Cultural value of old Pingyao county

Updated:2015-01-23 17:33
By Fang Sha ( chinadaily.com.cn)

Pingyao county, in Shanxi province, is in a land-locked area with a more than 2,000-year history, and one of China's best preserved historic sites and a typical example of Han culture. It still has its old city walls, old money shops, stores, temples, alleys, and residential areas, in a complete architectural complex, providing a good look at life in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties. UNESCO's World Heritage committee had a lot of good things to say about the county and about how it shows the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over a 5–century period, and the culture, society, economy, and religion of old China.

Heritage

Old city walls [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Across time, the county has kept a many relics from a various historical periods and has been called a living museum of old China's architectural styles, construction, and building materials, and of the arts and aesthetic accomplishments of different ethnic groups.

Han culture

The ancient town [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The county was planned along traditional Han cultural lines and the architecture shows a great deal of Han characteristics from the 14th to 19th centuries, so, it is significant for the study of society, the economy, the military, religion, philosophy and ethics, and lifestyles of the period.

Traditional residences

Traditional residential clusters [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The current county basically looks the same as when it was rebuilt after 1370 in Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. Historical records say the main residential areas were built from 1840 to 1911, making it the best preserved Han community in China, with their exceptional wood carvings, stone engravings, window decorations, and other architectural features with artistic value.

Financial center

Rishengchang, the oldest bank of China, in Pingyao county [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

In the latter half of the 19th century, Pingyao was a financial center of Imperial China and the most advanced county of that time, with the headquarters of the most influential financial institutions and early banks, and a key to China's finance business in modern times. Over a 100-year period its banking system contributed a lot to China's economic development. The county was the home of many sophisticated businessmen, the Shanxi merchants and you can still get a sense of the past glory in the county's relics.

Cultural significance

Since the start of China's feudal system and regional administration, in 221BC, the county was designated an administrative unit, with a feudal hierarchy. All the architecture was built to reflect the rich culture of the time. There are six temple complexes that still exist, with both national and regional cultural features.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw