Photo of Pingyao, Shanxi province. Akhil Parashar / For chinadaily.com.cn

The Old Town of Pingyao is an outstanding example of well-preserved Chinese history, spanning two great periods, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynast (1644-1911).

Pingyao developed rapidly and became unusually prosperous during the 19th century as a prototype of Wall Street. Pingyao was the premier financial center of its day, with up to 22 exchanges. Visitors today can see the historical business shops and traditional dwellings that bear witnesses to success.