The Pingyao Ancient Town has been called “Turtle City” since ancient times, which does not because of the meaning of turtle (living for long and strongly fortified), but also because of the form and structure of the city wall. It is said that the six gates have their special meaning. All the gates project outwards and have two doors each. This has given the city the name “Turtle City” with the two gates on the south and north representing the head and tail of the turtle and four gates on the east and west as the four legs. The doors on the south and north stand opposite each other, like the head of the turtle extending out and two wells just beyond southern gate are like a turtle’s two eyes. A bird’s-eye view of the city, the wall looks like a turtle, hence the name ‘Turtle City’ is produced. 

 

There is a saying: Pingyao Town(平遥古镇Píngyáo gŭzhèn) has three treasures, including the Ancient City Wall. The Ancient City Wall in Pingyao Town is located in the middle of Shanxi Province. First built 2,700 years ago, it was expanded in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It is the most well-preserved wall among the ancient historical cities in China, and also an early and largest city wall in Shanxi Province. The present city wall is mainly in the form and structure of Ming, with a total length of about 6.4 kilometers(6400 meters).

It is square, 10 meters high, 5 meters wide. There are 72 terraces with battlements. The surface of the city wall is laid with bricks, watch towers built on the wall. There are six gates in the city wall, two each on the east and west and one each in the south and north side. The gate tower upon the city wall is the symbol of the city, whose magnificent looking represents the majesty of fortifications. The whole form of the city wall was arranged according to the terrain, the north, west and north wall square and straight while the south wall built with the river.