Photography by Mark Carnaby

View from the bullet train traveling from Beijing West to Pingyaogucheng
Arrival at Pingyaogucheng station, bullet train doors just about to close...
Electric carts lined up outside the city walls and in use to preserve the ancient city and reduce smog
The city wall from outside, very much like a smaller version of the Xi'an city wall
Looking towards the Upper West Gate from up on the wall
Pingyao Ancient City panorama map that can be found on the actual wall itself
Like the moss on the roof of this old building and the monkey statues outside - saw this looking into the city from wall
Looking out from the city wall at the 'fly eaves' style of rooftops, traditional in Han cities of the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 14th to 20th century)
The city wall was designed to look like a tortoise from above, considered a symbol of longevity, see each brick layed also has a title to it
City resident transports goods in a 3 wheeled electric powered cart
The door to my room at the Pingyao Yide Hotel - a great place to stay in Pingyao
My Chinese-style room - the whole top section was a bed and below was a shower room and small hallway, cosy!
Courtyard of the Yide Hotel, originally a traditional Chinese manor house dating from 1736
The drying & washing hut above the hotel, nice wooden & glass design!
Looking out at the roof tops from within the drying & washing hut
Rooftops and courtyard of the Pingyao Yide Hotel, a great example of a Han Chinese city from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (14th-20th centuries)
A roof charm statuette sits amongst the hotel rooftops, protecting the building from fire and other calamities
Looking through the doors of a beautiful courtyard in the city
Lot's of trinkets for sale to the passing tourists, the locals have to make a living somehow...
'Kaobaishu' or roasted sweet potato street vendor, a bike with a gas burner & fuel tank built in!
Old shop on the corner of North Street, big Chinese flag & some locals on the three wheeled carts
Wooden gifts for sale, I like the porcelain statues in the window
Chairman Mao Zedong porcelain figure, as you can imagine there are a lot of these for sale in the city
It's all about the little 'normal' sized pair of shoes in this photo
Newsagents Chinese style, staff break...
East street, interesting lantern designs above the first shop
Chinese girl playing the 'Xun' one oldest musical instruments in China, approximately seven thousand years old
Chinese lanterns - invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD) as a form of lighting, can be seen on every corner of this Han city
Colorful restaurant lit up at night in the ancient city of Pingyao

China 2014: 2018 Follow-Up Photos

Pingyao Extras – Part One

Liked the photos?

In these two portfolio albums I’ve dug out and edited some existing photographs from the Ancient City of Pingyao, Shanxi, China that have not featured on the site before.

Note: click on any photo to start a cool manual slideshow without the annotations!

This well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city dates back to the 16th century still retains its urban layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is famed for its importance in Chinese economic history. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is surrounded by a wall that if seen from above it’s pattern is similar to that of a turtle (the head, tail and four legs), earning Pingyao the moniker “Turtle City.” The streets and storefronts still largely retain their historical appearance.

During my visit I stayed at the gorgeous Yide Hotel inside the city, a traditional courtyard property with a 300-year history with Chinese-style rooms with hand-made fine wood fittings and artwork.

I also visited the famous Shuanglin Temple, a short taxi ride out of the city, which dates back to the 6th century and was founded in 571 A.D.