The Ancient City of Pingyao in Shanxi Province 山西平遥古城

平遥古城位于中国北部山西省的中部，始建于西周宣王时期（公元前827年～公元前782年），明代洪武三年（公元1370年）扩建，距今已有2700多年的历史。迄今为止，它还较为完好地保留着明、清（公元1368～1911年）时期县城的基本风貌，堪称中国汉民族地区现存最为完整的古城。
The Ancient City of Pingyao is located in the middle of Shanxi Province in the north of China. It was first built during the reign of King Xuan of West Zhou (827 B. C. - 728 B. C.) and expanded in the third year during the reign of Hongwu of Ming Dynasty (1370 AD), i.e. over 2,700 years ago. Today, the fortress of county of Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) basically looks the same as it was because of proper preservation and can be called the ancient city laying most intact in the Han Nationality area in China.
人称平遥有三宝，古城墙便是其一。平遥古城墙周长约6公里，有3000个垛口、72座敌楼，据说象征孔子三千弟子及七十二圣人。城墙历经了600余年的风雨沧桑，至今仍雄风犹存。
As is known to all, there are three kinds of treasures in Pingyao and the ancient city wall is one of them. The ancient city wall of Pingyao is about 6km long, with 3,000 crenels and 72 watching towers, which, allegedly, signifies the 3,000 disciples of the master and 72 saints. Despite 600 years of wind and rain erosion, the wall still looks as grand and majestic.
平遥古城内的街道、商店和民居都保持着传统的布局与风貌。街道呈十字形，商店铺面沿街而建。铺面结实高大，檐下绘有彩画，房梁上刻有彩雕，古色古香。铺面后的居民宅全是青砖灰瓦的四合院，轴线明确，左右对称。整座古城呈现出一派古朴的风貌。
The streets, shops, and households inside the Ancient City of Pingyao are still of the same layout and style. The streets are either horizontal or vertical and shops are all along the streets. The shops are mostly tall and massive and there are paintings under the eaves and color engravings on beams, all in graceful ancient style. And behind the shops are households of common people that are all single-story houses of dark bricks and grey tiles with distinct axis and left-to-right symmetry. The whole city gives a sense of classic and plain taste.
出古城北门有镇国寺，它是古城的第二宝。该寺的万佛殿建于五代（公元10世纪）时期，目前是中国排名第三位的古老木结构建筑，距今已有1000余年的历史。殿内的五代时期彩塑更是不可多得的雕塑艺术珍品。
Outside the north gate of the ancient city, there stands the Temple of Kingdom Defense, the second treasure. With a history of over 1,000 years, the Hall of Buddhists of the temple was constructed during the five ages (the 10th Century AD), ranking third as the old, wooden building in China now. The color statues inside the hall of the five ages are indeed rare treasures of engraving art.
古城的第三宝是位于城西南的双林寺。该寺修建于北齐武平二年（公元571年）。寺内10余座大殿内保存有元代至明代（公元13～17世纪）的彩塑造像2000余尊，被人们誉为"彩塑艺术的宝库"。
The third treasure of the ancient fortress is the Temple of Double Forest in the southwest of the city, built in the second year of the reign of Wuping in North Qi Dynasty (571 AD). Inside the 10 or so halls of the temple stand the 2,000 painted statues from Yuan Dynasty to Ming Dynasty (13th-17th Centuries). Hence the honorary title "art treasure house of painted statues".
平遥是中国古代商业中著名的"晋商"的发源地之一。清代道光四年（公元1824年），中国第一家现代银行的雏形"日升昌"票号在平遥诞生。三年之后，"日升昌"在中国很多省份先后设立分支机构。19世纪40年代，它的业务更进一步扩展到日本、新加坡、俄罗斯等国家。当时，在"日升昌"票号的带动下，平遥的票号业发展迅猛，鼎盛时期这里的票号竟多达22家，一度成为中国金融业的中心。
Pingyao is also one of the birthplaces of Shanxi Merchants who were renowned in the ancient commerce of China. In the fourth year during the reign of Daoguang of Qing Dynasty (1824 AD), China's first bank in its primitive form - the Banking Shop of Sunrise and Prosperity was founded. Three years later, the shop began setting up branches in many provinces of the country. In the 1940's, its business expansion began to include Japan, Singapore and Russia. Then, led by Sunrise and Prosperity, the banking shops flourished in Pingyao, with as many as 22 shops at the peak, and became indeed a finance centre of China at that time.