About Pingyao
What to see and do in Pingyao
Weather in Pingyao
Airport in Pingyao
Visa
Pingyao is a Chinese city and county in central Shanxi province. It lies about 715 km from Beijing and 80 km from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was a financial center of China. It is now renowned for its well-preserved ancient city wall, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pingyao has no airport. The closest major city is Taiyuan, two hours by train to the northwest. You can catch a train to here from Wuhan, Chengdu, Datong, Zhengzhou, Xi'an and Beijing. All of these trains are overnight trains. Buses run to Xi'an and takes 6 hours, half the time of the train.
There are three Key National Relics Protected Units in Pingyao, namely Pingyao City Wall, Shuangxiu Temple, Zhenguo Temple.
The City Wall itself, Streets, buildings and shops are all well preserved from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1997, when the UNESCO decided to include the town on the World Heritage List, the comments read "the Ancient City of Ping Yao is an outstanding example of a Han Chinese city of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (14th-20th centuries) that has retained all its features to an exceptional degree and in doing so provides a remarkably complete picture of cultural, social, economic, and religious development during one of the most seminal periods of Chinese history."
Pingyao is located on the eastern banks of the Fen River, and is in the southwestern edge of the Taiyuan basin. It is adjacent to another Chinese Historic and Cultural City Qi County. Pingyao's economy is largely agricultural and the region is famed for its beef. Other products from the region include grains, cotton, and lacquerware.
The Old City is small enough that you can do most locations by foot. But if you need to cross town between attractions, or are simply lazy, you can hire golf carts that wander the streets. Pay around RMB 5 for a ride if a single person, around RMB 15 for four people. It is also possible to rent bikes for RMB10 per day. pingyao tour
The main attraction in Pingyao is the Old City. This area is surrounded by a large wall. Admission to any of the 30 attactions inside the city, and the city wall, is a flat fee of RMB 120. This ticket is good for two days, but the second day needs to be validated in the first afternoon. This can be done at the booth near Yamen Gate.
Town Building/Bell Tower
City Walls
Rishengchang Financial House Museum
Former Residence of Lei Lutai
Shuanglin Si Temple - about 5km southwest of the city. This is a beautiful temple and a nice quite place compared to Pingyao. There a lots of scupltures in different condition. Entry fee included in Pingyao ticket, or RMB 25.
Visit during the Lantern Festival to see the town decked out in red lanterns.
Most of the Ancient City, at least the areas near the major attractions and the West Gate, are lined with shops that cater toward tourists. Standard Chinese bric-a-brac is for sale, at relatively high prices. This includes antiques although an alert shopper should beware of the preponderance of forgeries. Bargain hard and keep an eye out for stalls that sell handmade crafts right in the places where they make them. The city makes excellent cloth shoes, which you will see the locals wear as they march up and down the dusty streets.
Pingyao also has a large lacquerware manufacturing industry.
Pingyao's speciality is Pingyao Beef. It has an acquired, strong taste. Be careful in some of the more touristy restaurants: outrageous bills of RMB 100 or more are not uncommon for a meal that appeared to be quite cheap. Be sure to ask about the price of any chef's specialities, and take a look at the bill as you are ordering your food.
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 (1368-1644) and Qing (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.
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'. It tells of the prosperity of the Jin Businessmen in Chinese history. The well-preserved County Government Office on Zhengfu Street (also Yamen Street) shows a complete picture of the solemn law court and prison of the Qing Dynasty while in Chenghuangmiao Street, the Temple of the City God and the Confucius Temple reveal a glimpse of local folk life. Along Ancient Ming-Qing Street, the old buildings in antique architecture styles may bring you back to the old China of that time.
Outside the Old City, there are two temples worth visiting. One is Shuanglin Monastery which is about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) southwest of Pingyao Old City. It is famous for the over 2000 vivid painted sculptures created during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming, and Qing dynasties. The other is Zhenguo Temple. It is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Pingyao Old City. With a history of over one thousand years, this temple is famous for its wood-structured main hall. It is one of the three oldest wood buildings in China.
What's more, most of the famous residences in Shanxi are clustered around Pingyao. About 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) to the north of Pingyao lies the famous Qiao's Compound which boasts a unique layout and various delicate carvings. Another one is the Wang's Compound which is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) to the southeast of Pingyao. It is regarded as a Chinese architectural museum for its abundant artistic architectural elements such as the various elaborate sculptures. Other compounds in Pingyao are the Cao's Compound proved every popular with tourist due to its unique appearance and charming styles, the Chang's Compound , the largest one in scale and the Qu's Compound having a history dating back over 300 years.
There is no charge to enter into the Pingyao Old City. 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.Price of the Joint Ticket: RMB 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).
ingyao 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 10.1 C (50.18 F) in Pingyao.
Autumn and winter are the best times to visit Pingyao. In autumn, there are not only sunny days with a pleasant temperature but also there is the China Pingyao International Photography Festival during mid September; in winter, although it is quite cold, the snow covered Pingyao Old City has its own charming view. What's more, the Shehuo Festival may give you a brand new impression of Chinese Spring Festival.
Shanxi is the leading coal producer in China for it is rich in coal mines. The air here is sometimes loaded with coal dust and quite dry. And the solar ultraviolet is strong here. The sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrella and lip salve are recommended.
China Pingyao International Photography Festival is held annually during mid September. Photographers come from all over China and other countries like US, France, Italy and Korea to display their work here. They also share their experience and knowledge of photography here in forums during the festivals.
Shehuo Festival takes place during every Spring Festival here. 'Shehuo' is a kind of folk art performance in north China, which is hold to celebrate the New Year or as part of other important ceremonies. In Shehuo Festival of Pingyao, the streets and houses are decorated with colorful lights. Various folk performances, such as the dragon dance and lion dance, Jin Opera, and performances with drums and gongs take place in the streets.
January -9 C to 3 C
February -6 C to 6 C
March -1 C to 12 C
April 6 C to 20 C
May 11 C to 25 C
June 15 C to 29 C
July 19 C to 30 C
August 17 C to 28 C
September 11 C to 24 C
October 5 C to 18 C
November -2 C to 10 C
December -7 C to 4 C
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.
With fourteen towns and villages in all under its prefecture, Pingyao County covers an area of 1260 square kilometers (486.5 square miles). The 2.25 square kilometers (556 acres) broad Old City is the epitome of history of Pingyao. As one of the World Cultural and Natural Heritages in China, this Old City now is quite a hot tourism spot. What's convenient is that Pingyao Railway Station and Pingyao Bus Station are located adjacent to the Old City. You can easily get into the Old City as soon as you arrive at the Pingyao County by train or long-distance bus.
Tips: Since Pingyao is not far away from Taiyuan, Taiyuan City can be taken as a transfer station for your trip to other cities around China.
Pingyao has no airport. The closest major city is Taiyuan, two hours by train to the northwest. You can catch a train to here from Wuhan, Chengdu, Datong, Zhengzhou, Xi'an and Beijing. All of these trains are overnight trains. Buses run to Xi'an and takes 6 hours, half the time of the train.
If you would like to go there by air, the Taiyuan Wusu Airport (TYN) which is 90 kilometers (56 miles) away from Pingyao may be the best choice. After reaching the Wusu airport, you have two ways to get to Pingyao: by long-distance bus or by train.
By long-distance bus:
The route: Taiyuan Wusu Airport - Taiyuan Passenger Transport Station / J
iannan Bus Station of Taiyuan - Pingyao
To get to Taiyuan Passenger Transport Station, you can take taxi with a fare of about RMB 50 - 60 (the toll on the way is included) in the airport. In Taiyuan Passenger Transport Center, long-distance buses to Pingyao are available from 06:40 -18:30 with an interval of 20 minutes. (Taiyuan Passenger Transport Station: Yingze Avenue, Taiyuan City)
To get to Jiannan Bus Station, Bus No.201 in Wusu Airport is available. In the Bus Station, there are buses heading for Pingyao charging RMB 12. It would cost about 2 hours for you to get to Pingyao.
By train:
The route: Taiyuan Wusu Airport'' Taiyuan Railway Station'' Pingyao
First, you can take the city-buses in the airport directly to get to Taiyuan Railway Station. Bus No.201, No.901 and No.901z are available to send you to the railway station. In Taiyuan Railway Station, trains heading for Pingyao are available.
CAAC Ticket Office in Taiyuan City: Address: No.158, Yingze Avenue, Taiyuan City Ticket Booking: 0351-4042903
By Train
Pingyao Railway Station is situated in the Zhongdu Road not far away outside the West Gate of Pingyao Old City. Trains to and from cities like Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Chongqing and Taiyuan are available in this station. For Pingyao Railway Station is not large, every day only one train from Beijing stops over at Pingyao; and also only one train stopping over Pingyao heads for Beijing. There is respectively one train to and from Chengdu, Xian and Chongqing stops over at Pingyao.
It is quite convenient to commute between Taiyuan and Pingyao by train. Trains stopping over at Pingyao from Taiyuan Railway Station are in an interval of about 1 - 3 hours; trains stopping over at Taiyuan from Pingyao Railway Station are in an interval of about 20 minutes to 1.5 hours during 15:00~23:30. The whole trip only takes about 1 - 1.5 hours according to the type of the train. The price is also reasonable in a range of RMB 8 - RMB 26 according type of the train.
In Pingyao Railway Station, there are battery cars available for you to get to the Pingyao Old City. It charges about RMB 1 - RMB 3 per person per time.
Inquiries Number of Pingyao Railway Station: 0354-5673197
By Long-distance Bus
Pingyao Long-distance Bus Station is located not far from the southwest of Pingyao Railway Station. Buses here mainly head for Taiyuan City and the counties around Pingyao County. Here is some detail information about the buses in Pingyao Long-distance Bus Station:
Jumping off and Terminal Leaving time
From Pingyao to Taiyuan From 06:40 - 18:30 every day with an interval of 20 minutes
From Taiyuan to Pingyao
From Pingyao to Yuci 09:00, 10:00, 13:00, 14:30
From Yuci to Pingyao
From Pingyao to Jiexiu From 08:00 - 18:00 every day with an interval of 30 minutes
From Jiexiu to Pingyao
Tips: In the square in front of Pingyao Railway Station, there are also buses to and from Taiyuan.The tourist bus between Pingyao Old City and Qiao's Compound is available near north gate of Pingyao Old City. In the front of the tourist bus the post of 'Pingyao Old City - Qiao's Compound' is for people to distinguish it.
To be able to travel to Pingyao you need to have a valid China Visa, issue from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types: diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter: (1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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