Two things to make sure to enjoy in Pingyao
- Zhangbi Fortress and Courtyard of Wang Family
- Pingyao city iteself
You can take a night train to Pingyao, arrive next morning then drive to an interesting village called Zhangbi, with visible city walls left and tens of km of underground tunnel, this place was used to be a strategic military point dating back to Tang dynasty, 600 AD. And it is a recently discoverd sit, off tourists' beaten path. Walk around in the 1.5 millennium old city, see pieces of history while checking the local villagers' life, later explore the underground tunnel which was supposedly for military use.
Nearby is the largest and best preserved courtyard house- belonging Wang family (Wangjia Dayuan), constructed during 1762-1811 by a rich Shanxi merchants. A huge private palace, built on slope of the mountain, has awesome Fengshui. Unlike other famous courtyard house, this one has been kept intact and real, no actors and chintzy re-creations of olden times. Nearby, there are also some old cave houses, a typical residential architecture in the yellow soil plain area, which are inhabited by peasants in ancient times but now ordinary villagers live in, rural people, old house, very real China.
Ping Yao (平遥）itself is an exceptionally well-preserved ancient city, founded in the 14th century, and it used to be the major financial centre for the whole of China in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are still more than 4000 old houses in the city, check out the biggest private bank in China, an old county government office courtyard, a live demonstration of local administration procedure, then a pawn shop and an old security company.
Another good part of the old city is the food, so many delicious local cuisines, including many differnt kinds of noodles.
It's fun to rent a bike, check out some hidden places, meet local people, check out an interesting Buddhist temple called Shuanglin temple. Inside the temple are more than two-thousand painted sculptures.
[edit] Getting There
You can catch the overnight train from Beijing and Shanghai to Pingyao. ETravel BJ (etravelbj@yahoo.com.cn, phone 86 10 - 6568 6520 / 6568 7797) can help you book tickets for a fairly nominal booking fee.
If going by plane, the closest airport is in Taiyuan, which is a 1.5 hour bus ride to Pingyao. The Pingyao bus station is very close to the Ancient City.
[edit] Sleeping & Eating
- Harmony Guesthouse
- Yamen Youth Hotel
- Tianyuankui Falk Guesthouse
- Pingyao International Financier Club
- Dejuyuan Binguan
[edit] Map
Categories: Cities | Map | Shanxi