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Pingyao Wikipedia

Pingyao (平遥, pinyin: P??ngy??o) is a China|Chinese city in Shanxi province. It lies about 715km from Beijing and 80km from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. The city was founded in the 14th century and retains a large amount of historic Han architecture spanning the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also notable for its 6km long, 12m high city walls which contain six city gates and over seventy watch towers.

Due to its historical and architectural significance, Pingyao was chosen to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

In the 19th century and the early 20th century, Pingyao was a major banking centre for the whole of China.

Pingyao is also the name of the administrative district in which this city lies. This covers an area of 1260 square kilometres and was home to around 490,000 people in 2002. Pingyao's ecomony is largely agricultural and the region is famed for its beef.

Last Modified:   2005-04-12