BEIJING (INP): Ping Yao is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. Its urban fabric shows the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries. Of special interest are the imposing buildings associated with banking, for which Ping Yao was the major centre for the whole of China in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During the recent visit of foreign media delegation to the Ping Yao, it was learnt that the Ancient City of Ping Yao is a well-preserved ancient county-level city in China. Located in Ping Yao County, central Shanxi Province, the property includes three parts: the entire area within the walls of Ping Yao, Shuanglin Temple 6 kilometers southwest of the county seat, and Zhenguo Temple 12 kilometers northeast of the county seat. The Ancient City of Ping Yao well retains the historic form of the county-level cities of the Han people in Central China from the 14th to 20th century.

Founded in the 14th century and covering an area of 225 hectares, the Ancient City of Ping Yao is a complete building complex including ancient walls, streets and lanes, shops, dwellings and temples. Its layout reflects perfectly the developments in architectural style and urban planning of the Han cities over more than five centuries. Particularly, from the 19th century to the early 20th century, the Ancient City of Ping Yao was a financial center for the whole of China. The nearly 4,000 existing shops and traditional dwellings in the town which are grand in form and exquisite in ornament bear witness to Ping Yao’s economic prosperity over a century. With more than 2,000 existing painted sculptures made in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shuanglin Temple has been reputed as an “oriental art gallery of painted sculptures”. Wanfo Shrine, the main shrine of Zhenguo Temple, dating back to the Five Dynasties, is one of China’s earliest and most precious timber structure buildings in existence.

The Ancient City of Ping Yao is an outstanding example of Han cities in the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 14th to 20th century).It retains all the Han city features, provides a complete picture of the cultural, social, economic and religious development in Chinese history, and it is of great value for studying the social form, economic structure, military defense, religious belief, traditional thinking, traditional ethics and dwelling form. Through over five centuries of continuous evolution and development, the Ancient City of Ping Yao with its associated temples of Shuanglin and Zhenguo has preserved authentically the elements and features that reflect the Han cities from the 14th to 20th century, including the overall layout, architectural style, building materials, construction craftsmanship and traditional technology, as well as the internal relations between the overall cityscape and the elements. Ancient City of Ping Yao truly reflects the traditional dwelling form and lifestyle of the Han people as well as the materialized features of trade and finance.

It is an ideal place to research traditional Han culture. Ancient City of Ping Yao was designated a National Historical and Cultural City by the State Council in 1986. The protection and management of the property have been in accordance with the 1982 Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics and the Implementation Regulations of Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics (amended 1991), the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Urban-rural Planning, as well as international conventions including the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. At the same time, in order to permanently preserve and sustainably use the Ancient City of Ping Yao, the Management Committee of World Cultural Heritage-Ancient City of Ping Yao (the special protection and management body), has been established, with offices under it to implement a series of laws, regulations and plans for the protection and management of Ancient City of Ping Yao, including the Regulations on the Protection of the Ancient City of Ping Yao and Detailed Plan for the Protection of the Ancient City of Ping Yao.

The Outstanding Universal Value of the property and all its attributes are under authentic and integrated conservation by making and implementing conservation and management plans, specific measures for intervention and maintenance of the fabric, and the improvement of the heritage setting. The site management body will strictly implement protection and management regulations, effectively control the development and construction activities in the heritage areas, curb the negative effects of various development pressures on the property, coordinate the demands of different stakeholders, and rationally and effectively maintain the balance between heritage conservation, tourism development and urban construction. The research, interpretation and communication of heritage value will be strengthened, and the roles of the property as a spiritual home and for cultural continuity will be realized, so that a sustainable and harmonious relationship between urban conservation and development of the historic city can be achieved.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China