Secret Talents of the Pingyao People

Ancient handicrafts fit for an empress

Photos and Text By Paul Westerberg

While the historic wall is undoubtedly what earned

Pingyao its UNESCO World Heritage status in1997, what prompted recognition was the discovery of a dynamic and vibrant local culture rich in crafts and artistry.

The savvy visitor to Pingyao can find much more than a series of photo opportunities and overpopulated tourist sites. Cottage factories, local homes and tiny stores buzz with the activity of skilled artisans maintaining centuries-old traditions unique to the city. On any particular day, there are literally hundreds of craftspeople at work. Here's a glimpse of what they might be doing:

Cloth shoes (buxie)

Cloth shoes are not unique to Pingyao. There are black cotton shoes mass-produced across China.

But Pingyao shoes with distinct local designs are unique and, incidentally, handmade by Pingyao people right in front of your eyes.

Before UNESCO status in 1997, local people could often be found sitting out front of their homes sewing cloth shoes for themselves," says Hou Donghua, wife of Pingyao shoemaker Wen Cong.

"Then we noticed that tourists really dug the more colorful ones and, so in the last three or four years, many of us locals have set up small businesses weaving our traditional handmade shoes for visitors to buy."

Various people are involved in the production of shoes: some specialize in more mundane skills such as sewing the soles, while others, usually women, embroider the colorful designs.