Ping Yao 

cctv.com 06-09-2005 12:39

Hi Everybody! Sorry about that, I must have dozed off, but dreams can kind of be like traveling, don't you think? Cause dreams can take you to some pretty cool places, and as much as this place looks like a dreamland, it鈥檚 actually real. We're in the city of Ping Yao Right now, this is a travelogue street special, I'm Gu Ming, and I'm gonna take you through the ancient streets of this ancient city

The beautiful ancient city of Ping Yao is located at the center of Shanxi Province, and looks much the same today as it did during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was a bustling economic center of feudal China. "South Street鈥or "Nan Da Jie" was the main commercial street in Ping Yao. It runs north south down the center of the city, directly between the City government building and the Cheng Huan temple. Today South street is still the happening place in Ping Yao. It鈥檚 lined with museums, shops, and hostels, yet still retains its Ming - Qing dynasty style.

Still surrounding the city are the ancient city walls that have protected the city for centuries. The previous wealth of Ping Yao is still apparent today. Much of the city is made up of traditional Chinese court yard dwellings, some of which are still homes for families who have lived there for hundreds of Years. Some of the larger courtyard mansions that were once homes to bankers or silk merchants have even been turned into guesthouses. These dwellings, called "Si He Yuan" attract People from all over the world, who come to Ping Yao to have a taste of what the Ming - Qing dynasty life style was like. Ping Yao is also famous for it's vaulted ceiling dwellings, which are characteristic of northwestern China. These "Yao Dong" dwellings are built of masonry and are known to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The doors and windows are decorated with intricate woodcarvings that have survived for hundreds of years and give these houses a quaint yet artistic feel. This particular "Si He Yuan" is called "Wu Dai Tong Tang," which means 5 generations under one roof.

Ping Yao's city wall, which has been standing since the Ming and Qing dynasties, has seen its share of revolutions and war. The masonry wall extends for six kilometers, and the dominance of Confucianism at the time it was built can be seen through the wall's 3,000 embrasures, which are said to represent the disciples of Confucius. The "Kui Xing Lou," on the south side of the wall, represents an excellence in academia and is just above the Confucius temple. The Confucian Temple not only holds a shrine for Confucius, but also was also a school and testing center used by the feudal Chinese government to appoint officials.