Things to do in Pingyao County

Pingyao County · 124m from downtown

27.3k reviews

Pingyao Ancient City is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in China and, along with Lijiang Ancient City, is one of the two ancient cities in China to have successfully been designated as a World Cultural Heritage site in its entirety. Pingyao was once the financial center of China during the late Qing dynasty. Walking into this once-prosperous ancient city, you can feel the atmosphere of Shanxi merchant culture everywhere. The streets, shops, and residences within the ancient city still maintain their traditional layout and appearance. The overall street pattern is in the shape of the Chinese character 'tu', consisting of four main streets, eight small streets, and seventy-two lanes. The ancient city has six city gates in total, and the areas around the south gate and west gate are where visitors are concentrated. When touring, you usually enter the city through the lower west gate and walk along West Street to Rishengchang Exchange Shop, where you can learn about the development history of ancient banking and experience the legend of Shanxi merchants conducting business across the world. South Street, which runs north-south through the city, is the central axis of the ancient city. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, South Street gathered more than half of the country's financial institutions and was known as the "Wall Street of China" at the time. Today this street is called the Ming and Qing Ancient Street, and most of the ancient city's attractions are concentrated here. Centered on the landmark Market Tower, attractions such as Xietongqing Exchange Shop, Weitaihou Exchange Shop Museum, and the Chinese Escort Agency Museum are distributed around it, and a large number of shop buildings from the Ming and Qing periods are preserved along the street. At the Pingyao County Government Office in the south of the ancient city, you can see a large number of ancient documents and instruments of torture, and there is a daily performance of the county magistrate holding court; the City God Temple and the Confucian Temple in the east of the city have grand and refined architecture. The ancient city wall is very well preserved, and climbing the wall offers a panoramic view of the ancient city. The gate tower of Yingxun Gate at the south gate is especially exquisite, and watching the sunset from the city wall in the evening is a magnificent sight. In addition to the ancient city itself, the Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple outside the city are also part of the World Cultural Heritage. The Ten Thousand Buddha Hall of Zhenguo Temple is entirely made of wood, assembled with mortise and tenon joints without a single nail; Shuanglin Temple preserves painted sculptures from the Yuan to Ming dynasties, which are exquisite in form and renowned as a "treasure house of Eastern painted sculpture art."

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Shuanglin Temple

7.3

Pingyao County · 6 km from downtown

3.4k reviews

Shuanglin Temple is an old temple listed on the World Heritage List along with Pingyao Ancient City Wall and Zhenguo Temple. The sculptures made completely of wood-tire clay in the temple are valuable, integrating the essence of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties colorful lay sculptures. The Avalokitesvara of the Bodhisattva Temple is of high quality. She sat in front of the green background, and she was graceful and elegant, with a gentle and calm appearance. Each arm is rounded and plump, and the ratio to the body is just perfect. There is no feel of stiff, reaching the harmonious and perfect realm of sculptural art.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Pingyao County

Zhenguo Temple

6.7

Pingyao County · 12.2 km from downtown

1.3k reviews

Located in Pingyao County, Zhenguo Temple is one of the oldest wooden structures in China. The area of Zhenguo Temple is not large. Its important building is the main hall on the central axis. It is also called the Wanfo Hall. The overall frame of the hall is tightly structured and exquisitely crafted. It preserves the wooden structures of the Five Dynasties a thousand years ago; in the Wanfo Hall, the statues of the millennium are still colorful, and are the finest in ancient sculpture art. In the Sanfo Hall behind the Wanfo Hall, the walls are filled with murals of Buddhist stories of the Ming Dynasty, which are delicate and vivid.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Pingyao Ancient City

Pingyao Ancient City Wall

5.9

Pingyao County · 793m from downtown

1.1k reviews

A world relic with six gate towers, Pingyao Ancient City Wall is a stately and elegant architectural wonder. Famous for its skillfully crafted defense facilities, made of bricks, compacted earth and stones, the ancient wall was a vitally important part of the security for the cities of Fucheng and Pingyao. A popular destination for vacationing visitors, the beautifully preserved city wall area is now a national treasure, offering evidence of the sophisticated construction techniques of long ago. This is where you can experience the atmosphere of an ancient time with remnants of military structures, from turrets and lookout hideaways to iron cannon and equipment used as protective systems. Also known as Turtle City, symbolizing eternity, Pingyao city houses the thick wall, which looks like the image of a tortoise from an aerial view, with the South Gate resembling the tortoise's head. Taking a stroll on top of parts of the ancient wall, starting at the North Gate, takes you on a peaceful walk with nice views and a perspective of China back in time.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Pingyao Ancient City

Rishengchang Draft Bank

5.3

Pingyao County · 20m from downtown

835 reviews

Rishengchang Former Bank is located in the West Street in the ancient city of Pingyao. At that time, the operation network was almost all over China, and now the Rishengchang Former Bank has become the China Former Bank Museum. Here, some of the physical materials used in the operation were kept, showing the glorious history of the ancient Chinese banking industry. The Rishengchang Former Bank is a high-rise building. In order to prevent theft, there are wire nets on the sky and bells on the nets.

Pingyao Ancient Government Office

4.9

Pingyao County · 347m from downtown

440 reviews

Pingyao Ancient County, located in the ancient city of Pingyao, was the official office of the Pingyao County Office. Pingyao County is located in the center of the ancient city. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and is a well-preserved one in China. Whether it is from the layout of the building or the function setting, it is called the epitome of the palace. Here you can see a variety of ancient instruments and a large number of ancient torture tools.

Shuanglin Temple Colored Sculpture Art Museum

4.4

Pingyao County · 6 km from downtown

12 reviews

Pingyao Shuanglin Temple Colored Sculpture Art Museum belongs to the Buddhist Art Museum. On December 3, 1997, the 21st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee passed a resolution to include the "Ancient City of Pingyao" in the "World Heritage List", and Shuanglin Temple was one of them. Shuanglin Temple was originally named Zhongdu Temple. In the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Shuanglin Temple based on the saying of "Shuanglin entered Nirvana" in the Buddhist scriptures. There are 11 halls in the temple, which form three courtyards in front and back. The Tang Dynasty locust trees, Song Dynasty steles, Ming Dynasty bells, colored sculptures and ancient buildings in the temple are all rare treasures, among which the colored sculpture art is particularly famous. There are more than 2,000 existing colored sculptures, the large ones are more than ten feet, and the small ones are about one foot. They have both form and spirit, and each has its own characteristics. Their exquisite carving skills and immortal artistic value fully reflect the outstanding talents and artistic creativity of the ancient Chinese working people. It is indeed the essence of Chinese Yuan and Ming colored sculptures.

Pingyao County · 535m from downtown

Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area

4.3

4.3/5

372 reviews

Pingyao's Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area, founded in the early Ming dynasty, is one of the most well-preserved Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area in China. It is a fully regulated Taoist temple complex rich in religious and historical culture. Aside from the main hall and sleeping quarters, it is mainly composed of the Six Cao offices, Pingyao County Government Museum - Land God Shrine, Kitchen God Temple, andGod of Wealth Temple. Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area follows the ritual system of harmony between heaven and man, using South Street inside the city as its axis, and is symmetrically aligned east–west with Pingyao Ancient Government Office, with Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area occupying the foremost position. The Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area has an orderly layout, distinct layers, a grand presence, and a distinctive style. The functional division of a front court and rear sleeping quarters is very clear, and everywhere it reflects a solemn atmosphere of the underworld and the living world turning in cycles, as well as the traditional idea that heaven's net is wide yet nothing slips through. The overall layout feature of the Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area is also shown by the temple within a temple arrangement: Kitchen God Temple and Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area are placed on the east and west sides of the City God Hall, forming the peculiar scene of all the deities sharing one temple and jointly receiving incense offerings. In addition, a major characteristic of the Pingyao Ancient City City God Temple Scenic Area is its architectural structure and glazed tile art: throughout the temple area, the halls, corridors, pavilions, arches, and terraces vary in form and feature ingenious structures, and the glazed tiles that cover the roofs are especially striking and moving. The cool palette of blue and green, interspersed with yellow, creates a mysterious atmosphere, and the immortals, beasts, and dragon ridge ornaments are exquisitely modeled with colors as fresh as when new, making the complex an outstanding example of Qing-dynasty glazed tile craftsmanship.

Pingyao County · 379m from downtown

Ma's Grand Family Compound

4.1

4.5/5

30 reviews

Ma's Grand Family CompoundThe complex consists of a three-courtyard siheyuan, measuring approx. 70m from north to south and 13m from east to west. The three courtyards share a similar architectural form, each with gray-tiled gabled roofs. The main house is three bays wide, each side wing has three bays, and the depth is two bays, with the structures generally well preserved. The front two courtyards now serve as the county library, and the rear courtyard is public housing.

Pingyao County · 154m from downtown

Xietongqing Ancient Bank Museum

4

4.3/5

174 reviews

Xietongqing Bank was founded in the sixth year of Emperor Xianfeng (1856) and closed in 1913, a total of 58 years. During its opening, Xietongqing Bank had 33 branches all over the country, with a focus on the northwest and southwest. The Xietongqing Bank counter room you see now is the basic furnishings of the bank counter at that time. Xietongqing Bank is now a large-scale bank courtyard in Pingyao, with a total of five courtyards in front and back, each with different functions. For example, the first courtyard is divided into the counter room, the general account room, and the port account room, which is equivalent to the current accounting office. After completing the procedures, go to the north counter room to withdraw cash, which is equivalent to the current cashier's office; the third courtyard is divided into the assistant room, the sacrifice room, and the manager's room, which is the office space for management personnel. The fourth courtyard is the living area for employees. At that time, no matter the general account or branch, from the shopkeeper to the employees, they all lived in the bank. The fifth courtyard is where the vault is located, with very advanced anti-theft measures, among which the underground cellar (underground vault) is close to the current bank vault. The banknote house has now been turned into the China Money House Museum, which houses thousands of coins that were circulated and issued at that time. Under the courtyard of Xietongqing Banknote House is the largest underground vault in Pingyao, which stored a large amount of gold and silver in those days, as well as the treasure of Pingyao: a dragon pillar carved from camphor wood, a cultural relic from the reign of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. This dragon pillar is built in the center of the entire "Turtle City" (Pingyao Ancient City). Many tourists like to go to the underground vault to touch this dragon pillar and get some wealth. The air in the underground vault is relatively turbid, and the number of people entering the scenic spot will be limited. The entrance and exit passages are narrow, so you should pay more attention to safety when playing, and tourists with respiratory diseases should enter with caution. There is also a folk hotel in Xietongqing Banknote House, which has a cave cave with northern folk flavor. If you stay in the folk hotel, tourists can enjoy two Complimentary: one is to visit the banknote house (banknote house) museum for Complimentary, and the other is to visit the Chinese coin exhibition hall of various dynasties for Complimentary.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Pingyao Ancient City

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Shanxi Museum

8.1