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Photos from Pingyao, the ancient walled city

By Sara Naumann, About.com Guide

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Pingyao is a Ming-era city that has the only remaining fully intact city wall in China (or so is its claim to fame). The six-kilometer city wall encircles the old quarter of the city that hasn't seen much change in 300 years. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

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Pingyao's South Street is full of tourists and ancient architecture	The Yide Hotel courtyard, one of the nicer accommodations in Pingyao.	Coal heating causes a lot of the pollution in the area.	Ming- and Qing-era courtyard houses renovated as hotels and restaurants.
Pingyao by night is quite lovely with red lanterns blazing at every doorway.	Old men playing a game on the side of the street.	Pingyao claims to have the oldest free-standing city wall in China.	View of the old city from the top of the wall.
Coal smoke spewing from a local heating pipe.	Pingyao's Taoist temple located at the end of West street near the city wall.	Along the tourist streets vendors sell snacks.	Dancers at the Wild Jujubes Dance Drama performance

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