Pingyao, an ancient walled city in north China’s Shanxi Province, reopened to the public on Wednesday after being closed for two months due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Heavy snowfalls to hit more than 10 regions; Wang Xiaoyu; China Daily
A powerful winter storm lasting through Wednesday will bring heavy snowfalls to more than 10 provincial-level regions in China, including the western parts of Beijing, the National Meteorological Center said.
Tourists visit ancient city of Pingyao in N China’s Shanxi; ZD; Xinhua Net
Jia Zhangke Teams With Momo and Other Stories From Pingyao Film Festival; Bryan Grogan; That’s Magazine
Pingyao is basically one huge UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lesser known about the city, is that it is home to one of China’s best film festivals.
Source: Jia Zhangke Teams With Momo and Other Stories From Pingyao Film Festival
Exploring Shanxi’s secrets: temples, natural beauty and Unesco ancient city of Pingyao; Martin Williams; SCMP
Martin Williams checks out the natural delights of Qinyuan county in China’s Shanxi province and peak into China’s financial past at the province’s ancient city of Pingyao, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Source: Exploring Shanxi’s secrets: temples, natural beauty and Unesco ancient city of Pingyao
Aerial view of Pingyao, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in China’s Shanxi; Xinhua
Aerial photo taken on May 6, 2019 shows the scenery of Pingyao, north China’s Shanxi Province. Pingyao, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in north China’s Shanxi Province, is famous for its well-preserved ancient architecture including the city walls.
Source: Aerial view of Pingyao, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in China’s Shanxi
UNESCO’s World Heritage Listed Chinese Ancient Wall Street; Jacob Wolinsky; Value Walk
Tack on two nearby temples, and you have a UNESCO World Heritage trifecta! Travelogue host Min-Zhui Lee takes you to the ancient city…
Source: UNESCO’s World Heritage Listed Chinese Ancient Wall Street
In pics: ancient walled city of Pingyao in China’s Shanxi; Yamei; Xinhua
Scenery of Pingyao, N China’s Shanxi Province; mmm; Xinhua
Ancient city of Pingyao seeks to revive former glory through its unique culture; Xinhua
On a cold winter’s night outside the ancient walled city of Pingyao in northern China, hundreds of people gather to watch an unusual theatrical production.
Eight women in traditional costume towel-dry six muscular and freshly-bathed men, before suddenly sinking their teeth into the men’s arms as they howl in pain.
“If you die, the teeth marks will guide your spirits home,” a narrator tells the audience.
This was how bodyguards were sent off to protect merchants in the Qing Dynasty, in a scene that has been brought to life by Chinese director Wang Chaoge in her interactive play, Another Glance at Pingyao.
The play is part of a series of theatrical performances created by local directors, often held at UNESCO World Heritage sites, aimed at rediscovering history and traditional culture. In many ways, the show symbolizes the city’s recent artistic renaissance.
An introduction to China’s Ancient City; Global Times
Imagine walking through an ancient city, then climbing a gate tower to take in a panorama view of the city and its more than 600-year-old walls. You can hear the city’s heartbeat in the air. This is the Ancient City of Pingyao in Shanxi Province, a place that should definitely be on your travel itinerary if you enjoy history or ancient architecture since its origins can be traced back to more than 2,700 years ago and it boasts the most intact Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties buildings than any other city in China.
A famous historic city, the Ancient City of Pingyao beat out three other ancient Chinese cities, Sichuan Province’s Langzhong City, Lijiang in Yunnan Province and She County in Anhui Province, to become the only ancient city in the country to be included as a protected historic site by UNESCO.
Transforming Pingyao’s historic courtyard homes; Andrea Lo; CNN
(CNN)A visit to Pingyao, in Shanxi province, feels like walking through a time capsule.
The 2,700-year-old city was once the renowned banking capital of China, as important in the latter part of the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912) as Wall Street is in the United States today.
While its financial power has faded, Pingyao’s impressive architecture from that heady period, and before — including its 3.7 mile-long (6 kilometers) city wall — has remained remarkably intact.
In fact, Pingyao, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, still has some 4,000 traditional Chinese courtyard homes, dating as far back as the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644).
“There are very few courtyard homes remaining in China,” says Kuanghan Li, director of the China Heritage Program at the non-profit Global Heritage Fund.
An innovative program is now helping to restore these properties to their former glory.
What is a courtyard house?
Ancient City Seeks to Host China’s Sundance; Yijun Yin; China Film Insider
Pingyao, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hopes to keep tourists coming with Jia Zhangke’s new international film festival.
Millions of tourists visit the walled ancient city of Pingyao every year, but its faded movie theater has never been an attraction. The theater has been closed for over a decade, idly gathering dust as throngs of people shuffle by.
Nevertheless, the 2,700-year-old city in northern China’s Shanxi province could soon be at the center of Chinese cinema.
Several months ago, pile drivers starting pounding away at Pingyao’s abandoned diesel engine factory, transforming it into the site of the area’s first international film festival. The inaugural Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival (PYIFF) — named after the Oscar-winning kung fu movie — will kick off in late October.
The main driver behind the project is celebrated Chinese cineast and Shanxi native Jia Zhangke.
The 10 Best Medieval Walled Cities in the World; BabaMail
Medieval walled cities evoke thoughts of royalty, great power and bloody battles. The most amazing ones that are still extant today need to be seen to be fully appreciated, because they truly are treasures that have been left to the world. If you enjoy history and architecture, you’re going to love these. Take a look at world’s 10 best medieval walled cities:
1. Pingyao, China
This city, which is located in China’s Shanxi province and was built in the 14th Century, once housed more than half of China’s banks. Construction began under the Han dynasty emperor, Hongwu, in 1370. Pingyao’s walls are 20 feet high, feature 72 watchtowers and has a moat on the outer perimeter. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
2. Carcassonne, France
What are some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites around Beijing and China; Eslkevin’s Blog
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China
Here is a list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in China and the year they were inscribed to the list. China has the second most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world.
Ancient Buildings in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
Buildings from the Yang, Ming and Qing dynasties located in the Wudang Mountains in Hubei Province, central China.
Ancient City of Pingyao (1997)
The walled city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province dates back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1054-771 BCE).
Strategically located on the old trade route between Beijing and Xi’an, Pingyao was particular important in the medieval period for banking and money exchange.
China’s first banks or exchange shops (piaohao) were established here.
Read a guide to Pingyao
Site of Xanadu
A visit to Pingyao, China’s best-preserved ancient city; Li Yan; Global Times
In an increasingly globalized and modern world, it is difficult to find the romanticism and the true experience of traveling back in time; especially for foreigners who already have experience traveling within China.
In most people’s view, their idea of China is an imaginary country filled with small streets that have no cars and which are full of shops with posters featuring large Chinese characters.
These ideas are usually drawn from 20th century paintings that feature the country as it existed decades ago.
However, most of this antiquity has succumbed to big cities and a world of cement and cars. That is why it is very rare for travelers to find a place today that lives up to the past.
This is why it is important to visit and live in these places and experience the adventure there, before, for various reasons, these places cease to exist.
