Ancient city given new lease of life

A bird's-eye view of the ancient city of Pingyao. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In an early morning, 48-year-old Guo Xiaoqiang is cleaning his yard at No 12, Yaomen Lane in the old city of Pingyao, Shanxi province. The courtyard has a history of more than 300 years, and Guo's parents, now in their 80s, have lived here most of their lives.

"Over the years, living conditions in the ancient city have steadily improved," Guo said. "In the past, we had a non-flush toilet which was inconvenient for my elderly parents. Now we have a flushing toilet."

He said the government also provided a subsidy of more than 60,000 yuan ($8,388) to straighten the second floor of his home, which has allowed "us to continue living here with peace of mind". Guo said so when showing off the sign reading "historical building", which hangs at the entrance of his home.

Pingyao ancient city is one of the most well-preserved ancient cities in China and is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The city's essence and cultural soul reside in its traditional residences. There are about 3,800 courtyards similar to Guo's throughout the city. However, due to wear and tear over the years, some dwellings fell into disrepair and posed a serious threat to people's safety and lives.

Since 2012, Pingyao county, to which the ancient city belongs, has ramped up protection efforts, including granting financial subsidies to preserve and repair traditional dwellings under private ownership.

Hao Shizhong, head of the ancient city section of Pingyao county's natural resources bureau, explained: "Since the launch of the project, public investment in the subsidy scheme has exceeded 15 million yuan ($2.15 million), helping to fund repairs on more than 1,000 houses and benefiting more than 900 residents. The project was awarded an 'Outstanding Project Award' by UNESCO at the Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2015."

Underneath the city, a major transformation is also ongoing. Since 2019, steady progress has been made in a 1.3-billion-yuan project for infrastructure upgrading. The project focuses on the transformation of underground networks for electricity, communications, rainwater, sewage, gas and fire protection. When the project is complete, problems that have plagued the city for years such as the drainage of rainwater and sewage, waterlogging, and power shortages will be fully resolved.

"I really never thought that we residents of the ancient city would get to enjoy such a convenient way of life," Guo said.

Thanks to the renovations, a number of time-honored brands relating to the famed Shanxi merchants, or Jinshang, have been brought to light as resources to draw tourists and inspire local residents.

The Jinshang merchants are said to dominate the business circle in North China during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties because of the hardworking, enterprising and innovative spirits of the businesspeople.

Pang Zhongyuan is the general manager of Jinsheng Food Company. His specialty baked food store is inspired by Shanxi's traditional baked food culture. He said the business was founded over 100 years ago during the late Qing Dynasty by Pang's great-grandfather.

"My father, who wasn't familiar with branding or marketing, eventually ran into roadblocks that affected the development of his business. After graduating with a master's degree, I mulled it over for some time and finally decided to return to my hometown to go into business and retrace the steps of the Shanxi merchants of the past," Pang said.

After returning to Pingyao in 2014, Pang completely upgraded and rebranded the baked food store. He blended the culture of traditional Shanxi baked goods with modern elements to adapt his business to the health needs of modern people. Now the store is crowded with customers every day and is trading online.

When talking about how to keep alive and carry forward the Shanxi merchant spirit, Pang mentions two aspects he believes are key: preservation and innovation.

"The essence of the Shanxi merchant spirit, that is to earn profits with integrity, must be preserved," Pang said. "While protecting the values of commerce championed by Shanxi merchants, it is also vital to keep making innovations that will meet both the needs and mission of the day."