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Pingyao Historic City and Qiao Family Courtyard Zhang

reflected ancient Han Chinese totem culture. of Yin Yang and Wuxing (Five Elements, or
[8]
At the same time, a plank suspension bridge, Five Phases) . During the Kangxi (reigned
spanning across the moat with the outer end 1661‒1722) period, the Pingyao County
tied with ropes, was erected beyond the six Magistrate, Wang Shou (王 绶 ), wrote the
gates. Through pulleys and winches, the couplet “The Five Elements are righteous for
bridge could be hoisted at any time to break people’s livelihood, and one-hundred-feet tall
the road, and it was opened during the day and buildings are like heroes,” which further
2
closed at night to ensure safety in the city, but confirmed the position of Yin Yang and
the bridge disappeared a long time ago [4, 6] . Wuxing in the social life of the Ming and Qing
During the Japanese invasion (1937‒ dynasties [4, 6] .
1945), Pingyao city wall was severely The South Gate is Pingyao Historic
damaged, six towers were demolished, City’s main gate, which is also the “Tortoise
bunkers were built on the old site, and only Head.” The concept of “Tortoise City”
three of the 72 watchtowers survived. In originated from ancient Han Chinese worship
August 1977, Pingyao suffered a rare of the “Four Holy Beasts” (四 灵 ): Azure
catastrophic flood from the Fen River when Dragon (青龙) in the east, White Tiger (白虎)
the reservoir collapsed with billowing flood in the west, Vermilion Bird (朱 雀 ) in the
rushed towards the city. The thousand-year-
old city was in danger of destruction. The city south, and Black Tortoise (玄武) in the north.
wall became the last hope to resist the raging The outer north gate opens at a 90° angle from
flood. When the ferocious flood passed, the the inner north gate to receive the purple qi
city wall was ruthlessly damaged. Pingyao from the east. Although the outer south gate
citizens repaired the city wall after the is slightly offset from the inner south gate, it
disaster. The State Council also implemented faces the same direction, and opens to the
a comprehensive protection plan and rushed south. Outside the south gate, Zhongdu River
[4, 6]
to repair the city wall piece by piece. Since is winding through it since ancient times .
1990, during the restoration of the historic The traffic network of Pingyao Old City
features of Pingyao City, the moat was rebuilt consists of four crisscross avenues, eight
section by section. By 1993, the city wall was streets, and 72 alleys, like the pattern on a
completely restored. Seventy-two tortoise back, forming a bagua (eight
watchtowers and Kuixing Tower were all trigrams). The City Tower is at the center. The
mended. Pingyao people hoped that after streets and alleys intertwine horizontally and
restoration, their lives would be protected by vertically in the shape of 干 and have strictly
the city wall, and the city will become a followed traditional ritual layout. The South
paradise away from wars. The south section Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare and the
of the city wall collapsed again in 2004, but central axis of the city [Figure 4], starting
most of the rest are still intact [4, 6] . from the junction of East and West Avenues
Among the six city gates, the four in the in the north, in parallel and equal distance to
east and west orientations face each other, the the city wall in the east and the Horse Station
upper east, upper west, and lower west gates Road (zhanma dao) in the west, with civil and
all open to the south, facing the distant military buildings symmetrically placed
mountains and rivers, so that they “gather qi.” along the central axis, representing Yin Yang
In the 3rd year of Hongwu (1370) during the balance and harmony. For over 1,500 years,
Ming dynasty, Pingyao Old City was the South Avenue has acted as the backbone
expanded and the locations of the north and of the city because it has many time-honored
south gates were staggered. For this reason, brands and traditional shops on both sides,
the north and south avenues are not in line, making it the most prosperous commercial
which seems to be influenced by the theories street in Pingyao Old City. The South Avenue

2 “五行气正民生遂，百尺楼高物象雄。”

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