Situated in Shanxi province, the 14th-century Han Chinese city of Pingyao was once the foremost financial center with half the country's banks located there.

Today it retains its layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) and this, together with its impressive city walls, saw it World Heritage listed in 1997.

Construction of the city walls began under the Emperor Hongwu in 1370. They stand 12 meters high, have a six-kilometer perimeter, six gates, 72 watchtowers and a moat outside.