Ancient City of Ping Yao, China

Pingyao is an ancient city in central Shanxi Province, China. It was the financial center of China during the Qing Dynasty. Pingyao follows the typical baqua pattern, is well preserved with a city layout that dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The cityscape has also retained its historical appearance.

Pingyao was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee in Naples, Italy, on 1-6 December, 1997.

During its heyday, Pingyao has 20 financial centres, or banks, half of all that is available in China. This includes the Rishengchang, said to be the first bank in China.

The city walls of Pingyao were put up by the Hongwu Emperor in 1370. It has six barbican gates. With one gate on the north and one to the south, and two each on the east and west, Pingyao looks like a turtle, hence its moniker, Turtle City.

The walls were further defended by a 4-meter wide moat. There were 72 watchtowers and 3,000 battlements. Like many major tourist attractions of China, Pingyao suffers from the pressure of controlling the number of tourists visiting it, which can reach three times the maximum daily capacity.

Medieval city wall of Pingyao