Pingyao Ancient City in China
Rating: 8,4/10 (5493 votes)  This ancient city is a real historical museum. It is located in the Shanxi province and was built in 827-782 BC. The city is famous for three attractions. One of them is a brick wall. Initially, it was made from rammed earth, and only in 1370 acquired its modern look. The city that surrounds this wall is shaped like a turtle. The wall is 6 kilometers long; there are 72 observation towers and 3 thousand embrasures on it. This symbolizes the 72 virtues of Confucius and his 3 000 disciples. A little later, Kuisinge tower was built in the southeastern part of the wall. He personified the prosperity of the city. To the north-east of the northern gate of the city, there is a second city landmark - the Zhengosi Temple. Its wooden pavilion was built in the 10th century. Colored temple sculptures are of particular value. And southwest of the ancient city, there is the third monument of Pingyao - Shuanglinsi Temple. It was rebuilt in 571. Its 10 pavilions display 2,000 colored sculptures from various eras. This temple is also called a treasury of colored sculpture. Pingyao is still a beautiful and vibrant city. Its inhabitants manage to perfectly preserve valuable historical buildings and places. And in 1997 the city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Pingyao is a real example of the cities of China in the Ming and Qing era. It shows very well the development of society, culture, religion and economy in the history of the whole country. 
We also recommend reading Statue of Maitreya Buddha in Leshan (Great Buddha of Leshan) in China Topic: Pingyao Ancient City in China. |
