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The Mellowing
Aroma of Ancient Pingyao
Pingyao, an ancient city of
Shanxi province, was the financial
center of China from the 17th to 19th century. Although today it is
only a tiny spot on the map, almost beyond recognition, Pingyao
boasts a brilliant past with rich culture deposits. Even now, the
shops, booths and other buildings bearing the authentic styles of
the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties are still
well-preserved.
Step into the city gate, and you will immediately be thrown back in
time. About 12 meters high and 5 meters wide, the city wall that
stands now was built in the Ming Dynasty, It as six gates, each
having two doors. The city wall winds in the shape of a turtle, as
the ancient Chinese took the turtle to be a symbol of longevity. Its
two gates on the south and north represented the head and tail of
the turtle, and the four gates on the east and west were the four
legs. Its body is rammed earth supported by a layer of bricks. There
are also 72 watchtowers and 3,000 crenels that add a touch of life
to the ancient wall. The most interesting part is the implied
reference to the 71 disciples and countless followers of Confucius.
Walking along the city wall and strolling through the city, you
can’t help but wonder if you were transported to ancient times. The
streets are narrow, designed for the exquisite sedan chairs and
leisurely people. Along the street are ancient-style buildings with
similar decorations, such as house eaves, stone stairs, huge
plaques, arches, courtyard walls and rocks for trying horses. With
just a little imagination, you can envision Pingyao in its heyday:
Along the streets walked women with bound feet, men with tied hair,
labourers carrying sedan chair, intellectuals holding fans and
bag-burdened merchants with horse-drawn carts fully loaded with
gold, silver or cargo. The merchants in Pingyao were the tycoons who
controlled the wallet strings of Chinese Finance.
Soon you will reach the famous West Road, which in its primes would
have been a match for Wall Street in New York. Flanking the road are
about 20 exchange shops, whose operations held and the rudiments of
modern commercial bank drafts. In the last century, Shanxi was the
richest province and financial pulse of Shanxi was controlled right
here. The big cities were simple the stage for Shanxi merchants,
while Pingyao was the core of their financial kingdom.
On the West Road stands the famous Rishengchang Exchange Shop, which
opened a new era in Chinese finance when its initiated operations
similar to modern commercial bank drafts. The clever merchants here
ended Chinese’s history of transporting hard currency and money in
commercial transactions right in the courtyard. However, standing
before the courtyard that was as a milestone in the financial
history of China, you might feel a little disappointed at its
ordinary appearance. Yet the two deep wheel tracks on the granite
threshold can tell you that a century ago, horses and carriages from
all parts of the country made their way here, loaded with money,
risk and pride.
If you want to find a trace of the extravagance of Shanxi merchants
in the courtyard of Rishengchang, you will be let down. All you can
find here are elegant yet simple, exquisite yet practical shop-like
houses, the pragmatic mentality of the Shanxi merchants prevented
them from pouring money into houses decorations. All the glory of
the place belongs to the past and now it stands in a forgotten
world.
The Decay of Rishengchang may still weigh heavily on your heart as
you walk down the West Road, but you will soon cheer up at the sight
of another street that is called Ming Qing Road, characterized by
the bright and grand remains of the old exchange shops. The
merchants of Pingyao paid little attention to their residence, but
their shops were magnificently built, surviving the passage of
century or two with their plaques looking as grand as ever. The only
thing that has changed is the contents under the counter. The
abacuses and account book, which used to be the sole items in the
counter, are now replaced by objects for sale, such as books
yellowed by time, ancient coin covered with green rust, cracked
ancient china ware and handicrafts.
In the middle of the Ming-Qing Road lies the Gold Well. Legend has
it that there was gold grog in that well, when it appeared, the well
water would become golden. Although nobody ever saw the frog, the
“Market Building,” a magnificent three-tiered wooden construction
near the well, is called the Gold Well Building. You may think the
splendid building was for religious or safe-guarding purposes, but
actually it was simply a civil decorative construction. Climbing to
the top of the Market Building, you can enjoy a panoramic view of
the Pingyao. Blanketed by rows and rows of greyish green tiles, the
city is a place of mystery.
After several hours’ walk, you might be hungry. If you step into any
small restaurant on the street, you can order some beef or folk
staples and relax yourself by chatting with the waiter, who will
more often than not be a gusher. After the meal, if you still have
energy, you can visit the temples in the outskirts of the city, such
as the Shuanglingsi Temple and the Zhenguosi Temple. These temples
are the museum for ancient sculpture. Or you can take a stroll along
the lanes and appreciate the folk courtyards and ancient trees.
Breathing the fresh and free air and far from the rushing crowds,
you can subdue yourself to the ancient beauty of the city.
Some people may feel that the city is too small. However, you will
be sure to be filled with a sense of satisfaction, even if only a
transitory one, as you wander through Pingyao and are lost in a trip
back through time.
Source: Beijing
Review
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