South Gate of Pingyao Ancient Town 平遥古城

The ancient town of Pingyao is like most ancient cities a walled city. This is to prevent invaders from entering the town. Even in the relatively stable period of the Qing dynasty, there was still a need to fortify the city. After all, won’t anyone want to protect this place since there was a lot of money flowing through it? This was a prosperous place and it makes sense to defend it. In fact, the government even has a representative office in the town. The walls surround all directions of the town but the town is large enough that you will not feel this until you come close to the fringes.

I was closest to the south gate of the ancient town and I can clearly see the high walls which protect the town. I don’t know how effective they were but they do look impressive. The gate itself is where residents and visitors alike can enter the town. So used it is this path that there are grooves on the solid rock marking where wheels rolled over countless of times more than a hundred years ago. The gate itself like most Qing dynasty style gates were tall and imposing. This is perfect for spotting any enemies that might be lurking nearby.

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