Heping Ancient Town

　　Blue bricks and glazed tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, with courtyards and halls — an extraordinary grandeur. The luxurious residences common in the Central Plains during the Ming and Qing dynasties have now become rare treasures. Yet, one place still retains nearly 200 of them — it is the millennium-old cultural town of Heping in Shaowu.

　　Heping Town is located in northwestern Fujian, covering an area of 192 square kilometers. Its establishment dates back to the Tang Dynasty, making it one of the oldest ancient towns in Fujian Province. It is a nationally rare castle-style large village settlement, with numerous historic buildings that form one of China’s most distinctive and well-preserved ancient residential architectural complexes, and is recognized as a national-level tourism resource.