Pingyao: A walk through historic China
Pingyao has been a county seat since the Qin Dynasty, resulting in a large well-preserved yamen. A country government office was known as a yamen and that in Pingyao dates from1346 during the Yuan Dynasty, with its present buildings going back to the Ming era. They formerly housed the office and home of the magistrate sent to act as mayor, judge and senior official for Pingyao. Entered through a ceremonial gate, this yamen had over 300 rooms including not only offices but also a court, meeting rooms, residential areas, a garden and even a prison. It proved to be a fascinating compound to explore and to appreciate more of the grandeur of Pingyao.
South Street (Nanda), also known as “Ming-Qing Street”, is 450 meters long and forms the central axis of Pingyao. Today it has transformed into a traffic-free commercial and tourism street, one that is a sheer joy to walk down at night, with buildings often illuminated.
