Pingyao Ancient City

Enjoy the different experience to see the Pingyao and the Shuanglin Temple

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the bicycle store to choose the bikes.

First, we will ride to the north gate, we will take the pictures of the wall from outside of the wall on the way, we will visit the farmer’s morning  market nearby the north gate. We will get into the old city from north gate, ride to the alleys to see the local residences which are occupied by the local people, our guide will explain the history of the building and carving.

Then we will ride to the Shuanglin temple which is about 8km far away from the old city, will spend 40 minutes on the riding. Shuanglin temple is listed by the UNESCO since from 1997. Because of the over 10,000 colorful buddha sculptures from Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty. It is valuable to visit if you come to Pingyao. We will spend the 40 minutes to visit, to learn the history and philosophy of the Buddha.

20 minutes for the break, drinking some water and take the snacks.

Back to ancient city on the same way, we will visit the south gate park and square, ride along the moat, get into the old city from south gate, and return the bikes back to the store. We will finish the tour there.

Inclusions:

1. Bicycle for the tour

2. Private english speaking tour guide

3. Entrance fee of the Shaunglin Temple.

Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour

With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.

First we will visit the 700 years old City wall, We will climb up from south gate and have a walk on the wall. We are not sure how many km we can walk, because of the renovating of the wall. Normally we will walk from south gate to the Yunlu Exit.

Then visit the Confucius temple, there is a old building named Dacheng Hall which is over 840 years old. From outside, we can see the big wood joints to lift the big roof around the building which is named Dougong. Due to this design, there are less columns inside the hall for giving the big space for the statues and the prayer. We have chance to see the Confucius statue and learn the philosophy of Confucius. If you like, you can pray for you and your children to get better study.

There is the Paper Cutting master named Wentao nearby the exit of Confucius temple. She is very smart and create the new style paper cutting with much more details and good wishes on it. Her products are made by hanks. It is worth to visit and buy as a souvenir from Pingyao. From the table standing and wall hangings. Please remember, take the red one because of red is the traditional and happy color. But the white one is the best. It is really difficult to choose, because of all of them are really nice.

Then you can have coffee break or tea break if you need at Chummy coffee, after this, visit the City god temple (ChenghuangMiao) which is most beautiful temple inside the wall. Because of the roof is covered by the colorful glazed tiles. There is not only city god and also the three money gods, Now you know why pingyao was the financial center.

Next we will visit the Ancient government building, to see the pingyao politics center in the ancient time. It is the complete building with officials bed room, kitchen and private garden. Follow the guide to look the official’s life from the 250km far away from the hometown.

Have a stroll in the alley to the Rishengchang exchange bank, which is the first bank all of china.You can not miss it.

After lunch, walk to the Ming and Qing street, this is the shopping street full of the stores on the both side of street. You can find alot things here , from post card to lacquered boxes, and wall panels. One more place to see, it is the Armed escort agency also named security and transport service for the business man before the bank founded.

Inlcusions

1.private english speaking tour guide servcie

2.bottle water for the tour

Day 1: Take the fast train D2001(08:05/11:59) from Beijing West Station to Pingyaogucheng Station. Our guide and driver will meet you at Pingyaogucheng Station at 11：59. Then drive you to your hotel.

After lunch, with our guide to visit the following sights iside the wall:
--Walk on the 700years old wall
--First bank of China(Named Ri Shaneg Chang )
--Ming & Qing Street
--Chenghuang Temple(City God Temple)
--Confucious Temple
-Ancient Government Building

Stay in Pingyao courtyard Hotel(Hotel booked on your own)

Day 2. With our guide and driver to visit the Wang Family Courtyard and Shuanglin Temple. then drop off you at Pingyaogucheng Station to take the fast train D2006(16:15/20:39)

Optional :

If you are not going to back Beijing.so you can take the fast train from Pingyaogucheng to Xi'an.

Train No:D2565(15:41/ 18:29)

We can help you book the fast train tickets,if you would like to take the overnight train from Pingyao to Xi'an, it is possible too .we can help you get the softsleepers.

Day 1  Taiyuan to Pingyao    Chinese Lunch

Pick up you from the hotel. Full day trip in Pingyao to Jinci Temple, Qiao Family's compound.

-Jinci Temple: lies in the Xuanweng foothill, which is 25 kilometers from the southwest of Taiyuan city，it is the temple of Jin Emperor in ancient times; it is initially built during the northern Wei Dynasty (386-535) for memorizing the second son Jiyu of Zhouwu Emperor. Jinci Temple is one of the national key cultural relic reserves, enjoys the reputation of “Little South of the Yangtze River”
-Qiao Family's compound: Built in 1755, this well-preserved and exquisite structure used to be the residence of Qiao Zhiyong, who was a famous businessman during the Qing Dynasty.

Day 2 Pingyao to Departure City  Breakfast  Chinese Lunch

Full day trip to Pingyao Ancient Town, The Ancient City Wall, The Rishengchang Draft Bank, The Mingqing Street

-Pingyao Ancient Town: In the middle of Shanxi Province, this is the best-preserved of the four ancient towns in China. Inside the intact Ming Dynasty city wall this traditional town, whose buildings date from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, is exceptionally well-preserved, and just as it was centuries ago. Bikes can be rented for about 10 yuan/hour. You can also learn the traditional Chinese art of paper-cut, producing beautiful shapes and designs from paper in the Wentao Paper-cut shop, and lean how lacquerwork is done in Yonglong Shop.
-The Ancient City Wall:  With a total length of 64 kilometers (about 40 miles), the city wall is about 12 meters (about 40 ft) tall and 3 to 6 meters (about 10-20 ft) wide on top. The wall is of compacted earth covered by bricks and stones. From a bird's eye view the rectangular wall resembles a tortoise. There are six city gates, one each on the north and south walls, and two each on the west and east walls. The south gate is the head of the tortoise, the two wells outside being the two eyes of tortoise. The north gate, the lowest place of the city, is the tail of tortoise. Traditionally the tortoise was considered a symbol of longevity, so through ancient times the hopes were that PingyaoAncientCity would be permanently secure. There are 72 watchtowers on the top of city wall and 3,000 external battlements. It is said that the 72 watchtowers represent 72 people of great wisdom, the 3,000 battlements the 3,000 disciples of Confucius.

-The Rishengchang Draft Bank: The Rishengchang Draft Bank:It was established in 1823. It was the biggest draft bank at that time and had been famous for "Hui Tong Tian Xia"(Business Connecting The Whole World).
-The Mingqing Street: the downtown thoroughfare and reserved quite well of the styles in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.