pingyao east street - GraemeNicol

Many of the old courtyard buildings in Pingyao date back to the Ming Dynasty. Others are from the Qing and others are very authentic restorations or recreations. As the headquarters of many of the banks, it was one of the most important cities in China during the Qing, but without any other attributes, it fell into decline when the communists came to power and all money was controlled centrally in Beijing. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as it was spared the wholescale redevelopment and industrialisation in this province in favour of Taiyuan and Datong. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.