Pingyao Ancient City Wall

In Shanxi Province lies Pingyao, the best-preserved walled city in China. Since 1370, the 6.4-kilometer-long and 12-meter-high city wall has protected Pingyao from external threats, making it a thriving trading center during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Once China's leading banking center, Pingyao is still famous for its old city wall and beautiful residences. Legend has it that the original city of Pingyao was founded in 9th century BCE. This ancient city was once the banking capital of China, as important during the Qing Dynasty as Wall Street is today.