{"id":17035,"date":"2022-04-28T12:41:36","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=17035"},"modified":"2022-04-28T12:41:36","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:41:36","slug":"visiting-the-ancient-city-of-pingyao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/visiting-the-ancient-city-of-pingyao\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting the Ancient City of Pingyao"},"content":{"rendered":"

For those interested in Chinese history and culture, a great place to visit is the\u00a0Ancient City of Pingyao<\/strong> (\u5e73\u9065\u53e4\u57ce p\u00edng y\u00e1o g\u01d4 ch\u00e9ng), located in central Shanxi province<\/strong> (\u5c71\u897f\u7701 sh\u0101n x\u012b sh\u011bng). Although the small city of the same name will be of little interest to travelers, the old town is a fantastic UNESCO World Heritage site, listed as \u201can exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city.\u201d In fact, many consider the ancient walled town to be the best of its kind in China. This post is all about visiting the Ancient City of Pingyao and what you can do while there. But first, a little history lesson…<\/p>\n

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Wandering around Pingyao is a great trip back in time.<\/p><\/div>\n

History of Pingyao<\/h2>\n

Pingyao was established way back in the 14th century when its city walls were constructed during the Ming Dynasty. Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao was actually the financial center for all of China. At that time, Shanxi merchants had developed various trade routes both in China and abroad, and carrying their silver coins with them everywhere they went wasn\u2019t exactly safe.<\/p>\n

As such, the first exchange house in the country was established in Pingyao. Called a\u00a0piaohao<\/strong><\/em> (\u7968\u53f7 pi\u00e0o h\u00e0o) in Chinese, these institutions provided remittance services, took deposits and made loans. The first one was called \u201cSunrise Prosperity<\/strong>\u201d ( \u65e5\u5347\u660c r\u00ec sh\u0113ng ch\u0101ng), and at its peak, it controlled almost half of the Chinese economy. There\u2019s even a movie, titled \u201cEmpire of Silver<\/strong>\u201d (\u767d\u94f6\u5e1d\u56fd b\u00e1i y\u00edn d\u00ec gu\u00f3) that tells the story of a banking clan in Pingyao during these boom times.<\/p>\n

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A nine dragon screen, a common sight in China.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Ancient City<\/h2>\n

These days, the old city wall still stands, as do thousands of the traditional shops, dwellings, temples, and more. In an effort to preserve this historical and cultural gem, motorized vehicles are not allowed on the old cobblestone streets. While much of China\u2019s history has met the bulldozer to make room for high-rise apartments and shopping malls, the ancient city of Pingyao managed to survive the country\u2019s rush to modernization.<\/p>\n

Aside from the tourists snapping photos with their smartphones and other modern sights, it\u2019s easy to feel as if you\u2019ve stepped back in time to the days of 19th century imperial China while strolling along the streets. The UNESCO status, granted in 1997, certainly helps there. Of course, with that status comes increased tourist numbers, and this small town is straining to meet the demand.<\/p>\n

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A view of Pingyao from above.<\/p><\/div>\n

Visiting Pingyao<\/h2>\n

There are a few direct trains from Beijing to Pingyao every day. Your best bet is to take the K609 train, which leaves Beijing station at 11:51 PM and arrives the next morning around 9:30. This train has sleeper bunks, but they\u2019re in hot demand so you\u2019d better do your best to book in advance. Be sure to read this post<\/a> about taking the train in China to learn the vocabulary necessary for buying tickets and for the journey itself.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can take one of many daily high-speed trains from Beijing West to the provincial capital of Taiyuan<\/strong> (\u592a\u539f t\u00e0i yu\u00e1n), from where you can easily hop on a bus and be in Pingyao in two hours.<\/p>\n

In terms of getting around the ancient city, hoofing it is the best way to go. Without any cars on the roads, it\u2019s quite pleasant to stroll around and take in the sights slowly. For a little bit of fun, you can also rent tandem bicycles to cruise the streets.<\/p>\n

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Here come the tour groups…<\/p><\/div>\n

As far as sightseeing goes, there are plenty of temples, old shophouses, and more to keep you busy. There\u2019s just one entrance ticket for the entire walled city, which will set you back 125 RMB. You can also take a stroll along the old city wall for a bird\u2019s eye view of this traditional Chinese city. If you have more time, there are also two notable temples a few miles outside of the town \u2013 Shuanglin and Zhenguo.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Pingyao, as it is a wildly popular destination with Chinese tourists. More and more foreign tourists are including it on their China itinerary, but it\u2019s still very much Chinese. When it comes to dining in Pingyao, you\u2019ve got to try the specialty\u00a0Pingyao beef<\/strong> (\u5e73\u9065\u725b\u8089 p\u00edng y\u00e1o ni\u00fa r\u00f2u).<\/p>\n

Shanxi is also famous for noodles, so you might as well try the \u201ccat ear<\/strong>\u201d (\u732b\u8033\u6735 m\u0101o \u011br duo) variety. Don\u2019t worry \u2013 no actual cat\u2019s ears are used in the process, it\u2019s just a clever name due to the appearance of the noodles.<\/p>\n

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Not real cat ears.<\/p><\/div>\n

Outside of the tourist attractions, you\u2019ll have plenty of fun just wandering the streets and practicing your Chinese. There are tons of opportunities for silly photos, and you can even play some games in the street.<\/p>\n

To give you more of an idea of what a weekend in Pingyao is like, here are two videos from my trip there a few years ago:<\/p>\n