Pingyao Local Customs

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Hall of Earth: God of Earth is also called Sheshen, is the lowest God in status in Taoism. It is also the most universal God which people believe. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, on the second day of February, people worship the God of Earth for a good harvest and abundant year." (Notes from Signboard)

In Chinese: 土地祠 (Tu Di Ci)

Hall of God Horse: " The statue of the horse is the Dragon Horse ridden by Erlang God. It was said that this horse was the Dragon God of Min River. Erlang God subdued it to be his Dragon Horse. There is a Erlang Temple near the Min River nowadays. " (Notes from Signboard)

In Chinese: 神马殿 (Shen Ma Dian)

Hall of Yuan Chen: " According to ancient Chinese mythology, people calculate their birthdays based on the circulating combination between the ten Heavenly Terms and the twelve Earthly Branches. Ancient Chinese people use twelve Earthly Branches and twelve animals to stand for different months. The birth year is called the year of Yuan Chen. "

In Chinese: 元辰殿 (Yuan Chen Dian)

Hall of 28 constellations: " The ancient astrology divided the sky into 28 groups. They were called 28 constellations. They are the Gods that control the fortune of common people. Different dates of people's birth are corresponding with different constellations. It is called constellation God of people's birth year. "

In Chinese: 列宿殿 (Lie Xiu Dian)

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Front Court:

Cabinet Head House: Cabinet head is the director of external business of armed escorts. He is mainly in charge of dealing with small business deals.

Middle Court:
Accounting House: It is the financial institution of armed escorts. There is usually one accounting officer and 1 to 2 assistants. They are mainly in charge of accounting management of the armed escort.

Mail House: It is the document administration institution. There is usually one document officer and one to two copiers. They are mainly in charge of receiving and delivering mails of the armed escort and dealing with documents.

Rear Court:
Parlor: It is the place where the chief escort meet important clients and talks about big-amount business.

Escort Vehicle: It is the main transport vehicle which armed escorts use to do business in the north of China. There are usually escort boxes with silver money on the vehicle, and escort flags to show the identity of the armed escort.

Chief Escort House: Chief Escort is the principal of armed escorts. He usually is the best boxer in the armed escort and has best knowledge of the comprehensive management of the armed escort.

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When you visit Pingyao, you will visit several ancient armed escort companies' courtyards and facilities. " First Armed Escort of North China" and " "Armed Escort of China" are two famous you don't want to miss. Tongxinggong Armed Escort is another escort company that have similar rooms, halls, and courtyards as the two. You will expect to see cabinet Head House, Accounting House, Mail House, Parlor, Escort Vehicle, and Chief Escort House.

" Armed escort is also called Biao Hang 镖行. It is the predecessor of modern security corporation in China. Its major business was to escort payment for goods between places and to guard shops or courts. Besides that, it also did business about silver money exchange, mail receiving and delivering, and so on. China's earliest armed escort appeared in Qianlong period, Qing Dynasty. It was called XinLong Armed Escort, st up by an excellent boxer, Zhang Heiwu 张黑五, who was from Shanxi Province. Later as China's business economy developed, other armed escorts were set up one by one. Those escorts made great contribution to the development of modern business and to social stabilization. After Qing Dynasty perished, armed escort was gradually replaced by modern police institution and security organization. Armed escort gradually faded from Chinese history." (Notes from signboard , First Armed Escort of North China)。

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By learning the rooms in Wei Tai Hou Draft Bank, you will know the business activities happened in the ancient banks in Pingyao.

The Student Room: The Wei Tai Hou money shop has the dwelling place for the apprentice partner friends. The apprentice is also called trainee. In order to work in the bank, they need to take examination to measures the writing, and oral examination to measure their intelligence. They must know how to lift pawns. During the three years, first year they did the odd job, second year they practiced calligraphy, and thrid year learned how to do business.

The Salesman Room: The Wei Tai Hou money shop had set up a training room for their salesman. The vice-salesman trained several salesman and responsible to go out to consult clients with loan and silver money intercourse, and other quotation.

The Financial Department: They engaged in the branches' account. There were Chief secretary and several vice secretaries on duty in this room. They checked every money bills and made lists. The manager would submit them to the bosses.

The communicate organization: This is the general department leading the branches, including issuing memos or letters from one department to the other, or one branch to the other. It was the business center of the draft bank. There were one secretary and two or three copiers working in here.

The Head Manager's Room: This room is for the head manager, who has the highest power in the draft bank dealing with everything in the draft bank. He had total authority to all issue in the bank, and direct report to the boss.

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Room on outer west courtyard: " According to Zhuizi's homemaking motto, the memorial ceremony must be hold piously though the ancestors have been dead for many years. In these rooms there were ancestors shrines of hou's family, which have become costful heritage nowadays.

Room on outer east courtyard: " The eastern wing-rooms were used for kitchen in those years. According to the theory of the five elements, the east represents wood, the source of fire. The kitchen was designed to be here to imply meaning that family would grow prosperous and never decline."

Front courtyard: "In front of the principle rooms the eastern and western wing-rooms stand face to face. People can walk to the bedding rooms on both sides through the door- passageway. The style conformed to the normal rule of local traditional residence architecture. "

Western wing-room: " The Western Wing-rooms were lower a little than the principle rooms. They were living rooms fro the younger generation. The carving and decoration has unified style and harmonious manner not only inside but also outside the rooms. "

Principal Room: " The principal rooms are the main part of the house and stands south and faces north. They are the architecture with hall. The principal hall was five spaces, the middle rooms were used to offer sacrifice gods and ancestors, receive quests."

Eastern Passageway: " The eastern passageway is a narrow southward from here, you can come to the backyard through the east yard. The passageway was for young ladies and servant girls of HOUBAIWAN's family to come in and out. "

The notes above are copied from the signboard in Wei Tai Hou Museum. This gives you some basic idea of the ancient architectures and cultures.

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En los templos queman incienso , de todos los tamaños , según las posibilidades de las personas , como ofrenda y para pedir algún deseo
Aparte del humo que puede haber en algún momento es muy agradable su olor y ver los incensarios de bronce que están a la puerta de los templos

Chinese burn in their temples , of all sizes, according to the economy of people , as an offering or to ask any desire
Apart from the smoke that may not so nice in some moments , it is very pleasant to smell it and to see the bronze incense burners that are at the door of the temples

One of the practices I had not seen before (coming from a warm country) is material being put in front of doorways to keep the cold from getting in. At our hotel a blue nylon "blanket "(with probably down in it) was used. It then became a game to discover hidden rooms tucked behind this material.

Later, we discovered shops using the same device this time with thick plastic sheets. If we had not known about this we would never have entered certain shops thinking they were closed.

¿ Porqué no va a ser buen sitio para hacer una buena timba la mitad de la calle ?

Why the midle of the street is not a good place for playing cards ?