A short stop in Pingyao

Pingyao city wall

I decided to make a short stop in Pingyao, spending less than 2 days in the city, before heading on to Beijing for the last leg of my trip.

Pingyao is renowned for its city walls, which are among the best preserved in the country, and it is also home to a large number of historic buildings, including the first branch of Rishengchang, the country's first bank. The walls may have once protected the city from invaders, but these days they seem to be more effective at keeping your favorite global chains out. You won't find a Starbucks or KFC there, though a small Dicos somehow managed to sneak in. The streets inside the walls are lined with small hole-in-the-wall shops and hotels, all of which are housed in buildings that are a holdover from another time.


South Road looking toward the City Tower

Unlike at the other cities I visited, all of the tourist spots within the walls were bundled together under one ticket, which costs around 150 CNY and is good for a few days. I thought it was a smart move on their part, because otherwise, I would have probably only visited 2 or 3 things, generating less money for the city. But even with the more expensive ticket and the resulting motivation to visit more things, I still found it hard to fill my time in the city because after a while, all of the historic houses started to look the same. Eventually, I resorted to just meandering through the streets and city walls.

Although there were some cool sights scattered throughout the historic buildings, nothing particularly stood out more than just walking around. Walking around the streets, especially at night, allowed me to inject myself into the bustling activity in that area. Walking around on the city walls on the other hand was a much more relaxed experience, detached from everything happening below.

I'm glad that I decided to visit the city, even if it did double my train time between Xi'an and Beijing, but honestly, if someone were trying to trim their China itinerary and Pingyao were on the list, I'd probably offer it up as something that can be skipped.