The ancient city is located in middle of Shanxi Province

The ancient city of Pingyao is located in middle of Shanxi Province, with a history of over 2,700 years. It ranks as the only intact ancient city of Ming and Qing Dynasties well preserved in China.
These shelters are typical of northern China and Shanxi province, especially with the following features:
1.perfect combination of cave dwelling and quadrangle courtyard;
2.rectangle layout with anenclosed but elaborate space;
3.mostly shed or flat roofed;
4.grand courtyard as a whole but elegant inside;
5.carefully observing Chinese geomancy as well as other customes.
In December of 1997 UNESCO inscribed it on “World Heritage List” with their consideration that “the Ancient City of Ping Yao is an outstanding example of a Han Chinese city of the Ming and Qing Dynasties that has resstained all its features to an exceptaional degree and in doing so provides a remarkably complete picture of cultural, social, economic and religious development during one of the most seminal periods of Chinese history.”