Pingyao Travel Guide

General Introduction to Pingyao

Pingyao is located in the center of Shanxi province. It is a small city or country of Shanxi. Pingyao is famous for its Old City which can be dated back to Ming and Qing Dynasty. The well-preserved ancient city wall has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All the residence and shops, even the government's office used the style of Ming and Qing dynasty. The Old city represented the prosperous past of Shanxi during the Ming and Qing eras.

 

Surrounded by the turtle-like ancient City Wall of Pingyao, Pingyao Old City is like a huge historical museum. Every street or building here has numerous stories to tell about the past one-thousand years. In the center of the Old City, the nearly 200 years old Rishengchang Exchange Shop is the first 'bank' in Chinese history and is known as the 'Father of the Bank in China'.

 

 

Pingyao Weather and Climate

Situated in central Shanxi and in the southwest of the Taiyuan Basin, Pingyao is subordinate to the temperate continental monsoon semiarid climate. In spring, the temperature here rises quickly and the temperature difference between day and night is quite large. In summer, it is rainy and scorching. The temperature stays quite high, and most of the rain falls in this season. When autumn comes, temperatures fall gradually and the weather turns cool. In winter Pingyao is rather cold and windy. The annual average temperature is about 10.1C (50.18F) in Pingyao.

Top Ten Attactions in Pingyao

The past prosperity of Shanxi lies in Pingyao while the soul of Pingyao lies in its Old City. There is no charming landscape. No green mountain or clear waters. What's unique here is this well-preserved ancient city with its grand, solemn city wall, its residences and shops, and even the government office all in the style of the Ming dynasty(1368-1644) and Qing dynasty (1644-1911). In 1997, when it was declared a World Cultural Heritage site for its Old City, Pingyao gradually opened up to the outside world and more and more people have come to have a look at this old city representing the prosperous past of Shanxi during the Ming and Qing eras.

 

 

Pingyao Public Transport

Situated in central Shanxi, Pingyao County is 94 kilometers (58.4 miles) northeast of Taiyuan, 616 kilometers (382.8 miles) northeast of Beijing, 543 kilometers (337.4miles) west of Xian, 758 kilometers (471 miles) east of Tianjin and 2390 kilometers (1485 miles) to Guangzhou. Owing to the passing-by Tong-Pu Railway, No.108 National Highway, Dong-Xia Road, Fen-Tun Road and Dayun Highway, Pingyao has quite a convenient transportation.

 

 

 

Top Ten Hotels in Pingyao

Pingyao is a pop tourist destinations. There are many nice hotels in Pingyao with cultural and historical Characters. Here are some of the hotels we recommended. Please contact us if you want to book the hotels.

 

Famous Food in Pingyao

Local staple food in Pingyao is mainly wheaten products like noodles and clay oven rolls. Among these simple food or snacks there are many special ones: Wantuozi: Wantuozi is a kind of traditional snack in Pingyao County made of wheat or buckwheat flour. The flour is mixed with slightly salted water until it becomes a batter; salted water and rape oil is added proportionally to make the batter thin; this thin batter is put in a saucer and steamed for about twelve minutes. Then, the Wantuozi is ready. It can be mixed cold with vinegar, garlic and sesame oil, or it can be stir-fried with yam or potato shreds. With a fresh and smooth taste, Wantuozi is popular in Pingyao and can be easily found on the streets.

 

 

Top Ten Restaurants in Pingyao

There are many local restaurants on the both street of Pingyao. You can easily find a local restaurants providing the traditional Pingyao food. Here are some best selected restaurants.

 

 

Things to Do in Pingyao

These antique residences and shops show people the charm and flavor in a static way whilst various local shows in ancient form and content may divulge the antique characteristics of Pingyao Old City dynamically:

 

 

Pingyao Shopping

The historical prosperity of Pingyao established in ancient times has left this city of many millennia imposing city walls and a series of ancient buildings as well as a vitality for handcrafts and local products:

 

 

Pingyao Travel Tips

1. There is no charge to enter into the Pingyao Old City.

2.Most of the historic buildings (like the exchange shops and the County Government Office) in the Old City need tickets, but most of them do not sell tickets separately. If you would like to visit most of the spots here, a joint ticket is necessary and it can be bought at the gates of the Old City.

3.Price of the Joint Ticket: CNY 120 (20 spots are included like the City Wall, the County Government Office, the Temple of the City God, the Rishengchang Exchange Shop, and the Ancient Ming and Qing Street)