Pingyao Ancient City: A Beacon of War on the Gate Tower, a City's Glory on Screen

Pingyao Ancient City itself is a living history book. Nestled in central Shanxi, it is the best-preserved ancient county town in China and an outstanding example of Han Chinese urban planning during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1997, UNESCO inscribed Pingyao on the World Heritage List, recognising its global significance. What many do not know is that Pingyao was once the financial heart of late-Qing China – the nation's first draft bank, Rishengchang, was born here, making it the "Wall Street" of its time.

图源：平遥古城旅游公众号

而剧中出现的那座南门城楼——迎薰门，正是平遥城墙最气派的建筑。城楼高达16米，两层三重檐歇山顶，飞檐翘角，气势恢宏。站在南门登城，视野最为开阔：向南望去，护城河碧波荡漾，市民广场人来人往；向北眺望，南大街的繁华与市楼的巍峨尽收眼底；左右两侧，绵延的城墙如同一条青灰色的巨龙，静卧在大地之上。这里也是游客拍照打卡的必到之处——夕阳西下时，余晖为青砖镀上金色，仿佛还能听到当年攻城时的号角与呐喊。

The south gate tower – Yingxun Gate, which appears in the series – is the most magnificent structure on the city walls. Rising 16 metres high, it features two stories with a triple-eave, gable-and-hip roof, its upturned eaves conveying an air of soaring grandeur. From the south gate, the view is unrivalled: to the south, the moat glimmers and the public square bustles; to the north, the thriving South Street and the imposing market tower come into full view; on both sides, the continuous wall stretches like an azure-grey dragon resting upon the earth. This is the premier spot for visitor photos – especially at sunset, when the golden light gilds the ancient bricks, and you can almost hear the trumpets and battle cries of that long-ago assault.

图源：《亮剑》剧集截图

对于慕名而来的《亮剑》剧迷而言，站在迎薰门下，脑海里会自动浮现李云龙举着望远镜、声嘶力竭地吼出“开炮”的画面。城楼依旧，硝烟已散，但荧幕上的英雄气概却与古城的风骨交相辉映。这不是一座普通的城墙——它既是明清商贾繁盛的见证者，也是中华民族不屈精神的守望者。

For fans of Drawing Sword making a pilgrimage here, standing beneath Yingxun Gate, the scene instinctively replays in the mind: Li Yunlong raising his binoculars and roaring hoarsely, "Fire!" The gate tower remains, the smoke of war long dissipated, yet the screen-born valour resonates with the city's unyielding spirit. This is no ordinary wall – it is at once a testament to the mercantile prosperity of the Ming and Qing dynasties and a sentinel of the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people.

图源：山西省文化和旅游厅公众号