Pingyao Ancient City is one of the four most intact ancient cities in China, and it was called “Gutao” in ancient times. The wall of Pingyao Ancient City was built to prevent invaders in the early days of the Ming Dynasty.

The plane of the city is a quadrangle, facing appreciably to the southeast, and the shape and structure of the wall were designed according to the principle of “adaptation to local conditions, and choosing a strategic place to form a fortress”. The east, west and north walls were built vertically, but the south wall was built along the winding Zhougdu River. There are six gates in Pingyao Ancient City, of which two are in the east, two in the west, and one each in the north and south. Pingyao City is centered on Shuilou, and all the walls, streets and lanes form a picture of the Eight Diagrams, which also look like the stripes on the back of a tortoise. It is a key cultural relics unit under state protection.