Stepping Back To Ancient China
The ancient walled city of Pingyao, located in Shanxi Province, was established some 2,700 years ago. It hosts some of the best-preserved traditional architecture in China and mostly stands as it was during its heydays in the late Ming and Qing dynasties. It has been listed since 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over the centuries, Pingyao prospered into the most important trading and financial center in China where the country's earliest commercial banks were established. These institutions were the first in China to issue checks and had branches in many countries from Singapore in the South to Russia in the North reflecting the undisputed premier trading and financial status of Pingyao at the time.