Pingyao is located in the middle of Shanxi Province, 0/00 km away from Taiyuan/KLOC. This is an ancient city with a history of more than 2700 years. The present city wall was built in the third year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (AD 1370). It was the most complete county town in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. June1997+February 3 1 was officially listed in the World Heritage List by the United Nations. Pingyao County has three national key cultural relics protection units: Pingyao Ancient City Wall, Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple. At present, the walls, streets, houses, shops and other buildings in this county have basically maintained the original ancient city pattern. Pingyao's bank number is the predecessor of the bank, and China's first bank number "Rishengchang" appeared in Pingyao. /kloc-At the beginning of the 8th century, many merchants from Pingyao, Jiexiu and Qixian in Shanxi opened various stores in Beijing. At the end of each year, they send money to their hometown, which is usually escorted by an escort agency. The freight is high and unsafe. Lei Lvtai from Xiyucheng Pigment Village in Beijing agreed with some businessmen to give the money to Xiyucheng in Beijing and then to Xiyucheng in Pingyao to get the cash. At first, I just helped some relatives and friends, and there was no remittance fee and handling fee. Later, fellow villagers found this method convenient, and more and more people asked for remittance, and agreed to pay part of the remittance fee. Lei Lvtai thought this kind of business was profitable, so he discussed with his boss Li Daquan and renamed it Rishengchang, specializing in foreign exchange business. At the end of Qing Dynasty, there were 33 banks in Shanxi, 22 in Pingyao and more than 400 banks in China. Pingyao occupied a very important position in the national financial market at that time. At that time, the larger banks in Pingyao included Baichuantong. Pingyao still retains the former residence of Lei Lvtai and the former sites of Rishengchang and Baichuanguan. The former site of Baichuantong is located at No.0/09, Nanda Street. The house is well built, and now it is a furniture museum. Escort Museum Escort Museum is located at 6 1 Mingqing Street, Pingyao. This paper introduces three influential figures in North China's guards in the Qing Dynasty, namely, the magic gun Wang Zhengqing, the second-in-command with iron legs, and the famous Italian boxing master Delu. The ancient city wall of Pingyao was built from 827 BC to 782 BC, made of rammed earth. In a.d. 1370, it was rebuilt into a masonry wall on the basis of the old city. The wall is12m high, 6km in circumference and 3m-6m wide at the top. On June 3rd1988,65438+1October 3rd, Pingyao city wall was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit, and on February 3rd1997,65438 was officially designated as "World Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO and included in the World Heritage List. Pingyao Tuiguang lacquerware has a long history and reached its peak in Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is to use big paint, hang ash on the wooden tire, push the light by hand, and then draw a pattern. It has the characteristics of gorgeous shape and simple style, and is moisture-proof, heat-proof and corrosion-resistant. Pingyao beef is a Pingyao flavor food with a long history and unique processing technology. Its finished meat is tender, fat but not greasy, thin but not firewood, mellow and delicious, and rich in nutrition. Changshengyuan rice wine and snacks. Yellow rice wine takes glutinous rice as raw material, which is rich and mellow in flavor and mild in wine taste. During Cixi's westward journey to Pingyao, she ate Pingyao beef, drank Changshengyuan rice wine and ate snacks, giving the store a word "long", hence the name Changshengyuan. The storefront is the front shop and the back factory, and the current manager Guo Huairen is the sixth generation successor. The store is located at No.41south street west of the county seat. Pingyao dishes. Pingyao's dishes were first created by Dong Xuanshou, the chef of Chengnanbao in Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, with a history of 100 years. Cixi traveled westward through Pingyao. After tasting this delicious food, she was full of praise and won a prize on the spot. Pingyao dishes can be eaten cold or fried hot, both of which are delicious. Travel and transportation can be from Taiyuan to Pingyao by train or car. Train fare 8 yuan, bus fare from the square in front of the railway station to Pingyao 10 yuan. Folk custom Pingyao ancient city folk custom

Pingyao Ancient City is the best preserved ancient county town in China, and it is an outstanding model of Han cities in China in Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the historical development of China, it shows people a complete picture of extraordinary cultural, social, economic and religious development.

There are many traditional festivals with national and local characteristics in Pingyao ancient city. These traditional folk festivals include seasonal festivals, commemorative festivals, festivals to worship heaven and earth, festivals to worship ancestors, festivals to worship ghosts and gods, festivals to sacrifice animals and so on. It fully shows the yearning of ancient working people for the harmonious coexistence of heaven, earth, man, god, ghost and beast. It reflects people's traditional habits, morals and religious beliefs. Through these traditional folk festivals, we can explore the rich connotation and origin of the ancient city culture. [ 1]

Pingyao custom has returned to the park, and the residents' heritage originated in Tang Yao? Diligence, simplicity, worry, foresight, firmness, kindness, martial arts, martial arts talents have multiplied, and both civil and military talents have it. And how generous. The legacy of marriage, funeral, longevity, longevity and celebration is particularly prosperous. Pingyao has a large population, poor land, less farming and weaving, more businessmen and good management. Although the legacy of Tao and Tang Dynasties is ancient, it is still in Pingyao.

marry

Marriage is an important event in life, which has been paid much attention to since ancient times. It is not only a happy event worth celebrating, but also a very polite process. The forms and means of expression are metaphorical, simple and profound, clumsy but not vulgar, funny and civilized, forming a beautiful cultural phenomenon.

Pingyao wedding process, multi-line "six gifts", namely: receiving gifts, asking names, concubinage, receiving gifts, inviting guests and welcoming relatives.

funeral

Pingyao county, after the death of the people, buried in the soil. Many traditional ceremonies and objects were preserved during the funeral. These ceremonies and objects include almost all folk arts such as blowing, pulling, beating, singing, calligraphy, stabbing, paper cutting, folding, printing, pasting, knotting, paper art, face art, inserting art and sewing art.

Funeral procedures include mortuary, funeral newspaper, funeral, burning paper, funeral, round tomb, biography of seven and so on. Generally, paper is burned in three or five days, and funerals are held in five or seven days. Those who violate taboos and are not suitable for funeral will be sent to other places to choose another burial date. On the day of the funeral, all relatives and friends attended. There are sixteen, twenty-four or thirty-two lifts in the coffin.

Congratulate (the old man) on his birthday.

Old people celebrate every 10 years from the age of 60. For grand guests, relatives and friends should give birthday peaches (made of flour), birthday cakes, birthday couplets and so on. I wish you a long life. At noon, birthday presents, burning incense and lighting birthday lights should be placed in the hall. The "birthday girl" should sit high and the younger generation should pay their respects in turn. After the worship, a rich wedding banquet was held and guests were present at the guest house to celebrate the day. In the 1990s, most birthdays were celebrated with foreign gifts. Most banquets are held in restaurants.

He shisan

The custom of celebrating birthdays in Pingyao is still very common today. Especially 13, relatives and friends came to congratulate each other. Most of the gifts are steamed "baskets", which are tied with locks, red ropes and copper coins to make them happy. Grandma's family is the guest of honor. At noon, an altar will be set up in the courtyard facing the Niangniang Temple. The offerings will be placed at the bottom of Grandma's house, and the others will be piled up. Light lamps, burn incense and set off firecrackers. Grandma will "fold flail" for her grandson and wrap four straw stalks with pink, yellow and green paper strips. Three straws are tied into a triangle. One hand holds a straw around his neck, and the other hand holds a straw, hitting three corners and chanting auspicious words in his mouth, praying for the healthy growth of children. After the battle, the cangue will be burned with the queen's flowers and shoes. After that, a banquet was held for all relatives and friends.

Celebrate the full moon

Pingyao residents regard childbirth as a happy event. In the past, boys were called exultation and girls were called little Xi. The first child, whether male or female, should celebrate the full moon. The date of the full moon is 29 days for men and 30 days for women. Others celebrate the full moon in half a month, hoping that children will live a long life. Celebrating the full moon is mainly with maternal relatives, and grandma's family will send silver bracelets, jewelry, clothes, small bedding and other things. Other relatives sent a 3-foot-long cloth and folded it into the shape of a mountain. The main family gave back vests, pillow towels and the like to show their gratitude.

Holidays and festivals

The people of Pingyao County keep many traditional festivals with national and local characteristics. These traditional folk festivals include seasonal festivals, commemorative festivals, festivals to worship heaven and earth, festivals to worship ancestors, festivals to worship ghosts and gods, festivals to sacrifice animals and so on. It fully shows the yearning of ancient working people for the harmonious coexistence of heaven, earth, man, god, ghost and beast. It reflects people's traditional habits, morals and religious beliefs. Through these traditional folk festivals, we can explore the rich connotation and origin of the ancient city culture.

offer sacrifices to ancestors

People's sacrificial activities in Pingyao county can be divided into two categories: god sacrifice and ancestor sacrifice. In the past, there were many worshippers of God, and there was a saying that there was no temple and no village. All kinds of shrines are located in ordinary families. Kitchen God, Zhang Gong, Family God, God of Wealth, Door God and Land are all objects of worship. Professional artists worship ancestors or gods in a prominent position in their homes to show their dedication. Many people put Buddha statues or Guanyin Bodhisattva statues in idle rooms and set up incense on the first and fifteenth days of the first lunar month to show their piety. Superstition reflects people's good wishes for peace, prosperity and prosperity.

Sacrificing ancestors is a memory of ancestors. Sacrifice is usually held on New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day, July 15th, the first day of October, or ancestor worship day.

move

In rural areas now, many people follow the old habits and start to worship the land god another day; Pay attention to the tall red flag during construction to eliminate evil spirits. When the new house is closed, we should put up couplets, set off firecrackers and entertain craftsmen to express our gratitude. To move to a new house, you must first "fill the house", kill a silver-red rooster and spray chicken blood on the house. When moving, first move in glass bottles, chopping boards, chopsticks, candles, hair noodles and other things to express the meaning of "peace", "happiness" and "fat".

dialect

"The Book of Rites and the King System" records that "the people of the five parties are unspeakable". Pingyao dialect is one of the most intact counties in China in the Han Dynasty. Pingyao dialect is rich in noun reduplication, which is different from the noun characteristics of Putonghua. This title is very interesting. This dialect is a unique language in Pingyao.