A walled Ming town of banks and courtyards
Pingyao in Shanxi province is a UNESCO site because its Ming and Qing-era town survives almost entirely within its intact city walls. In the nineteenth century it was the centre of Chinese banking, and the Rishengchang, one of the first draft banks, is now a museum. Walk the walls, explore courtyard mansions and temples, and stay in a converted courtyard inn. Try Pingyao beef and oat noodles. Nearby, the Wang family compound is a vast merchant family mansion worth a half-day trip.