# Pingyao County Government Office (县衙)

Pingyao, Shanxi Province · North China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/pingyao-county-government-office
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Included in the Pingyao Ancient City combo ticket
- **Opening hours:** 2026.10.10-2027.03.31 08:00-17:30
- **Time needed:** 1 hour
- **Address:** In the southwestern part of Pingyao Ancient Town, on the north side of the middle section of Yamen Street (衙门街)
- **Getting there:** Located inside Pingyao Ancient City; reachable on foot from South Street
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Architecture

## About Pingyao County Government Office

The Pingyao County Government Office is one of the very few complete ancient county yamens still surviving in China. Its buildings line up along the central axis, with Six Ministries offices (六部房) in the east and west wings. The courtyard also contains a bell tower, an Earth God shrine, grain halls, a heavy prison, a female prison, a light prison, the Hall of the King of Hell and many other structures. The yamen also houses the only Imperial Edict Museum in China.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Court sessions at the yamen
- Performances of “The County Magistrate Holds Court and Judges Cases” take place at 9:30, 11:00 and 15:30 every day. On public holidays and weekends, an extra performance may be added or the times adjusted temporarily.
- 2. Listening to Rain Tower
- From inside the yamen you can climb the Listening to Rain Tower (听雨楼), the highest point in Pingyao. From the top you can capture a panoramic view of the town, making it a favorite spot for photographers.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1807. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.