Jinzhong

Jinzhong lies in central Shanxi just east of the provincial capital Taiyuan and is one of the richest repositories of traditional Chinese architecture and merchant history. Its crown jewel is Pingyao, a UNESCO-listed walled city that is the best-preserved ancient county town in China and the birthplace of the country's first draft banks, or piaohao, forerunners of modern banking. The lavish courtyard mansions of the Qiao and Wang merchant families, backdrops for films like Raise the Red Lantern, showcase the wealth of the once-dominant Shanxi merchants. The fortified village of Zhangbi conceals a labyrinth of ancient defensive tunnels. Famous local products include Pingyao beef and Taigu cakes. High-speed rail links Jinzhong closely to Taiyuan.