Charming ancient county in Shanxi

Pingyao county, in Shanxi province, has a little over 6 kilometers of ancient walls that contain a living samples of China's rich culture, economy, and religions that developed over a 2,700-year period.

It has more than 100 lanes, 20 temples, and nearly 4,000 households in this central part of Shanxi, and is an outstanding example of a Ming (1368－1644) or Qing dynasty (1636—1912) town of the Han Chinese. It joined the World Cultural Heritage list in 1997 and has been holding an International Photography Festival annually since 2001 gradually putting itself on the world stage.

At the same time, modern art has merged with old traditions in the county, attracting photography lovers and tourists from all over the world.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw