Transcript Pingyao:the struggle in China between history and modernity

Pingyao:the struggle in China between
history and modernity
Looking over old Pingyao at daybreak is like traveling back a few centuries, A Qing
Dynasty fortress, complete with giant wooden gates and cast-iron cannons to repel
any invading hordes.
----- Asiaweek Magazine's Liu Yuan
Profile of Pingyao(1)
Location
The Old Town of Pingyao is in Pingyao County, in the center of Shanxi Province
Profile of Pingyao(2)
History
The city has a history of over
4,000 years. It is said that Yao,
a legendary monarch in
ancient China had won his
title in Pingyao some 4,100
years ago. It was constructed
during the reign of King Xuan
of the Western Zhou Dynasty
(C.1100-771B.C.) and has
been the county seat ever
since the establishment of the
prefecture-and-county system
in ancient China.
Pingyao is the best preserved of the ancient
cities in the regions populated by the Han
ethnic group.
Profile of Pingyao(3)
Present
Today, Pingyao looks much the
same as it did during the Ming
(1368-1644) and Qing (16441911) dynasties
Since 1997, it has been listed
as a World Heritage Site.
Now Pingyao city is the only
one in China completely
reserved as it was hundreds
of years ago, no modern
buildings, only narrow stoneplate street with many
Chinese-style shops on the
two sides.
Pingyao is the best preserved of the ancient
cities in the regions populated by the Han
ethnic group.
Profile of Pingyao(4)
Attractions
For its well-preserved
city wall and streets,
stores, temples and
residential housing built
in the Ming and Qing
dynasties, the city was
listed as a World
Cultural Heritage site by
UNESCOin 1997.
The Old Town of Pingyao is an
outstanding example of the Han cities
in the Ming and Qing dynasties,
retaining all the features of these
periods. Pingyao presents a picture of
unusual cultural, social, economic, and
religious development in Chinese
history.
—from a report of the World Heritage
Commission of UNESCO
City Wall(1)
First built about 2,700 years ago,
the ancient city wall was
expanded in the Ming Dynasty.
It was the most well-preserved
wall among the ancient
historical and cultural cities in
China. It is square, 10 meters
high, 5 meters wide, and 5.4
kilometers in circumference.
There are 72 terraces with
battlements. A bird's-eye view
of the city, the wall looks like a
turtle, hence the name 'Turtle
City'.
City Wall (2)
Turtle city
The city has six gates, two each on the
east and west and one each in the
south and north side. All the gates
project outwards and have two doors
each. This has given the city the name
"Turtle City" with the two gates on the
south and north representing the head
and tail of the turtle and four gates on
the east and west as the four legs.
The doors on the south and north
stand opposite each other, like the
head of the turtle extending out and
two wells just beyond southern gate
are like a turtle's two eyes.
The city wall, rebuilt in 1370.
City Wall(3)
The city wall extends for six
kilometers and testifies to the
profound influence of
Confucianism in this region, as
the disciples of Confucius are
said to be represented by the
3,000 embrasures on the wall
and the 72 best disciples are
represented by the 72 small
watchtowers. In the later period
of the Qing Dynasty, the
Kuixing Pavilion was built on
the southeast section of the wall
and became a symbol of the
flourishing culture of the ancient
city.
The recently rebuilt tower on top
of the North Gate has retained
its original appearance
Chinese Financial House Museum Ri
Sheng Chang(1)
Rishengchang_the
first draft bank of
China
• Ri Sheng Chang was established in the early
Qing Dynasty. It was China's forerunner for
organizing Chinese early finance system,
handling remittance, money exchange,
deposit, loan and other financial business.
There were 35 branches in China's big and
medium-sized cities. Its business covered
Europe, America and Southeast Asia.
Chinese Financial House Museum Ri
Sheng Chang(2)
• The banking company had established a
complete and strict management system
because at that time the communication
and transportation conditions are quite
backward. For example, when a new
employee came into the company, the
manager always left several dollars in the
yard to test the employee. If he returned
the money to the manager, he passed the
first examination. Second pass is the
abacus, the main tool to calculate. Young
people had to stand in the yard to practice
abacus for several weeks, even in winter.
What is more, the owner of the company
did not involve in the daily business
because he employed a general manager,
and gave him some shares to attract him
work harder and earned more money.
The Clerk is writing the
draft.
South Street (Ming-Qing
Street)
With a length of 440 meters, the street used
to be the commercial center of Pingyao
ancient city. The traditional and orderlylocated shops of the Ming and Qing
Dynasties are still well preserved. The crossstreet Town House, is the highest building of
the city (18.5 meters high). On its top, you
can take a whole view of the Ming–Qing
Street. Walking along the street, tourists can
get the first-hand experience of ancient
China.
Tongxinggong
Armed Escort Company Museum (1)
•
Situated at No. 105 Nanda Jie in Pingyao, this museum is
housed in the grandeur of a Ming styled complex. It is an
excellent place to discover the history of the armed escort
firms that played an important role in the development of
Chinese commerce.
Tongxinggong
Armed Escort Company Museum (2)
The business boom in Shanxi during the
mid 19th century meant that there
were substantial transits of money
earned through trade. So that this
wealth should not fall into the hands of
thieves, merchants employed the
services of professionally organized
armed escorts.
Wang Zhenqing, who was a master of martial techniques,
established a company to provide a much needed escort
service. His unparalleled bravery and military skills earned
him and his firm such a good reputation that his firm
became the established leader in its field. For several
decades this firm and others like it played an important
role in providing the security so necessary to the safe
conduct of trade
Qiaojia Dayuan
Qiaojiabu Folklore Museum(1)
•
Located in a large
courtyard in Qiaojiabu
village of the Qi
County, Qiaojia
Dayuan was the
residential house of
Qiao Zhiyong, a
capitalist in the Qing
Dynasty who attained
his fortune in
financial and
commercial business
in the periods of
Emperor Jiaqing and
Emperor Daoguang.
With typical northern
China architectural
characteristics, the
Dayuan (courtyard) is
divided into 6 big
yards and 20 small
yards with 313 rooms
and covers an area of
over 8,700 sq meters.
Qiaojia Dayuan
Qiaojiabu Folklore
Museum(2)
• Here you can watch farming activities
in every season, ceremonies of
sacrifice and ancestral warship,
wedding ceremonies and daily life.
Through which you’ll have a view of
the folk customs of Shanxi during the
period of late Qing Dynasty.
•
位于祁县乔家堡村。始建于清嘉庆、道光年间，为清末
民初金融商业资本家乔致庸的宅邸其建筑具有北方特色，
清代民居风格。被誉为“北方民居建筑史上罕见的一颗
明珠”。如今是祁县民俗博物馆。整个建筑群分为6个大
院、20个小院， 共有房屋313间，占地8700多平方米。
馆内展鉴共分6大部分，12个单元，31个展室。分别以
时序节令、奉祀祭祖、婚丧礼仪、生活起居等为主题，
较为系统地反映了清末民初晋中一带的民情风俗。并有
木器、衣饰、陶瓷、字画、工艺品等专题陈列。
Courtyard Residences in Pingyao
(1)WANG'S Dayuan
•
The courtyard residences in Pingyao are elegantly designed with local
features. Standing for a long history, the buildings are still perfectly
preserved. There are two types of residences – commercial and civilian,
which are all well known for their typical representation of China's
traditional residences. One example of these courtyards is Wangs
Compound House. Wang's family was originated from Shanxi Province,
and after earning some money from their business and farm, the family
took three generations to build its house, and now is called as Wangs'
Compound House, which is at least two centuries old.
Courtyard Residences in Pingyao(2)
wANG'S Dayuan
the Wang's Compound, titled as the "First House of
the Chinese Folk Residence", is located in the
south of Shanxi Basin under the foot of the
Mianshan Mountian, the only one in Shanxi
Province into West China Folk Residence, the first
volume of "Collection of China Folk Residential
Buildings".
The residence was built
from about the 1660s
to 1800s, covering area
of 150,000 square
meters, of which
45,000 are defined as
provincial preserve,
including the building
cluster, in Gao's Gliff,
the cluster in the
Hongmen Blockhouse,
Yi'an Garden, Danpu
Garden, ancestral
temples, etc.
Courtyard Residences in Pingyao(3)
wANG'S Dayuan
The Wang's Compound
are built along with the
tendency of the hills, in
massive scale,
harmonious layout, and
completely functional.
The styles of the South
China and the and the
North China are
combined in the building
art and decoration skills,
formulating a unique
workmanship model,
presenting a wonderful
art style rooted in the
land of China.
The Temple of the City God (1)
• Pingyao's Temple of the City God was built during the Northern
Song Dynasty (960 - 1127) and is an essential venue for visitors
who seek to appreciate and understand the cultural and
religious background of this city.
The Temple of the City God (2)
• The temple has a rich cultural heritage and it
bears witness to the way in which aspects of
Confucianism, Taoism and the ancient
customs of the Han people of the middle and
lower reaches of the Yellow River have been
brought together in ritual, design and
decoration. The architectural style is Taoist
involving the use of blue and green tiles that
confirm the high level of importance the
temple had for the city. Elaborate wall
paintings, lifelike clay sculptures, exquisitely
carved bricks and wood carvings as well as
the ingenious carpentry used in the
construction of the buildings are monuments
to the craftsmanship and skill of those
responsible for their completion. The
classical Qing Dynasty ornamentation of the
roof ridges, with their myriads of floral and
fauna, both real and mythical, is a feast for
the eyes.
Zhenguo Temple (1)
• The temple is located in
Hedong Village, 15
kilometers northeast of the
seat of Pingyao, 85
kilometers south of Taiyuan.
It was built in the year of 963,
that is, in the seventh year of
reign of Emperor Tianhui in
the Northern Han during the
Five dynasties.
Zhenguo Temple(2)
• Wanfo Hall, the main hall of the
temple, is square-shaped while its
roof resembles an umbrella.
The hall is a rare well-preserved wooden
structure built in the Five dynasties. Indoors are
11 round tall statues in the style of the Tang
dynasty, including Buddha, Bodhisattvas,
disciples, and Vajra, etc.Furthermore, the
treasure of closely-planted ancient trees add
lustre of simpleness and grace to Zhenguo
Temple.
A painting on
the wall
immediately
inside the
door of
Wanfo Hall
in Zhenguo
Temple
Zhenguo Temple(3)
The Wanfo Hall in
the Zhenguo Temple.
Built 1,000 years
ago, the temple is
one of the oldest
existing wood
buildings in China.
The painted sculptures in the Wanfo Hall in the
Zhenguo Temple are of a rare type from the Five
Dynasties period in China.
Government office(Xianya)
• 平遥县衙位于城内的政府街（旧称衙门街），
座北朝南，占地二万六千多平方米。经过历
代添修和现在精心复原，平遥县衙已成为中
国现存极少的、完整的古县衙之一。
Government office(Xianya)(2)
• 平遥县衙位于城内的政府街（旧称衙门街），座北朝南，占地二
万六千多平方米。经过历代添修和现在精心复原，平遥县衙已成
为我国现存极少的、完整的古县衙之一。
• 衙署大门西侧，是申明亭，是有关吏员对民间纠纷进行了解和调
解的地方。衙门两边是赋役房，为窑洞厢房，是收取赋役、钱粮
的地方。东西赋役房北面，左侧是厨灶，右侧是炭房，供衙役们
做饭、烧水之用。紧接大门的是仪门，也称“礼仪之门”，建于
明万历四十七年，是象征封建礼教的建筑物，两柱楹联分别是
“门外四时春和风甘雨，案内三尺法烈日严霜”。深刻说明了衙
门内外的区别。
Presentation of
ancient lawsuit
Government office(Xianya)
县衙大堂
大堂上书“亲民堂”坐北朝南，高耸威严，在建筑上是县
衙署中最为宏伟的，在职能上也是最为重要的，全县所有的大
案、要案、命案都要在这里审理，大堂为五楹厅堂，中间为三
楹公堂，公堂楹柱上悬有一联曰：
得一官不荣失一官不辱勿说一官无用地方全靠一官
吃百姓之饭穿百姓之衣莫道百姓可欺自己也是百姓