2 Days Private Pingyao Ancient Town Tour

Our guide will wait for you at Pingyao Railway Station ahead of your arrival. Then a comfortable private car will take you to check in at the hotel. After that, your China ancient town tour will begin with a visit to the well-preserved Pingyao City Wall. The Pingyao Ancient Town is also called “Turtle City”, as the layout of the City Wall makes it look like a tortoise, which was considered a symbol of longevity traditionally, from a bird’s eye view. Four of the six gates are symmetrical on the east and west walls, just like the four legs. Ascending the wall, you could overlook the panorama of the town. Then, get down from the wall and stroll along the Ancient Ming-Qing Street, also called South Street. With a total length of some 750 meters (820 yards), it was and still is the busiest block in the town. As we approach, the one that catches your eye first here may be the only high-rise building with triple wooden eaves and a yellow-green glazed tile roof, the Golden Well Building, a landmark of the Town, which is said to have a well hidden somewhere with golden-ish water. Along the street, see well-preserved shops of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911), such as those of bank, pawnshop, silk and satins, etc. Interspersed among this and that are fashion cafés and local snack bars, which make the millennia-old street radiate modern vitality while maintaining ancient charm.

Your next stop is the Temple of City God, one of the best-preserved Temples of City God in China. Here you will be impressed by a large mural that depicts the God going out on patrol. Besides, it is interesting to know that this temple also worships the Kitchen God and the Fortune God, who, along with the City God, are characters in Taoist culture. Next, you will proceed to Ri Sheng Chang Exchange Shop and Tong Xing Gong Escort Agency. Ri Sheng Chang Exchange Shop, the first money exchange shop in China and the founder of Chinese modern banks, has played an important role in Chinese financial business for about one century. Learn from your guide how banks were operated at that time through some ancient ledgers, seals and bills, and get insight into the development of banking in China. Tong Xing Gong was an establishment which provided private escort services for the exchange shops to guard their safety during transportation. After the sightseeing, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

► Insider Tips:
1. The ancient walled town covers a large area of about 2.25 square kilometers (555 acres), and we will explore mostly on foot, so we recommend you wear a pair of comfortable sports shoes.
2. The local specialties in the town are priced higher than outside, and if you want to pick some to take home, maybe go out of the town to a nearby supermarket with your guide’s help.

► Dinner suggestion:
As our tour today ends in the ancient town, it is recommended to have your dinner at Hong Wu Ji Restaurant, one of the most popular restaurants here. The Shanxi cuisine here can be called the Top 1 in Pingyao; besides, you may pick no holes in its environment or service. With a waterwheel at the door, the red lanterns hanging everywhere inside and the wooden décor, this restaurant oozes an antique atmosphere. Tasting the beef or eggs cooked with Shanxi's most famous vinegar will certainly make your visit to Pingyao more colorful. If you are interested, please note to get a dining number first as you will possibly wait in line. While waiting, perhaps browse some nearby cultural stands or take more instgrammable photos with those ancient buildings, which take on a different charm at dusk. The average cost here is around CNY 70 / USD 10 per person.

Accommodation: Yide Guesthouse

Today, you will visit the Shuanglin Monastery, about 4 miles from the city. This is a castle-style construction renowned for its thousands of painted clay sculptures including Buddha, Bodhisattvas, arhats and other Buddhist figures. Using wood as bones and mud as flesh to shape, hemp rope to outline and pigment pastel to paint the surface, the vivid colored figurines were made, showing the superb skills of craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Moreover, all statues are designed to lean forward and tilt their heads 15° to 30°, which makes the faces unaffected and the glass eyes still bright even though the costume has been covered with dust. Then our guide and driver will transfer you to Wang Family's Compound, an ancient private resident complex of a famous commercial and financial capitalist. It is very famous for its sheer size and ornamental structures. It looks like a small walled city, displaying the wealth of Wang family more than 200 years ago., an ancient private residence complex of a famous commercial and financial capitalist. Appreciate its sheer size and majestic architectural style - you will realize all the rooms are design-conscious, with doorways and furniture made of wood, brick or stone exquisitely carved and each having its own features. Besides, admire a large number of most-treasured cultural relics, such as mahogany carved beds and dragon staffs, from which you can learn about the lifestyle of the upper class more than 200 years ago. With your guide, the historical vicissitudes of Wang family and the features of ancient Chinese society will brilliantly unfold.

Now is the end of your 2 days Pingyao tour package, and your guide will see you off at the railway station. Hope your connecting or homebound trip is enjoyable!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch