The beautiful ancient city of Ping Yao is located at the center of Shanxi Province, and looks much the same today as it did during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was a bustling economic center of feudal China. "South Street" or "Nan Da Jie" was the main commercial street in Ping Yao. It runs north south down the center of the city, directly between the City government building and the Cheng Huan temple. Today South street is still the happening place in Ping Yao. It's lined with museums, shops, and hostels, yet still retains its Ming - Qing dynasty style.

 Still surrounding the city are the ancient city walls that have protected the city for centuries. The previous wealth of Ping Yao is still apparent today. Much of the city is made up of traditional Chinese court yard dwellings, some of which are still homes for families who have lived there for hundreds of Years. Some of the larger courtyard mansions that were once homes to bankers or silk merchants have even been turned into guesthouses. These dwellings, called "Si He Yuan" attract People from all over the world, who come to Ping Yao to have a taste of what the Ming - Qing dynasty life style was like. Ping Yao is also famous for it's vaulted ceiling dwellings, which are characteristic of northwestern China. These "Yao Dong" dwellings are built of masonry and are known to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The doors and windows are decorated with intricate woodcarvings that have survived for hundreds of years and give these houses a quaint yet artistic feel. This particular "Si He Yuan" is called "Wu Dai Tong Tang," which means 5 generations under one roof.

 Ping Yao's city wall, which has been standing since the Ming and Qing dynasties, has seen its share of revolutions and war. The masonry wall extends for six kilometers, and the dominance of Confucianism at the time it was built can be seen through the wall's 3,000 embrasures, which are said to represent the disciples of Confucius. The "Kui Xing Lou," on the south side of the wall, represents an excellence in academia and is just above the Confucius temple. The Confucian Temple not only holds a shrine for Confucius, but also was also a school and testing center used by the feudal Chinese government to appoint officials.

 Such officials would come to work here, at the Ya Men, or the local branch of the Qing Dynasty government. There are three gates into the central courtyard; the center gate was reserved for guests of honor and high-level officials, while the east gate was the entrance for the status quo. The west entrance was kept for suspected criminals and candidates for death row.

 In the back of the Xian Ya, is a shrine for the "hu xian," a wily female Fox spirit, who the magistrate worshipped to protect their seals.

 Directly opposite of the Government building across South Street on the east side of town is the Cheng Huan Miao, a daoist shrine where the local deity is worshipped. The Cheng Huan Miao is supposed to perform the same purpose as the Xian Ya, but in the afterlife, rather than the mortal world.

 To the main shrine was intentionally made low, so that visitors would have to bow respectfully upon entrance. The roofs of this temple are decorated with glazed tiles called "liu li wa." The bright blue tiles are glazed with "peacock blue," a color of glaze that artists today still cannot duplicate. Other that the large shrine dedicated to the local deity, there are also shrines for the three gods of fortune: the wu, wen and zheng cai shen. These deities specialize in bringing fortune to various aspects of life, and people can pray here for success in business, academia, or life in general. The temple's walls are also decorated with murals from the Qing dynasty, which have survived for hundreds of years. There is also a sculptural depiction of hell, with its graphic representations of punishments given in the afterlife for the sins committed while living.

 Many temples in Ping Yao have opera stages built directly opposite of the deity's shrine, where operas performed as offerings on holidays. These stages were also watched by a human audience, who would come to the temple on holidays and watch opera along with the gods. These offerings are like the radio reception between the mortals and the gods. It lets the immortals know, that the humans are thinking about them. The oldest stage in Ping Yao is in front of the shine of the fortune gods in the Cheng Huan Miao. Even though the opera was considered an offering people crowded in to watch, and even balconies were built for the mortal audience.

The streets of Ping Yao have many tall walls that were once the status symbols of the wealthy. These particular Walls surround china's first Bank-like financial institution, The Ri Sheng Chang Piao Hao. This bank opened its doors in 1823 and specialized in the transfer of gold and silver currency and ended the history of armed escorts transporting gold on foot. At the time all money transfer slips were all hand written by bankers who hade to pas strict tests before they could work at the piao hao.

 Southwest of Ping Yao lies a Buddhist temple, The Shuang Lin Si, that houses more than 2,000 painted clay statues from the Yuan through the Ming Dynasty. These sculptures are exquisitely rendered and life like, earning the temple its nickname "the Treasure House of Painted Sculptures. "These sculptures were molded onto wooden skeletons, like flesh to bone, and even in a deteriorated form, appear life like. Wei Tuo, a guardian spirit of guan yin, is considered one of the best piecies in the entire temple.

 As the much-needed rain begins to fall on Ping Yao, I hope that it will cleanse the city, and wash away the gathering dust brought by the ages. The raindrops slip down sloping roofs, and accumulate into small puddles on the brick paved streets, quenching the city's thirst, and revealing a melancholy beauty.

 The days in Ping Yao pass by fast and it feels more like a trip in a time machine than anything else. As the rain clears and the sun peeks through the clouds, I say good-bye to the ancient streets of Ping Yao, and prepare to head back to the concrete jungle called home.