Pingyao Ancient City is about 85 kilometers away from Taiyuan City. The streets, shops, and residential buildings in the ancient city still maintain their traditional layout and style. It is one of the well preserved ancient cities in China and also the ancient county city that has successfully applied for the World Cultural Heritage status as a whole. Pingyao was once the financial center of China during the late Qing Dynasty. Walking into this once bustling ancient city, one can feel the atmosphere of Jin merchant culture everywhere.
The ancient city has six gates, with the north gate near Pingyao Bus Station, the west gate near Pingyao Railway Station, and the south and west gates being places with a large number of tourists. Entering the ancient city does not require a ticket. If you want to climb the city wall, visit tourist attractions such as ticket numbers, you need to purchase an ancient city pass. The ancient city is not very big, and it can be explored on foot. If you don't want to walk, you can also take an electric scooter.
The street layout of the entire ancient city is in the shape of a "tu" character. When playing, you usually enter the city from the west gate and walk along the west street to the "ancestor of modern Chinese banking" Rishengchang Bank. Here, you can not only learn about the development history of ancient banking, but also have the old shopkeeper in a long robe and jacket write you a bill of exchange using early methods, which is particularly historical.
Continuing forward is the South Street that runs north-south, which is the central axis of the ancient city. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, South Street controlled over half of the financial institutions in the country and was known as the "Chinese Wall Street" of that time. Nowadays, this is also a bustling area of the ancient city, known as the Ming and Qing Dynasty Ancient Street. Most of the attractions in the ancient city are concentrated here, centered around the iconic building of the ancient city, the Ancient Market Tower. There are also attractions such as the Collaborative Celebration Ticket House (China Money House Museum), Wei Tai Hou (Ticket House Museum), Bai Chuan Tong, China Escort Agency Museum, Tongxing Public Escort Agency, Wei Sheng Chang, China Rare Newspaper Exhibition Hall, Tian Ji Xiang, as well as restaurants, instrument shops, cafes, and bars. After sightseeing along the street, you can eat here, buy some souvenirs, and then continue to visit south.
In the Pingyao Ancient County Government Office located to the south of the ancient city, one can see a large number of ancient documents and instruments of torture, and there is also a performance of the county government office's ascension hall every day; The Chenghuang Temple and the Confucian Temple near the Upper East Gate are built in an elegant manner, and the incense is very popular.
The Pingyao Ancient City Wall is also one of the highlights of the ancient city, not only magnificent, but also well preserved. Climbing up the city wall, you can overlook the entire ancient city. Among them, the city tower at the South Gate (Yingxun Gate) is exquisite, and it is close to residential buildings, where you can also see the lives of the people in the ancient city. If you have enough time, you can take a walk around the ancient city along the city walls and fully experience its scenery, which will take about an hour. Watching the sunset on the city wall in the evening, the scenery is very beautiful.
In addition to the ancient city itself, the other two major attractions in Pingyao are Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple. There is not a single nail in the entire Zhenguo Temple, and all structures are made of wood and wood that are interlocked; More than 10 main halls in Shuanglin Temple preserve exquisite colored sculptures from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty.
To visit Pingyao Ancient City, you can choose a few interesting attractions to visit, then take a car to Qiao Family Courtyard to continue the tour, and then return to Taiyuan. It is recommended to stay overnight in the ancient city and enjoy the night view. You can also rent a bicycle and experience the real Pingyao in those small alleys. Watching cultural customs or taking photos are great subjects. Especially during the Chinese New Year, Pingyao exudes a strong festive atmosphere. The city is filled with old courtyard converted inns, which are usually affordable and can easily find clean and tidy accommodations for tens of yuan.
In addition, Pingyao's beef is very famous. Empress Dowager Cixi once passed through Pingyao in the late Qing Dynasty and enjoyed Pingyao beef very much. She even designated it as a tribute to the palace. Shops with the name "Guanyun Beef" can be seen everywhere in the ancient city. It is difficult to distinguish between real and fake, and the prices are generally expensive. You can buy some outside the city to taste and give it to friends and family.
Travel Tips
Address: Kangning Road, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province
Telephone: 0354-5690000,0354-5690075
Opening Hours: 10/8-3/31 08:00-17:30;04/01-10/07 08:00-18:00
Admission ticket: CNY 125