|
Pingyao travel tips
Pingyao has known as mini Peking because the buildings which can be traced back to Ming and Qing Dynasties are very well-preserved. In those dynasties, merchants gathered here to do business and build elegant houses. Therefore, walking on streets of Pingyao, seeing the old-style Chinese private banks and shops, you may have a feeling of going back to hundreds of years ago.
Houses in Pingyao are mostly square yards with stone steps leading to front doors. Wealthy family may put a pair of imposing stone lions beside the steps. Exquisite stone caving and thick wood board on the lintels of the door show great combination of Ming-Qing building style and Shanxi folk culture. Living in a square yard is a strongly recommended experience.
Spots that you cannot miss in Pingyao include the ancient city wall, the county government, Ming-Qing Street, the old Chinese bank, temple of the god of wealth, and the escort agency.
Matters need attention:
1. It’s windy and dusty in Shanxi Province. Therefore, you are suggested to bring sunglasses and hats to prevent blowing sand.
2. Drinking water in Pingyao is little salty. If you find it uncomfortable to drink, bottle purified water is suggested.
3. Backpackers are not suggested to spend money to hire a tour guide. But in Courtyard of Family Qiao, a tour guide is helpful. You can find some other people to join you to hire a tour guide.
4. The tour ticket needs to be used many times, so take care of your ticket in case you lose it.
5. In daytime, you can go to the big stage in Pingyao to watch shows for free if you have your tour ticket with you.
6. When taking photos in Pingyao, you may want to know that the ancient walls are mostly blue black, so you may not want to wear white clothes to cause overexposure.
|