China's Pingyao ranks among CNN's global top 10 medieval walled cities

Pingyao City of China's Shanxi Province has been rated as one of the world's top 10 medieval walled cities by CNN. The city, built in the 14th century, used to be China's financial center, accommodating half of all the banks there. The city's layout during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, along with its impressive medieval walls, has been completely preserved, enabling it to be listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The city walls of Pingyao were initially built during the Ming Dynasty in 1370. Integrating tourism development and the preservation of cultural heritage, Pingyao has become a living medieval city. [Photo: IC]