Pingyao Ancient City - Ancient County Government

I have always wanted to come here. It has been featured in various costume dramas. I have always wanted to see what the ancient county government in the TV series is like. I can feel the majesty at the gate. The county government was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than 600 years. The county government is probably indispensable for every costume drama. The fifth season of "Where Are We Going, Dad?" was filmed in Pingyao County Government. The scenes of cute little kids chasing and playing make this ancient county government more vibrant. This also makes more people look forward to the county government. Take this opportunity to take a few more glances. There is a "Dengwen Drum" on the east side of the government office, which is for the people to appeal for grievances. When the county magistrate hears the drum, he immediately summons the drummer to go to the court to handle the case. Every scene seems to be a true portrayal of history.

Pingyao County Government Office is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346), and it has a history of more than 600 years. The entire government office faces north and south, with an axially symmetrical layout. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters.

Pingyao County Yamen is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1346), which has a history of more than 600 years. After liberation, Pingyao County Yamen was the seat of the county people's government. At the end of 1998, all 13 units working in the county yamen were relocated, and it was basically restored and officially opened to the public in 2000.

Pingyao Ancient County Government Office, located in Pingyao Ancient City, was the official office where the Pingyao County Magistrate worked and tried cases. The county government office was first built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346) and rebuilt in the third year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1370). It has a history of more than 600 years. The entire government office is huge, with a lobby, second hall, inner house, flower hall, Changping Warehouse, Zanhou Temple, Land God Temple, prison, public office, Ten Kings Temple, Hongshan Posthouse, and Police Station.

The ancient county government office will stage a tourist performance of "The County Magistrate Going to Court to Judge Cases" at a fixed time every day. The performance times are: 9:30, 11:00, and 15:30 (sometimes an extra performance or the performance time will be adjusted on holidays and weekends). Tourists who want to watch the performance are advised to grab a seat in front of the steps opposite the county magistrate in advance. This is the best place to watch the performance.

Don’t forget to go up to the Tingyu Tower, where you can “listen to the spring rain in the small tower all night, and see apricot blossoms being sold in the deep alley the next morning.” Climbing up to the Tingyu Tower, you can overlook the bustling street in front of the county government office.

Pingyao County Yamen is the largest existing county yamen in China. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1346). The entire yamen faces south and is symmetrically arranged. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. There are performances in the county yamen every day, recreating the scene of the county yamen hearing cases. It is recommended to choose a good time to visit the county yamen and visit during the performances, so that the tour will be more interesting.

The area is very large. The ancient county government layout is very detailed. It is quite interesting to spend time to understand and travel through it.

The entire government office faces north and south, with an axially symmetrical layout.

Pingyao County Government Office is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The county government is basically a must-visit attraction in Pingyao Ancient City. It is a relatively complete version of the county government, and there are performances every day.

Let me talk about the tickets first. The ticket price is 125 yuan. There are several ticket offices in the ancient city, such as the Yamen Gate. The ticket is valid for 3 days and includes 22 scenic spots. You can only visit each scenic spot once. I would like to remind everyone that if it is close to the end of the working day, don’t go to the big scenic spots. We were told that it was time to go to the Yamen Gate as soon as we entered it. We were kicked out after walking for 10 minutes. In fact, you can walk around the Yamen Gate for an hour. It is very large.

Don't go during the Chinese New Year! Accommodation prices are rising! Traffic is congested! And there is nothing special about the ancient city! It takes half a day to walk around! The only snacks in the city are Pingyao specialties! Mainly beef! No other specialties!

The county government is very big. I spent two hours with my friend. There are performances at 9 o'clock and 3:30 in the afternoon every day. It is worth a visit.

It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and is the best-preserved ancient government office still existing in China.

I originally thought that this county government office was nothing special.

I went in and saw the couplets inside.

Seems to have realized

Pingyao County Government Office covers an area of 40 acres. It would take hours to walk around it. At exactly 11 o'clock, I encountered the "County Magistrate Going to Court to Try a Case". This was also the only situational performance I saw in Pingyao. In fact, there were many different ones, with different performance times, so it was difficult to encounter them. It was as if I had traveled from the Qin Dynasty in Xi'an to the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Pingyao.

The scene is very real, there are two performances every day, it is worth seeing.

The ancient county government office has office spaces such as a lobby in the front yard, as well as residences and gardens in the backyard. It even preserves a prison. It is very complete, and there are performances of court hearings and solving cases every day.

Taxi drivers along the way complained about Pingyao's poverty. But the Pingyao Ancient County Office is the largest county office I have ever seen. A fox fairy is openly worshipped on the top of the county office, which is a feudal superstition activity led by the leaders. The color matching is also very fairy.

The county government is one of the few intact ancient county governments in China, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. To put it simply, it contains a prison (for death row prisoners and minor criminals), a place where the county magistrate hears cases (for major cases and civil disputes), the magistrate's garden, residence, dining room, and so on.

The prison has rooms for minor cases and also provides heated beds.

There is also a room for death row prisoners. There are no windows at all, and it is completely dark inside. What is even more exaggerated is that the walls of the room are very thick hollow walls. There is quicksand in the walls. If the prisoner wants to escape and breaks the wall, the quicksand will flow into the room and crush the prisoner to death. It is so scary.

Every day, the county government will perform a trial at certain times. You can find out the specific time before you come.

What surprised me about the Pingyao County Government Office was its large structure. The official was only of the seventh rank, but it had six courtyards and more than 200 houses. I think Pingyao at that time was close to Jinyang, where merchants gathered, traffic was busy, and trade was conducted all over the world. It was a rich place, and it was the dream place for officials. Even if it was a good job, the conditions must be harsh. In addition to being a Jinshi, you must also have some background and support.

As a scenic spot, there are many theatrical performances. At that time, an ancient costume play of "County Magistrate's Trial" was being performed. The deep and long "mighty... powerful..." echoed in the hall, attracting many tourists to raise their mobile phones to take pictures, which formed a great contrast with the solemn atmosphere in the hall, making people laugh.

Pingyao County Yamen is the largest and most complete county yamen preserved in China. The entire complex is well-organized and well-proportioned. It has offices for officials, households, rituals, soldiers, criminals, and workshops. There is a front court and a back bedroom. Because the county magistrate cannot bring his family with him when he works in the county yamen, a small garden is built in the back for him to rest and have fun. When I saw those cruel prison instruments, although the weather was hot, I only broke out in cold sweat on my scalp and back.

You can learn a lot in the county government. The court robes and hats of first-rank civil and military officials are different.

Located in Pingyao Ancient City, it is a scenic spot with local characteristics and well preserved.

Pingyao County Yamen is one of the four largest ancient yamen in China that is still well preserved, and it is also the largest existing county yamen in the country.

Before visiting the county government office, ask about the performance time. I didn’t know there was a performance and I just happened to see it.

It was around 4pm and I happened to encounter a court session. It wasn’t long and was very interesting. All the attractions in the ancient city are worth visiting.

Pingyao County Yamen is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346), with a history of more than 600 years. The entire yamen faces south and is symmetrically arranged. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. Pingyao County Yamen is one of the four well-preserved ancient yamen in China and the largest existing county yamen in the country. The entire building complex of the county yamen is well-organized, well-arranged and well-structured. It is an organic whole. On May 19, 2004, when the 11th Panchen Lama visited the county yamen for inspection, he happily mentioned: "Pingyao County Yamen is the best among the ancient yamen."

Ancient County Yamen: It should be the most intact county yamen preserved in China. The building is quite large. What is impressive is the introduction of punishment, which is creepy. There is also a small area which is the prison. The environment is small and cramped.

It should be the most complete county government building preserved in China.

The building is quite large, and the most impressive thing is the introduction of punishment, which is creepy.

There is also a small area which is a prison, which is small and cramped.

The highlight of Pingyao Ancient City, one of the four most well-preserved county yamen in China, is definitely worth a visit. It is very large, from the county yamen lobby to the six-department room and the ancient prison, each with a detailed introduction. The content is very rich and very informative. It takes at least two hours to complete the tour, so leave enough time.

You can see a large number of ancient documents and torture instruments, and there are also performances of the county court every day.

Pingyao County Yamen is one of the four most well-preserved ancient yamen in China and the largest existing county yamen in China. We watched the small play "If an official does not serve the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes."

Pingyao County Yamen is a very well-preserved county yamen in my country, and it can restore the original appearance of a Chinese prison during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Pingyao only sells package tickets. If you only visit one attraction, you have to buy a package ticket, which costs 130 yuan. It is valid for three days, but you can only visit each attraction once!

So is it necessary to spend money to visit these attractions? Only those who have been there are qualified to say: it is not necessary to spend this money.

Yao County Yamen is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346), with a history of more than 600 years. The entire yamen faces south and is symmetrically arranged. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. Pingyao County Yamen is one of the four well-preserved ancient yamen in China and the largest existing county yamen in the country. The entire building complex of the county yamen is well-organized, well-arranged and well-structured. It is an organic whole. On May 19, 2004, when the 11th Panchen Lama visited the county yamen for inspection, he happily mentioned: "Pingyao County Yamen is the best ancient yamen."

It is also one of the better-preserved county government offices in China.

On the screen wall opposite the gate of the county government office, there is a relief of Taotie swallowing the sun. Taotie is a monster in ancient Chinese legend, greedy and overindulgent. Legend has it that Taotie was so greedy that he even wanted to swallow the sun, but was burned to death by the sun's scorching heat. Therefore, this relief was placed opposite the gate of the county government office to warn officials not to be corrupt and to serve the people with integrity.

It is said that this is the only county government office in China that has been completely preserved. After visiting the county government office, my biggest feeling is that the size, functional departments and living conditions of the county government office where the county magistrate of the ninth rank are located are far beyond my imagination. In addition, Pingyao County Government Office has a regular performance show, where real people perform the scene of ancient judgments and cases. The plot and character performances are quite interesting.

According to ancient rules, with South Street as the central axis, the county government office was built on its west side, symmetrically to the City God Temple.

Pingyao's county government office is very well preserved. One of the reasons is that it was once the seat of the Pingyao County Government, so there is not much damage.

Pingyao County Government Office is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng Period of the Yuan Dynasty (1346), which is more than 600 years old. The whole government office faces south and has an axial symmetric layout. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. It is much larger than expected, and almost the same as in TV.

The "county government office" was first built in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1346), and has a history of more than 600 years. The scale of the yamen of the seventh-rank official was so huge that it had all the facilities such as the main hall, the second hall, the inner house, the flower hall, the Changping warehouse, the Zanhou Temple, the Land God Temple, the prison, the public office, the Ten Kings Temple, the Hongshan Posthouse, and the Police Administration Hall.

As soon as you enter the lobby, you will see the clear sky and bright sun, with a bright mirror hanging high. The couplets read: "Eat the people's food and wear the people's clothes. Don't say that the people can be bullied. You are also a people." "Getting an official position is not an honor, losing an official position is not a disgrace. Don't say that an official is useless. The whole place depends on an official." The government's majesty coexists with a people-friendly atmosphere. The county magistrate has a large back garden with beautiful scenery, a pond, a small bridge and a small pavilion, which is very unique.

The main hall is for judging criminal cases, while the second hall is for judging civil cases. The overall style is more easy-going and friendly. The couplets read "I came here because I had a connection with the people" and "I hope I will have a clear conscience and live up to the people's expectations."

From the county government office, you can go up to the Tingyu Tower and overlook the streets on the east and west sides.

The old city of Yuci has a long history and was the seat of the ancient Bingzhou. There were more than 300 local officials in Yuci. The couplet of the county government: Getting an official position is not an honor, losing an official position is not a disgrace. Don't say an official is useless. The whole place depends on an official. Eat the people's food and wear the people's clothes. Don't say the people can be bullied. You are also a commoner.

It’s really big. Here we played all kinds of art photography in the backyard of the county government office!

There are performances at different time periods every day, but we can only watch it once. It is quite interesting. Compared with other attractions in the ancient city, this one is worth a visit.

This scenic spot is the most lively place in Pingyao, with many tourists; 2017.7.23 The grandfather and the grandfather visited the county government and watched a performance, which was very interesting

Pingyao County Government Office is quite impressive. The prisons are divided into different levels. There are regular court performances in the morning and afternoon.

After visiting the Pingyao County Yamen, the tour guide introduced me to the county magistrate, who was of the sixth rank. He had a low annual salary and had to hire his own tutor, cook and maids. After deducting these expenses, there was not much left. Moreover, his wife and children could not come to visit him. It was really hard. The Pingyao County Yamen occupied a large area, and it was not easy for the county magistrate to leave the yamen!

I personally don't like the county government office very much. The scenery is worse than that of the Confucian Temple (after all, a large part of it is a government office), so I am not interested in it. However, the word game on the plaque is quite interesting.

In fact, we have seen it many times in costume dramas. When you really arrive in Pingyao, you can go to the ancient county government office to see it with your own eyes. If you are interested, you can make a detailed comparison.

Pingyao County Yamen: I heard from a tour guide on the road that although Pingyao County Yamen is small, it is also the largest county yamen in the country. I feel that too many things left by our ancestors have been banned by us.

The county government has a trial performance every day at 9:30 and 11 o'clock in the afternoon at 3:30

The original appearance of the county government is well preserved, and some of the systems for maintaining integrity are very inspiring for modern times.

Pingyao County Government Office is large in scale and well preserved.

It is more interesting to listen to the tour guide's explanation. If you go by yourself, you can only take a quick look and you can't understand the reason.

After reading the introduction of the ancient county yamen, I really understood the role of the ancient county yamen. It was not just a place for interrogation.

I walked all the way to Pingyao County Yamen and happened to catch a performance of the courtroom simulating the plot of the case at that time.

It should be around 11 o'clock. It feels like everyone in the ancient city has gathered at the county government office. It is really spectacular. It is the largest crowd I have seen in the two days in the ancient city.

Pingyao County Government Office is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346), and it has a history of more than 600 years. The entire government office faces north and south, with an axially symmetrical layout. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters.

It's very big, with a front courtyard and a backyard. There seem to be two trial performances every day. The performances are fresh and interesting.

Don’t forget, you can go up to the Guanfengtingyu Tower from the county government office, don’t miss it;

Here is a couplet that goes deep into the bone marrow

All the tour groups that come to Pingyao gather in front of the Pingyao County Yamen Museum, so the county yamen is also crowded. This is a good choice for understanding the county yamen culture. After all, in most cases, we know about it through costume dramas. After coming here, I really feel that the place where the official lives is really not small, and the small garden is also very unique.

You must go on time to see the ceremony, the performances are fixed.

One of the famous attractions in Pingyao Ancient City, it is more beautiful than other attractions. The county government has a court performance every day. The specific performance time is: Monday to Friday, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 3:30 pm. The performance time on Saturday and Sunday is 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 3:30 pm, and 4:50 pm. Pingyao Ancient City County Government was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and is the best preserved ancient government office in China. But there are so many people that it is really scary. Various tour groups will come here. Entering the county government, there are exhibition halls on both sides of the courtyard, which display some information about the imperial examination, the ranks of officials in the Qing Dynasty, official uniforms, official hats, official seals, etc. One of the must-see attractions in Pingyao.

The most complete county government in China deserves its reputation.

After all, the county government occupied a large area. After entering the gate and walking along the central axis, the lobby in front was used for hearing and office. According to today's understanding, it was divided into criminal and civil cases. Major cases had to be heard in public, while smaller cases were heard in the back hall. Those far away could be heard directly in the City God Temple. The back was where the county magistrate lived and entertained guests. There were study rooms, wing rooms, kitchens, etc. Many of them were cave structures, and there was a fox fairy temple above the kitchen. The county magistrate had a daily food standard, which was listed on the wall. The standard was similar to the current military food. At certain times, tributes were also arranged for the fox fairy to be blessed. The county magistrates of various dynasties left behind many calligraphy works, among which the most widely circulated couplet should be "firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, except for the gods; filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, faith, courtesy, righteousness, and honesty cannot be made with copper coins."

The east side of the county government office is mainly for daily life and civil affairs, such as the garden and the Tingyu Tower (for observing wind and rain), while the west side is mainly for criminal affairs, such as prisons and torture instruments. The description of the torture instruments is very detailed, and the criminal law for women is unbearable to look at. The evolution of castration also makes me feel uncomfortable. In addition, the county government office will start at around 10 o'clock, and there will be a short play that restores the handling of cases in ancient times. It is quite interesting to watch, but unfortunately most of the actors are elderly.

The yamen is very unique, you must go there, this yamen is very big and majestic~~

Very good, well protected, learned about history

The Pingyao Ancient County Government has a large area and many people come here, including many tour groups.

The county government office is still worth visiting. There is an obvious difference between government offices and private residences. The first thing about government offices is that they occupy a large area and have large building spaces, while the private residences in Pingyao are small and exquisite.

From the county government office, you can also go up to the small tower, where you can overlook the people entering and leaving the city.

The gate of the county government is wide open, but don’t come in if you don’t have money!

It's really big and unique, worth a visit~

Very beautiful, I like it here very much, I will come again in the future

A place worth visiting. I thought there would be performances, but there were none. I just followed the tour guide around.

Pingyao County Yamen is located in the center of Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was built in the sixth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1346), which has a history of more than 600 years. The entire yamen faces south and has an axial symmetrical layout. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and more than 100 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of more than 26,000 square meters. Pingyao County Yamen is one of the four well-preserved ancient yamen in China and the largest existing county yamen in the country. The entire building complex of the county yamen is well-organized, well-arranged and reasonably structured. It is an organic whole. Whether in terms of architectural layout or functional settings, it can be called a miniature of the imperial palace.

There is also a small scenic spot in the Pingyao Ancient City ticket, which is also a relatively famous one, because some scenic spots are really not worth seeing. You can experience the legendary county government.

When I went there in May 2011, I happened to catch the county magistrate's court, recreating the scene of the Qing Dynasty's judgment. I didn't catch it when I went there in May 2016, but I watched a play called "See Pingyao Again", which was quite good.

A scene in Pingyao Ancient City, showing the county magistrate interrogating a prisoner.

The ancient county government feels similar to what you see on TV. There are no classic works, but the county government culture that has been well preserved is also worth seeing.