwide business. The compound is fortified behind a 10m high wall with battlements. The total amount of buildings was 60 courtyards, ten large courtyards, 19 courtyards, totaling 313 rooms. From the bird-eye view, the layout is in the shape of a Chinese character -double happiness and selected from mould of castle. Inside the close brick wall, each two courtyards are linked tightly and each two rooms are like fish scales and comb teeth. Six buildings are divided into two by corridors. There are numerous courtyards and gardens in courtyards.

Shuanglin Temple
Shuanglin Temple, located 7 km southwest out of Pingyao Ancient Town, is a Buddhist temple which houses more than 2,000 terracotta figurines dating back to the Song and Yuan dynasties.

All cultural relics inside this temple, such as the pagoda trees planted during the Tang Dynasty, stone tablets from the Song Dynasty, bells from the Ming Dynasty, colored sculptures and ancient constructions, are considered invaluable. The colored sculptures have won great acclaim in the world. Various sculptures are scattered throughout the temple, the tallest measuring over one zhang (3.3 meters) and the shortest, one chi (three chi=one meter). With a total of 2,056 sculptures, the temple is reputed as an oriental art treasury. The cream-colored art sculptures of the Yuan to Ming period are compared to the Yungang Grotto and frescos in the Yongle Palace of Ruicheng City.

Rishengchang Exchange Shop
Among lots of banks in the city Pingyao, Rishengchang Exchange Shop, established in 1643, was the first bank in China and also it is the most famous. What started out as a single businessman efforts to safely manage the accounts of his widely spread company, became a private banking enterprise that caught on like wildfire - a similar phenomenon occurred in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages.

Now it has been converted into a museum and its head office was the same as it was in the Qing dynasty. There are 21 buildings surrounding three courtyards. On either side of the front yard are the counters. Main banking activities were carried out in the middle courtyard house, which functioned as an exchange center as nowadays.


►More famous attractions in Pingyao please click Pingyao Attractions
►Highly recommended Pingyao Tours at Classic Pingyao Tours