Not a very well-known place outside of China, but Pingyao was China’s financial powerhouse until the beginning of the 20th century. The city dates back around 2,800 years, but its present form – the walled city – is about 600 years old. What’s more notable is that the old city has actually been preserved, as the unfortunately all-too-common approach in China is to bulldoze anything old and replace it with either a disneyfied replica or modern buildings. Looking at you, Beijing.
I always found it bizarre how a country that just loves reminding you of its long history and ancient heritage is also so keen to destroy it, while in Europe you need to preserve or work around any historical sites. Anyway, this is the point where I get told I’m a foreigner and will never understand China :).
Even within the old city walls Pingyao is an actual lived-in city, though obviously it is massively geared towards tourists. On a regular weekday, when it’s more quiet and empty, it’s a fun place to try to get lost in.
Some historical re-enactment 
It gets busy on weekends 
