Ancient Walled City of Pingyao, Shanxi Province
Guided tours of the alleys, thoroughfares, and the key historical sites; an easy hike outside the city walls.
This trip is not currently scheduled
Pingyao Ancient City
The old city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province is a living museum, with its intact city wall, its residences and shops, and even its government office all preserved in the style of China’s Ming and Qing Dynasties. Walking its alleys and thoroughfares, it’s easy to imagine what life was like in those times long gone by, when Pingyao was the financial center of China.
A view from above of a busy lane in Pingyao, Shanxi. Click to view a larger image »
A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 1997, Pingyao’s old city contains much of interest: the Rishengchang Exchange Shop, known as the ‘father of banking in China’; the display of the Qing Dynasty legal system at the old County Government Office on Zhengfu Street; the Temple of the City God and the Temple of Literature; the City Tower and the line of old buildings and courtyard residences on either side of the ‘Ming and Qing’ Street; and, of course, the city walls and moat, over six kilometres in circumference.
Trip overview
Day One
Fast train to Taiyuan, private bus to Pingyao, dinner and free time.
Day Two
Guided tour of Pingyao city, walk around the city walls, Jin opera performance.
Day Three
Bike to and tour Shuanglin Temple, hike around and tour White Cloud Temple, fly back to Beijing.
Walk around the old city walls of Pingyao.
Ancient City Walls and Moat
Constructed in 1370 AD, the walls of the old city are just over six kilometres in circumference and average about 12 metres in height, with 72 watchtowers and four larger towers on each corner. The wall has six gates, and the positioning of the gates gives rise to Pingyao’s ‘Turtle City’ nickname – there is one gate in the northern wall, one gate in the southern wall, and two gates on each of the east and west walls – a layout like a turtle shell. On the first day of this trip we’ll walk all the way around the city walls, getting a good look over the city from above.
Temple of Literature
Also known as the Temple of Confucius, the Temple of Literature is a place where the memory and philosophy of Confucius are honoured. The temple was reconstructed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), which makes it older than the Temple of Confucius in Beijing. The temple is in possession of the last remaining Ming Dynasty Confucian Imperial Examination paper.
Pingyao’s City Tower at night, seen on an evening stroll.
‘Ming Qing’ Street
This street, also known as ‘South Street,’ was the center of commercial activities in Pingyao and is lined with shops and courtyard residences. The 18-metre high City Tower, one of the highlights of the old city, straddles Ming Qing Street, and many of the main tourist sites can also be found close by.
County Government Office
The County Government Office is a 300-room complex that contained a prison, the courtroom, meeting rooms, a garden, and housing and offices for officials. It was originally built in 1346, during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD), but most of the remaining buildings date to the Ming Dynasty. In some of the rooms we’ll see implements of torture.
Temple of the City God
The Temple of the City God still sees regular use by locals. Entering through a large archway, we will explore the main hall and the many courtyards, and take in the depiction of Daoist Hell. Inside we’ll also find a shrine to the Kitchen God. The Temple of the City God was the counterpart to the County Government Office—spiritual affairs balancing with those of officialdom.Ancient Streets and Old Lanes
Of the four main streets in Pingyao, only the west-east street runs uninterrupted all the way across the city. The rest are a maze of twists, turns, and t-junctions, said to be arranged in a Bagua-influenced layout.
Rishengchang Exchange House
In the 19th century, draft banking (the use of bills of exchange instead of silver and gold) became a convenient way for merchants to do nationwide business without having to transport silver and gold cross-country. Pingyao was a great hub of draft banks, and this business brought economic prosperity to the city. The Rishengchang Exchange House, founded in 1823, was the first to be set up, and is known as the ‘Father of Chinese Banking.’ The draft banks eventually failed, in part due to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty, but also because the owners resisted progress. The Rishengchang Exchange House was fully restored in 1995, and during our visit we’ll be able to see how it was operated.
Shanxi Opera
Beijing Opera is known as Jing Ju (with the Jing being an abbreviation of Beijing); Shanxi Opera is known as Jin Ju, Jin being the abbreviation for Shanxi Province. The music of Shanxi Opera is based on folk melodies, and was developed through the Yuan and Ming Dynasties During the Qing Dynasty, popular elements of Shanxi Opera were incorporated into Beijing Opera performances. Shanxi Opera tends to be energetic, and sometimes include special effects. We’ll have a specially arranged performance of Jinju during our dinner on our first night in Pingyao.
Snacks and street food
Like other places in Shanxi Province, wheat-based products are a staple food in Pingyao. Noodle dishes like wantuozi are very popular, and vinegar can be found on every table. Small stalls selling street food abound on the ‘Ming Qing’ Street, one of the better places in town to try out local specialties.
Sightseeing outside the city
Stupas in the hills near White Cloud Temple, Pingyao, Shanxi.
Shuanglin Temple
Originally constructed during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD), the Shuanglin Temple was reconstructed and renamed during the Ming Dynasty. Originally known as Zhongdu Temple, the current name can be translated as ‘Two Trees.’ Buddhist Temple. As well as the line of great halls along the south-north axis of the temple complex, the temple contains a collection of more than 1,500 clay sculptures. The colourfully painted sculptures were made from Ming Dynasty wooden moulds, and feature buddhas, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, as well as larger figures of important Buddhist deities. We’ll take a scenic 7km bike ride out to the Shuanglin Temple on the second day of our visit. We'll do a little hiking as well, taking a stroll in the hills around White Cloud Temple.
Weather
The weather in Pingyao is similar to that of Beijing – prepare accordingly. In May, the average high is 25°C, the average low is 11°C, and there’s a very slight chance of rain.
Accommodation
We will be based in a boutique five-star courtyard hotel, and sleep there each night. The hotel is clean and tidy, and each room has a television, private bathroom and shower.
You’ll be sharing a room at the hotel with another hiker. If you'd like a hotel room to yourself, it can be arranged at an extra cost of 350 RMB per night, if a room is available—usually not a problem!
Further details about room shares and single supplement can be found in the documents we send you as part of the registration.
Flights and transport
We’ll all meet up at the Lido Hotel Starbucks before taking the fast train down to Taiyuan, a journey of three hours. A private bus will take us from Taiyuan to Pingyao. On the last day, we’ll ride bikes out to Shuanglin Temple, and then a private bus will take us to Taiyuan Airport for our flight back to Beijing.
Frequent flyers: Please let us know if you would like to use your frequent flyer miles or if you are a frequent flyer member. If you would like to organise your own flights, we can provide further details.
All the walking around we do uses a lot of energy – big meals are required to keep up!
Food
We will take most of our meals at restaurants in and around Pingyao. Bring some spending money for snacks during the trip. We’ll be eating Chinese-style food.Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies.
More photos
Things to bring
- Waterproof clothing and rain gear, just in case
- Comfortable shoes for walking
- A few changes of clothes and socks, including some warm clothes for the evenings
- Cameras, phones, chargers
- Passport and/or ID card
Included with this trip
- Transfer to train station from Lido Hotel Starbucks.
- Train ticket to Taiyuan
- Flight ticket Taiyuan to Beijing
- Transport by private bus
- Entrance tickets
- Accommodation
- Meals as described
- Drinks with meals
- Local tour guides
Pingyao’s City Tower spans a cobbled lane, with small shops lining the street.
Full itinerary
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Day 1
10:00 — Departure from Lido Hotel Starbucks
11:00 — Arrive at Beijing West train station
12:00 — Fast train from Beijing to Taiyuan (exact time T.B.C.)
15:30 — Travel to Pingyao by our private bus (approximately 2 hours drive)
18:00 — Check in and free time
19:00 — Dinner at local restaurant -
Day 2
08:00 — Breakfast
09:00 — Tour Pingyao Ancient City
12:30 — Lunch at local restaurant
13:30 — Continue tour of Pingyao, finishing with a walk around the city walls
17:30 — Free time
19:00 — Dinner at our hotel, accompanied by a command performance of Jin Opera -
Day 3
07:30 — Breakfast
08:30 — Bike to Shuanglin Temple
09:00 — Visit Shuanglin Temple
10:30 — Bike back to hotel
11:30 — Early lunch at local restaurant
12:30 — Drive to hills near White Cloud Temple
13:00 — Hike around the hills and visit White Cloud Temple
15:10 — Drive to Taiyuan Airport
18:40 — Start to board
20:10 — Arrive at Beijing Capital Airport
All times are approximate, and depend on our speed of movement
