How did a merchant send value to another city before a phone could transfer money? Pingyao gives that question a fascinating setting: old shopfronts, courtyard rooms and the history of draft banks. Come for the streets, then let a ledger detail surprise you.
These 100 entries pair English with simplified Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin for historical banking, town layouts, temple sculpture and food conversations. Pingyao is a county-level heritage destination in Shanxi. Choose one scene rather than trying to memorise the whole town before breakfast.
eduKateSG → Vocabulary → China Learning Hub → Pingyao. For everyday directions, payment and other basic exchanges, open shared Mandarin essentials.
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Jump to 100 city expressions, pronunciation, five practical questions, places and history or English writing practice.
The list uses simplified Chinese and standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin. Names and short descriptive phrases sit beside single words because each has a useful travel purpose. These expressions are learning aids, not a promise that every sign uses the same wording. Save the full Chinese destination name and verify its address on a current official map.
1–10: Find the town and its heritage places
Use 平遥古城 for the town and a separate full name for each attraction. Shuanglin and Zhenguo temples are outside the walled town. A heritage property's components do not necessarily sit beside one another or share a single admission arrangement.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient City of Pingyao | 平遥古城 | Píngyáo Gǔchéng |
| 2 | Rishengchang draft bank | 日升昌票号 | Rìshēngchāng piàohào |
| 3 | Shuanglin Temple | 双林寺 | Shuānglín Sì |
| 4 | Zhenguo Temple | 镇国寺 | Zhènguó Sì |
| 5 | Pingyao county government office | 平遥县衙 | Píngyáo xiànyá |
| 6 | Ming–Qing Street | 明清街 | Míng Qīng Jiē |
| 7 | Pingyao City Tower | 平遥市楼 | Píngyáo Shìlóu |
| 8 | Wanfo Hall | 万佛殿 | Wànfó Diàn |
| 9 | Historic remittance firm | 旧时汇兑商号 | jiùshí huìduì shānghào |
| 10 | Shanxi merchant tradition | 晋商传统 | Jìnshāng chuántǒng |
11–20: Recognise the draft-bank display
Imagine a merchant pointing at a draft-bank counter. Which item carries the instruction, and which record helps check it? These terms are for understanding a historical display; they are not instructions for a modern financial transaction.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Draft-bank counter | 票号柜台 | piàohào guìtái |
| 12 | Remittance draft | 汇票 | huìpiào |
| 13 | Silver ingot weight | 银锭重量 | yíndìng zhòngliàng |
| 14 | Account book page | 账簿页 | zhàngbù yè |
| 15 | Merchant's business seal | 商号印章 | shānghào yìnzhāng |
| 16 | Branch-office network | 分号网络 | fēnhào wǎngluò |
| 17 | Draft verification mark | 汇票核验标记 | huìpiào héyàn biāojì |
| 18 | Historical accounting entry | 旧账记录 | jiùzhàng jìlù |
| 19 | Draft-bank manager | 票号掌柜 | piàohào zhǎngguì |
| 20 | Remittance destination | 汇兑目的地 | huìduì mùdìdì |
21–30: Explain historical remittance
Follow the roles in a hypothetical remittance: sender, recipient and branches. Ask the museum how verification worked. Do not assume an old draft was the same as today's banknote, cheque or phone transfer merely because all involve money.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Explain a draft without calling it cash | 解释汇票而不将其称为现银 | jiěshì huìpiào ér bù jiāng qí chēngwéi xiànyín |
| 22 | Follow a payment across two branches | 追踪两家分号间的汇款 | zhuīzōng liǎng jiā fēnhào jiān de huìkuǎn |
| 23 | Compare a historical draft with a modern transfer | 比较旧时汇票与现代转账 | bǐjiào jiùshí huìpiào yǔ xiàndài zhuǎnzhàng |
| 24 | Ask how a draft was verified | 询问汇票如何核验 | xúnwèn huìpiào rúhé héyàn |
| 25 | Read the account entry's date | 读出账目日期 | dúchū zhàngmù rìqī |
| 26 | Distinguish a replica from an original ledger | 区分账簿复制品与原件 | qūfēn zhàngbù fùzhìpǐn yǔ yuánjiàn |
| 27 | Identify the sender and recipient | 辨认汇款人与收款人 | biànrèn huìkuǎnrén yǔ shōukuǎnrén |
| 28 | Ask what the seal authenticated | 询问印章验证什么 | xúnwèn yìnzhāng yànzhèng shénme |
| 29 | Describe why merchants needed remittance | 描述商人为何需要汇兑 | miáoshù shāngrén wèihé xūyào huìduì |
| 30 | Keep a historical finance example hypothetical | 将历史金融示例标明为假设 | jiāng lìshǐ jīnróng shìlì biāomíng wéi jiǎshè |
31–40: Read streets and courtyard rooms
Courtyard words help you describe space precisely. Locate a street-facing room, then an entrance and a room deeper inside. Your sketch can show where things are without guessing who lived in every room.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Walled-city street grid | 城墙内的街巷格局 | chéngqiáng nèi de jiēxiàng géjú |
| 32 | Historic shop frontage | 历史商铺门面 | lìshǐ shāngpù ménmiàn |
| 33 | Shop signboard lettering | 商铺招牌文字 | shāngpù zhāopái wénzì |
| 34 | Courtyard room sequence | 院落房间次序 | yuànluò fángjiān cìxù |
| 35 | Main-room entrance | 正房入口 | zhèngfáng rùkǒu |
| 36 | Side-room entrance | 厢房入口 | xiāngfáng rùkǒu |
| 37 | Street-facing commercial room | 临街营业房 | línjiē yíngyèfáng |
| 38 | Residential courtyard depth | 住宅院落进深 | zhùzhái yuànluò jìnshēn |
| 39 | Brick-carved doorway surround | 砖雕门框 | zhuāndiāo ménkuàng |
| 40 | Doorway's raised stone threshold | 门口凸起的石门槛 | ménkǒu tūqǐ de shí ménkǎn |
41–50: Respect a living historic town
A historic town also has present-day residents. Notice a shop's public area and a home's private threshold. Ask before entering; a photogenic doorway is not automatic permission to explore the rooms beyond it.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Read a street grid on a heritage map | 在遗产地图上读街巷格局 | zài yíchǎn dìtú shàng dú jiēxiàng géjú |
| 42 | Distinguish public shops from private homes | 区分公共商铺与私人住宅 | qūfēn gōnggòng shāngpù yǔ sīrén zhùzhái |
| 43 | Ask before entering a residential courtyard | 进入住宅院落前先询问 | jìnrù zhùzhái yuànluò qián xiān xúnwèn |
| 44 | Notice a doorway's change in level | 留意门口的高低变化 | liúyì ménkǒu de gāodī biànhuà |
| 45 | Compare two old shop signs | 比较两块老商铺招牌 | bǐjiào liǎng kuài lǎo shāngpù zhāopái |
| 46 | Describe a room's place in a courtyard | 描述房间在院落中的位置 | miáoshù fángjiān zài yuànluò zhōng de wèizhi |
| 47 | Keep a doorway clear while taking notes | 做笔记时不堵门口 | zuò bǐjì shí bù dǔ ménkǒu |
| 48 | Separate a decorative sign from historical evidence | 区分装饰招牌与历史证据 | qūfēn zhuāngshì zhāopái yǔ lìshǐ zhèngjù |
| 49 | Identify a building's present use | 辨认建筑现在的用途 | biànrèn jiànzhù xiànzài de yòngtú |
| 50 | Ask whether a lane remains residential | 询问巷子是否仍有居民居住 | xúnwèn xiàngzi shìfǒu réng yǒu jūmín jūzhù |
51–60: Understand the county office
At the county office, read the explanation of a room's function or an official's role. A staged scene can illustrate an interpretation, but a performance is not a surviving record of the exact event you are watching.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | County magistrate's office | 县令办公处 | xiànlìng bàngōngchù |
| 52 | Government office courtyard | 衙署院落 | yáshǔ yuànluò |
| 53 | Historical courtroom setting | 旧时审案场景 | jiùshí shěn'àn chǎngjǐng |
| 54 | Official duty description | 官员职责说明 | guānyuán zhízé shuōmíng |
| 55 | Administrative document display | 行政文书展示 | xíngzhèng wénshū zhǎnshì |
| 56 | Distinguish reenactment from a historical record | 区分表演再现与历史记录 | qūfēn biǎoyǎn zàixiàn yǔ lìshǐ jìlù |
| 57 | Ask which room served which function | 询问各房间的原有功能 | xúnwèn gè fángjiān de yuányǒu gōngnéng |
| 58 | Compare commercial and administrative courtyards | 比较商用与行政院落 | bǐjiào shāngyòng yǔ xíngzhèng yuànluò |
| 59 | Read the explanation of an official title | 阅读官职的解释 | yuèdú guānzhí de jiěshì |
| 60 | Attribute a story told by the guide | 注明讲解故事的来源 | zhùmíng jiǎngjiě gùshi de láiyuán |
61–70: Explore the outlying temples
Compare materials at the temples: clay figures and wooden halls. Read the dates separately. A sculpture may not share the building's date, and a repaired surface should not be used alone to guess a century.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Painted clay sculpture group | 彩绘泥塑群 | cǎihuì nísù qún |
| 62 | Sculpture's clay support structure | 泥塑的支撑结构 | nísù de zhīchēng jiégòu |
| 63 | Painted figure's sleeve movement | 彩塑衣袖的动势 | cǎisù yīxiù de dòngshì |
| 64 | Temple hall's figure arrangement | 殿内塑像排列 | diàn nèi sùxiàng páiliè |
| 65 | Five-Dynasties wooden hall | 五代木构殿堂 | Wǔ Dài mùgòu diàntáng |
| 66 | Temple outside the walled town | 城外寺庙 | chéng wài sìmiào |
| 67 | Separate statue date from hall date | 区分塑像年代与殿堂年代 | qūfēn sùxiàng niándài yǔ diàntáng niándài |
| 68 | Compare a clay figure with a stone carving | 比较泥塑与石刻 | bǐjiào nísù yǔ shíkè |
| 69 | Read a sculpture's identified subject | 阅读塑像题材说明 | yuèdú sùxiàng tícái shuōmíng |
| 70 | Check the route to an outlying temple | 核对前往城外寺庙的路线 | héduì qiánwǎng chéng wài sìmiào de lùxiàn |
71–80: Ask about local food
Say a snack name and ask which flour and seasoning the seller uses. Wantuo names a steamed flour preparation; recipes and serving styles need confirmation. Packaged beef also has a label worth reading before choosing a purchase.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | Pingyao beef | 平遥牛肉 | Píngyáo niúròu |
| 72 | Wantuo steamed flour snack | 碗托 | wǎntuō |
| 73 | Flour batter for wantuo | 碗托面糊 | wǎntuō miànhú |
| 74 | Sliced cooked beef | 切片熟牛肉 | qiēpiàn shú niúròu |
| 75 | Cold sliced wantuo | 凉拌碗托片 | liángbàn wǎntuō piàn |
| 76 | Ask whether a snack is served hot or cold | 询问小吃是热食还是凉食 | xúnwèn xiǎochī shì rèshí háishi liángshí |
| 77 | Check the label on packaged beef | 核对包装牛肉的标签 | héduì bāozhuāng niúròu de biāoqiān |
| 78 | Describe texture separately from seasoning | 将口感与调味分开描述 | jiāng kǒugǎn yǔ tiáowèi fēnkāi miáoshù |
| 79 | Confirm the flour used for a snack | 确认小吃使用的面粉 | quèrèn xiǎochī shǐyòng de miànfěn |
| 80 | Ask how a local snack is prepared | 询问地方小吃如何制作 | xúnwèn dìfāng xiǎochī rúhé zhìzuò |
81–90: Plan admission and a useful notebook
Ask what each ticket covers and how your accommodation is reached. Entry to the town, entry to a museum and entry to an outlying temple are separate things to verify. Build a relaxed route around confirmed arrangements.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | Heritage ticket's included sites | 遗产门票包含的景点 | yíchǎn ménpiào bāohán de jǐngdiǎn |
| 82 | Separate city access from attraction admission | 区分入城与景点入场 | qūfēn rù chéng yǔ jǐngdiǎn rùchǎng |
| 83 | Confirm an attraction's separate conditions | 确认景点的单独参观条件 | quèrèn jǐngdiǎn de dāndú cānguān tiáojiàn |
| 84 | Check a guesthouse's exact lane | 核对客栈所在的具体巷子 | héduì kèzhàn suǒzài de jùtǐ xiàngzi |
| 85 | Choose a route that avoids residential disturbance | 选择不打扰居民的路线 | xuǎnzé bù dǎrǎo jūmín de lùxiàn |
| 86 | Verify a performance's current programme | 核实表演的当前安排 | héshí biǎoyǎn de dāngqián ānpái |
| 87 | Record one remittance explanation | 记录一条汇兑解释 | jìlù yì tiáo huìduì jiěshì |
| 88 | Draw a branch-to-branch payment route | 画出分号之间的汇款路线 | huàchū fēnhào zhījiān de huìkuǎn lùxiàn |
| 89 | Revise a vague ancient-town sentence | 修改含糊的古城句子 | xiūgǎi hánhu de gǔchéng jùzi |
| 90 | Connect a ledger detail to trust | 将账簿细节与信任联系起来 | jiāng zhàngbù xìjié yǔ xìnrèn liánxì qǐlái |
91–100: Write about trust and verification
Choose a verification step that you can explain in ordinary English. Compare its purpose with checking a receipt today, while keeping the two systems' rules separate. Good comparison identifies a shared question without flattening history.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Historical banking observation | 历史银行业观察 | lìshǐ yínhángyè guānchá |
| 92 | Courtyard-function comparison | 院落功能比较 | yuànluò gōngnéng bǐjiào |
| 93 | Source-labelled merchant story | 注明来源的商人故事 | zhùmíng láiyuán de shāngrén gùshi |
| 94 | Present-day resident's perspective | 当代居民的视角 | dāngdài jūmín de shìjiǎo |
| 95 | Remittance process summary | 汇兑过程概述 | huìduì guòchéng gàishù |
| 96 | Explain why a signature needs verification | 解释签名为何需要核验 | jiěshì qiānmíng wèihé xūyào héyàn |
| 97 | Compare an old receipt with a modern one | 比较旧收据与现代收据 | bǐjiào jiù shōujù yǔ xiàndài shōujù |
| 98 | Keep fact and imagined merchant dialogue separate | 将事实与想象的商人对话分开 | jiāng shìshí yǔ xiǎngxiàng de shāngrén duìhuà fēnkāi |
| 99 | Identify an unanswered account-book question | 找出尚未解答的账簿问题 | zhǎochū shàngwèi jiědá de zhàngbù wèntí |
| 100 | Write about one verification step | 写一个核验步骤 | xiě yí ge héyàn bùzhòu |
Pronunciation: listen to the whole expression
票号 is piàohào, while 汇票 is huìpiào: the firm and the draft are different words. 掌柜 uses zhǎngguì. 县衙 ends with yá, and 账簿 is zhàngbù, with two fourth tones. 镇国寺 begins Zhènguó; 双林寺 begins Shuānglín. Read the full destination name aloud before matching it to the map.
Tone marks show pitch: mā is high and level, má rises, mǎ is low and may dip then rise in isolation, and mà falls. An unmarked neutral syllable is lighter. Names generally retain dictionary tones; short ready-to-say phrases may mark common connected-speech changes, including 不 → bú before a fourth tone and changes to 一. The first of two third tones usually rises in speech. Practise a whole short expression, not just isolated sounds.
Five friendly questions to practise
| English question | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| How did this draft bank verify a remittance draft? | 这家票号怎样核验汇票？ | Zhè jiā piàohào zěnyàng héyàn huìpiào? |
| What was this courtyard room used for? | 这个院落里的房间原来做什么用？ | Zhège yuànluò lǐ de fángjiān yuánlái zuò shénme yòng? |
| Does this admission include Shuanglin Temple? | 这张门票包含双林寺吗？ | Zhè zhāng ménpiào bāohán Shuānglín Sì ma? |
| Which flour is used to make this wantuo? | 这份碗托用哪种面粉做的？ | Zhè fèn wǎntuō yòng nǎ zhǒng miànfěn zuò de? |
| Is the ledger on display an original or a replica? | 展出的账簿是原件还是复制品？ | Zhǎnchū de zhàngbù shì yuánjiàn háishi fùzhìpǐn? |
Choose the question that fits your situation, listen to the answer and ask for clarification when needed. A vocabulary list supports communication; it cannot confirm an ingredient, opening arrangement, transport route or permission on somebody else’s behalf.
Pingyao's streets: a town you can read
UNESCO describes Pingyao as a well-preserved historic Chinese city whose fabric records urban and architectural development across centuries. The walled town gives you a setting in which streets, houses, commerce and administration can be considered together. It is also a place where people live and work today.
Choose a public street corner and describe how a shopfront meets a lane. Then ask how a courtyard extends behind that frontage. A map can help you see the pattern, but it cannot tell you whether an individual doorway is public. Keep residential privacy in your route, and let the town remain more than a background for photographs.
UNESCO: Ancient City of Ping Yao
Rishengchang: follow the verification question
Historical research on Shanxi merchants identifies remittance as central to the work of draft banks such as Rishengchang. That is a more useful beginning than treating the business as a modern bank with an older counter. Ask what a draft instructed, who received it and how people established that it was valid.
Make a hypothetical two-branch example and label it clearly as invented. Put a sender and recipient at its ends. Leave the details of authentication for a documented explanation rather than making up a secret code. A visit becomes memorable when one object helps you understand the problem merchants were trying to solve.
National social-science research office: Shanxi merchant finance
Trust needs records, not just a good story
The National Administration of State Secrets' historical account discusses verification and confidentiality practices in Shanxi draft banking. Use it as a historical explanation to investigate, not as a universal guarantee that every transaction or employee was reliable. Records and checks matter precisely because trust alone leaves questions unanswered.
At a display, read a seal, a date or a ledger field only as far as the label supports. Ask whether the document is an original or reproduction. Back in Singapore, compare the purpose of that check with confirming the sender on a receipt. You are comparing the need to verify; you are not claiming identical technology or financial rules.
National Administration of State Secrets: historical draft-bank verification
Shuanglin and Zhenguo: two temples beyond the walls
UNESCO's listed property includes Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple as well as the walled city. Its account highlights Shuanglin's painted sculptures and Zhenguo's early wooden architecture. Give these sites their own location check and travel time. Being part of the same heritage property does not make them one walk through a single gate.
For a sculpture, choose an observable sleeve movement or arrangement of figures. For a hall, choose a visible structural feature and read its date. Ask whether the figure and room belong to the same period. A specific question keeps the visit manageable, and it is often more satisfying than collecting a string of impressive-sounding ages.
UNESCO: property components and temple heritage
A food stop and a route that suits you
Official tourism descriptions connect Pingyao's appeal with its merchants, old streets and regional food. Use 平遥牛肉 to recognise the named beef speciality, then read the particular seller's label. For 碗托, ask about the flour, preparation and whether the dish is served cold or hot; the name alone does not establish all ingredients.
Choose a short route with one main visit, a food stop and time to look back at your notes. Ask each attraction what your admission includes. If you attend an interpretation or performance, record it as such. Your notebook can happily include both experience and history, provided the reader can tell where each came from.
Official tourism overview: Pingyao heritage destination
Turn one city moment into clearer English
Start with 'The old bank was interesting.' Fence the sentence with a concrete task: 'I asked how a remittance draft was verified.' Add the evidence: 'The historical account described checks used by the draft bank.' The revised paragraph has a subject, a process and a source without inventing a merchant's conversation.
Use eduKate’s Fencing Method to test each addition: what has it clarified, and does the evidence support it?
Try a Singapore receipt comparison. A name, amount and date help you check a transaction. At Pingyao, ask which recorded details performed a verification role in that historical system. Write the common purpose first and the important differences next.
A real journal should distinguish what you observed from what a label or source explained. Mark an imagined account as imagined. The Trip to China writing guide helps you connect one incident into an account; the English 200-word bank supplies meanings and original examples for the English writing itself.
Before, during and after: a small learning plan
Before visiting, learn five draft-bank terms and five courtyard terms. During a visit or home study, make one two-branch sketch and note the source of its explanation. Afterwards, write a paragraph that separates a real display detail from your hypothetical example. End with one question you would like a historian to answer.
For parents, ask what the child noticed before supplying a new word. For teachers, ask learners to label an observation, a sourced explanation and an open question. At home, use an adult-selected photograph or official museum page. No purchase or overseas journey is required, and the task is not an exam or fluency guarantee.
Questions travellers often ask
Do I need to learn all 100 entries?
No. Choose ten that fit one scene. Use the shared essentials for basic exchanges and return to this list when your question becomes more specific.
Is this the local dialect?
The Chinese and pinyin represent standard Mandarin. Local Pingyao speech has its own features; this list does not attempt to teach or transcribe that local variety.
Are all the entries single words?
No. The list includes single words, proper names and short contextual expressions. The English column identifies what each means; the Chinese and pinyin help you recognise or say it.
Can I use this guide from home?
Yes. Study a reliable photograph or official collection page, attribute the source and write a short account. Do not invent a personal journey when your evidence comes from a picture.
Do all Pingyao heritage places share one entrance ticket?
Check the current arrangements for each place. The walled town, museums and outlying temples can involve different access conditions. A shared UNESCO property name does not establish what a ticket includes.
Sources and further reading
UNESCO: Ancient City of Ping Yao
National social-science research office: Shanxi merchant finance
National Administration of State Secrets: historical draft-bank verification
UNESCO: property components and temple heritage
Official tourism overview: Pingyao heritage destination
UNESCO: Pingyao conservation and revitalisation
Historical explanations use the sources above. Check the attraction or operator directly for current visits, access and reservations. This learning guide does not fix ticket prices, opening hours, transport schedules or temporary exhibition dates.
Continue learning with eduKateSG
Return to the China city directory and choose a contrasting scene. Follow the Vocabulary Learning Hub for retrieval and transfer, or the English Learning Hub for the wider reading-to-writing route. Bring back one question and one paragraph that sound like you.
For a wider local reading route, explore eduKateSG’s Pingyao heritage and banking reading. Bring one question from that reading back to this vocabulary list, then explain a detail in your own English.