Pingyao – A Step Back In Time To China’s Ancient Past

Before I even got to Pingyao, I just loved the name! Very oriental, and one of the few Chinese city names I could not only spell, but pronounce too!

View of Pingyao from the city wall

So after an exhilarating ride on the Bullet Train from Xian, we arrived at Pingyao Train station on a beautiful afternoon, and were met by our guides John & Nicki. We were then taken the 8.5km – around 5 miles, to the ancient city walls, where we were transferred on to Golf Buggies to enter the cobbled streets to our hotel. No taxi’s buses, and cars are allowed inside the city, only motor scooters, (of which there were many!) and Golf Buggies, which travel at quite a speed!

As soon as you get inside the city walls, you are in Ancient China! Over 2000 years old, and occupied by the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The first Chinese trading shop was opened here. Then, for the next hundred years, the city was home to almost all of the large trading shops in the country. , it became the financial equivalent of Wall Street in the USA!

After a bumpy ride through the city we arrived at our hotel, which was just like stepping back in time! I loved the authenticity of the building, and the bed was amazing!

Hotel Courtyard

My Bed! – Amazing!

Our Hotel in PingyaoBreakfast with Babs

We were only in Pingyao overnight which was a shame, as I could easily have spent a few days here, just exploring the city and the many temples and museums. So our fantastic guides took us on a walking tour pointing out the main attractions, of which there were many!

John Our Guide

Me with a couple of locals on the City Wall

I particularly liked Confucius Temple and the ornate statues that adorned the building. John was very knowledgeable about the history of Pingyao which actually dates back 2000 years! So after an afternoon of soaking up Pingyao’s colourful history, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up. After a sumptuous meal hosted by the owners of the hotel, we dressed up in some local costumes for a photo which was great fun!

With one of the Owners of our hotel – She is a very well known Opera Singer in the Province!Me and my colleague and travelling companion Babs Neale