Pingyao was the most traditional town we have seen on this trip. The streets were too small to allow cars to enter the city walls, so we had to get on carts to enter. The streets were covered in markets and our hotel featured traditional Kang beds (essentially, brick bed with a mattress pad on top). We toured the Ancient Government Office which existed as early as the Wei Dynasty in 386 although the oldest existing building is from 1346. Here, we got to see prison cells, methods of torture, and a demonstration of court proceedings. Then, we went on to the first bank in China (Rishengchang). It was constructed in 1823 during the Qing Dynasty, and was restored in the later 1990s. We got to learn about how money was protected from forgery and theft in Ancient China. Later, we went up on the City Wall and walk around for awhile before dinner and free time to explore the street markets.