The Old Town of Pingyao lies in Pingyao County, central Shanxi Province. It has been a county ever since the establishment of the prefecture-and-county system in 221BC in ancient China. There are some famous commercial firms such as Rishengchang Piaohao. Established in 1823, with an area of 1, 300 sq. m., it was a kind of banking firm dealing mainly in the transfer of money. And it is considered the predecessor of modern banks in China. Pingyao was put on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1997.

The Ancient City of Pingyao is composed of the ancient brick city wall, streets, stores, temples and residential housing with an area of 2.25 sq. km. Today, there are 420,000 urban residents living here. Pingyao looks much the same as it did during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).