Things to see and do Pingyao 平遥

Located about 7 kilometers southwest of the town of Pingyao stands a magnificent but often forgotten, small Buddhist temple. This temple says both forests (literal translation of its name) date from the Wei dynasty of the north (more specifically from the life of the century), but the current buildings were built under Ming and Qing. Apart from this rather common architecture in the region, we will come above all here for the interior of the temple. In fact, it presents nearly 2,000 clay statues of different sizes, stained with vivid colors, dating from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing (a period between xiie and the nineteenth century): fabulous!

Built under the Northern song dynasty (960-1127), the temple of the god of the city was restored and enlarged under the Ming and then the Qing. Today it consists of four courses whose architecture and ornaments illustrate the blend of taoist, Buddhist and Confucian influences. The first large building serves as theatre stage during the temple celebration, which takes place every year at the end of May. The six big boxes on the stage actually serve as a sounding fund to amplify the voices of the players: a simple but efficient acoustic system, probably one of the oldest that exists. On both sides of the scene, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower give access to the second court, dominated by the main prayer room. 16 murals include mythical or historical events.

The pavilion of the last court houses a statue of clay representing the God of the city, as well as 48 statues with custom faces and expressions, embodying local officials in the service of God.

Qiao Guifa was a poor merchant in the time of Emperor Qian Long, the Qing. He decided to try his luck in the north of the country in Baotou, a city on the road to Mongolia. The flourishing trade, and the Qiao clan, will have its influence for nearly 200 years, until the decline of its activities after the Communist power has arrived. The splendour of the clan today remains only this impressive home, the concept comparable to that of our French castles, whose oldest buildings date back to 1756.

The house is surrounded by a 9 m high wall of grey bricks, with watch towers and guard platforms, as a real fortified city. The door of the residence, surmounted by two bronze panels reminiscent of the family motto («virtue and harmony leads to prosperity»), opens on a 80 m long passage, giving access to the 6 main courses. These are then divided into several secondary courses, forming a set of 20 courses and 313 pieces, divided according to the characteristics of the character «shou», longevity. Each courtyard has its own architecture and style, which makes the house Qiao an architectural jewel of North China under the Qing. This is the site chosen by Zhang Yimou to turn his famous film Epouses and Concubines.

The buildings of Qiao House are now transformed into a museum of popular customs.

At the end of the Yuan dynasty (1312-1313), a Taiyuan farmer named Wang Shi moved to Jingsheng and started trading. Business prospers, and the rich merchant starts a prestigious administrative career: The Wang clan was born and perpetuated over 27 generations and 680 years.

Family ownership has experienced an extraordinary fate: built over a period from Emperor Kangxi to Emperor Jiaqing (1662 to 1820), it was abandoned by the descendants of the Wang clan in 1937, at the time of the Japanese invasion. Local peasants were then suitable until the mid -1990 s, when Shanxi Province decided to classify the site and exploit it for tourist purposes. There were no fewer than 212 families and 600 people in total who had to be evacuated from Wang.

It must be said that with its 123 courses framed with over 1,000 buildings, the Wang House looks more like a small town than a family home. It is made up of two distinct parts separated by a natural divide that is surrounded by a stone bridge. The western part, called the «red door fort», covers 25,000 m ² and comprises 88 courses. Its general plan imparts the Chinese character «Wang», with a central aisle cut by three perpendicular alleys. The eastern part, Gaojiaya, consists of 35 courses. The buildings are characterized by a mixture of gray bricks and wood, and typically typical architecture of northern China. The influences of the south of the country are nevertheless felt in a small part of the home's pavilions.

Today, this large residence is the largest in this part of China, contributing to a ranking at UNESCO. This visit remains an essential part of the region.