Pingyao

王家大院

Located in Lingshi County, Shanxi Province, it is known as "the first Chinese residential house" and "folk Forbidden City". Its scale is about 1.6 times that of the Forbidden City. It consists of Gaojiaya (Shilu Fort) and Hongmen Fort (Hengzhen Fort). The art of "three carvings" of brick, wood and stone is the essence. The Red Gate Fort looks like a "king" layout when viewed from above.

平遥古城景区

Pingyao Ancient City brings city walls, lanes, traditional shops and homes together into a complete historic urban setting. Enter through a city gate, stroll through open streets, then choose indoor sites such as Rishengchang and the county government office according to your interests. This page serves as an overview entry for the ancient city, complementing the existing wall and venue pages. Distinguish public streets from attractions that charge admission.

日昇昌

China's first bank account, formerly known as "Xiyucheng" Pigment Store, was restructured in the fourth year of Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1824). It specialized in deposits, loans, and exchanges. It was known as "Huitong Tianxia" and was hailed as the prototype of China's modern bank. It is now the "China Bank Museum" and is located on West Street in the ancient city.

平遥城墙

Pingyao's brick city wall completely defines the outline of the historical county town. After reconstruction and expansion in the early Ming Dynasty, six city gates, defensive towers and continuous crenels were formed, showing how administration, military and street planning were combined. Walking along the open section, you can also understand the symmetrical street network and dense courtyard pattern from a high altitude.

日昇昌票号

Rishengchang, located in the courtyard of Shanxi merchants, was one of the most famous bank accounts in the 19th century. It remitted funds through cross-regional branches and reduced the risk of long-distance transportation of silver. Accounting rooms, offices and living spaces explain why Pingyao developed into a national financial center, and can also serve as the entrance to understanding other business courtyards.

平遥县衙

Pingyao County Government retains the spatial logic of traditional local government: ceremonial gates and courtyards lead to the trial and administrative halls, with clerical, residential and prison areas at the rear. The building separates public power, official work and private life. Exhibitions are helpful for understanding the system, but the restored scenes should be read in conjunction with the real pattern.

双林寺

Shuanglin Temple is part of Pingyao World Heritage and preserves an outstanding group of colorful sculptures from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Hundreds of figures are distributed in a compact hall, integrating Buddhist, Taoist and folk belief images. The color, posture and relationship between the group of figures are worthy of close observation; the location of the village also illustrates its different connections with the urban space.

镇国寺

Zhenguo Temple is the third component of Pingyao World Heritage. The core Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall is a rare wooden building from the Five Dynasties that has been preserved to this day. The brackets, low roofs and early statues make this place an indispensable stop for understanding the development of Chinese wooden structures before ancient city architecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.