平遥古城 27 June 2008
Pingyao (平遥) is a city first constructed before historical Buddha Sakyamuni, Laozi (Lao Tze) and Confucian were born. Situated in central Shanxi province (山西省), over 700 km from Beijing, it is renowned for having the best-preserved traditional city wall in China. Today Pingyao still retains the strong character of a Ming (1368 - 1644) city, with its layout arranged according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams, and the streets and storefronts largely remain their historical appearance. The initial city wall, mainly built with compacted-earth, was constructed between 827BC and 782BC. The current stone structure, erected during the early Ming Dynsaty in 1370 and measured 12m high, up to 6m wide at the top and 6,000m perimeter, has four towers at the four corners, 72 smaller watchtowers in between and more than 3,000 battlements in total. Its overall shape somewhat resembles a turtle, with a double-gates in the south as its head, an long rear gateway looked like a tail and four side gates as if four legs; for this, the city is also nicknamed "Turtle City". In Chinese culture, turtle is a symbol for longevity - could that explains why Pingyao becomes the only city in China that is able to keep its true Chinese quality, including its architectural style, the urban fabric and town planning, intact for 2,700 years? Just a guess. (Source of photo: 6m9m.c0m) Pre: A Human Column
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