世界文化遗产——平遥古城

1、平遥古城位于山西晋中市平遥县境内，是中国境内保存最为完整的一座古代县城，为世界文化遗产和全国重点文物保护单位。平遥古城处在山西省的中部，始建于西周宣王时期 (公元前827年～公元前782年)，明代洪武三年(公元1370年)扩建，距今已有2700多年的历史。平遥曾是清代晚期中国的金融中心，春秋时属晋国，战国属赵国。秦置平陶县，汉置中都县，为宗亲代王的都城。北魏改名为平遥县。清代晚期，总部设在平遥的票号就有二十多家，占全国的一半以上，更被称 “古代中国华尔街”。其中规模最大的是创建于清道光年间、以“汇通天下”而闻名于世的中国第一座票号“日升昌”。

平遥古城目前基本保存了明清时期的县城原型，有“龟”城之称。城池南门为龟头，门外两眼水井象征龟的双目。北城门为龟尾，是全城的最低处，城内所有积水都要经此流出。城池东西四座瓮城，双双相对，上西门、下西门、上东门的瓮城城门均向南开，形似龟爪前伸，唯下东门瓮城的外城门径直向东开，据说是造城时恐怕乌龟爬走，将其左腿拉直，拴在距城二十里的麓台上。这个看似虚妄的传说，闪射出古人对乌龟的极其崇拜之情。乌龟乃长生之物，在古人心目中自然如同神灵一样圣洁。它凝示着希冀借龟神之力，使平遥古城坚如磐石，金汤永固，安然无恙，永世长存的深刻含义。

城内街道格局为“土”字形，建筑布局则遵从八卦的方位，体现了明清时的城市规划理念和形制分布。城内外有各类遗址、古建筑300多处，有保存完整的明清民宅近4000座，街道商铺都体现历史原貌，被称作研究中国古代城市的活样本。平遥古城是中国古代民居建筑的荟萃中心之一，也是中国古代城市的原型，有中国目前保存最完整的古代县城格局。平遥古城1997年12月被列入《世界遗产名录》。

Pingyao Ancient City is located in Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. It is the most well-preserved ancient county in China. It is a world cultural heritage site and a national key cultural relic protection unit.The ancient city of Pingyao is located in the central part of Shanxi Province. It was built in the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (827 BC to 782 BC) and expanded in the third year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD), with a history of more than 2,700 years.Pingyao was the financial center of China in the late Qing Dynasty, the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period and the State of Zhao.Qin Pingtao County, Han Dynasty Zhongdu County, as the capital of the king.The Northern Wei Dynasty was renamed Pingyao County.In the late Qing Dynasty, there were more than 20 tickets headquartered in Pingyao, accounting for more than half of the whole country, which was also known as "ancient Chinese Wall Street".Among them, the largest is China's first ticket number "Rishengchang", which was founded in the Daoguang Period of the Qing Dynasty and is famous for its "Huitong world".

At present, Pingyao ancient City has basically preserved the county prototype of the Ming and Qing dynasties, known as the "turtle" city.The south gate of the city is the turmer, and two Wells outside the gate symbolize the eyes of the turtle.The north gate is the turtle tail, the lowest in the city, all the water in the city through this.City east and west four wengcheng, both opposite, on the west gate, under the west gate, on the east gate wengcheng gate are south, shaped like a turtle claw forward, only the east gate wengcheng outside the gate straight to open east, it is said that the city is afraid the turtle climb away, its left leg straight, tied in the foot from the city 20 miles on the platform.This seemingly false legend, flashed out the ancients extremely worship of the turtle.The tortoise is the thing of life, in the eyes of the ancients nature as holy as gods.It shows the profound meaning of making the ancient city of Pingyao as strong by the turtle god as a rock, as solid, safe and sound, and lasting forever.

The street pattern in the city is in the shape of "earth", and the building layout follows the eight gossip, reflecting the urban planning concept and shape distribution in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.There are more than 300 sites and ancient buildings inside and outside the city, and nearly 4,000 fully preserved houses in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The streets and shops all reflect the original historical appearance, which are called living samples for the study of ancient Chinese cities.Pingyao ancient city is one of the gathering centers of ancient Chinese residential buildings, and also the prototype of ancient Chinese cities. It has the most complete preserved ancient county pattern in China.Pingyao ancient city was listed on the World Heritage List in December 1997.