月昇平遙

Pingyao Ancient City is about 85 kilometers away from Taiyuan City. The streets, shops and houses in the ancient city still maintain the traditional layout and style. It is one of the relatively well-preserved ancient cities in my country. It is also the only ancient city in my country that has successfully applied for world cultural heritage in its entirety. county seat. Pingyao was once the financial center of China during the late Qing Dynasty. Walking into this once prosperous ancient city, you can feel the atmosphere of Shanxi merchant culture everywhere.

There are six gates in the ancient city. The north gate is near Pingyao Bus Station, the west gate is near Pingyao Railway Station, and the south gate and west gate are places with many tourists. There is no ticket required to enter the ancient city. If you want to climb the city wall, visit the ticket number and other attractions, you need to purchase the ancient city pass. The ancient city is not too big, so you can walk around it. If you don’t want to walk, you can also take a battery car.

The street layout of the entire ancient city is in the shape of "earth". When visiting, you usually enter the city from the lower west gate and walk along West Street to Rishengchang Bank, the "originator of modern Chinese banks". Here you can not only learn about the development history of the ancient banking industry, but also You can also ask the old shopkeeper in a robe and mandarin jacket to write you a money order using the early money order method, which is particularly historical.

Continuing forward is South Street, which runs from north to south and is the central axis of the ancient city. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Nanjie controlled more than half of the country's financial institutions and was known as the "Wall Street of China" back then. Nowadays, this is also a prosperous place in the ancient city, known as the Ming and Qing Ancient Streets. Most of the scenic spots in the ancient city are concentrated here. With the ancient city's landmark building Gushilou as the center, there are Xieqingqingbaohao (China Bank Museum), Wei Taihou (Biaohao Museum), Baichuantong, China Escort Museum, Tongxing Attractions such as Public Security Bureau, Wei Shengchang, Chinese Rare Newspaper Exhibition Hall, Tianjixiang, etc., as well as restaurants, musical instrument shops, cafes, and bars are all available. After walking along the street, you can eat here, buy some souvenirs, and then continue to visit the south.

In the Pingyao Ancient County Government in the south of the ancient city, you can see a large number of ancient documents and instruments of torture, and there are performances every day when the county government ascends the hall; the City God Temple and the Confucian Temple near the East Gate are quite elegant and elegant, and they are very popular. fragrant.

The ancient city wall of Pingyao is also one of the attractions of the ancient city. It is not only majestic, but also very well preserved. Climb the city wall and have a panoramic view of the ancient city. Among them, the south gate (Yingxun Gate) has an exquisite tower, and it is close to residential buildings, so you can still see the life of people in the ancient city. If you have enough time, you can walk around the ancient city along the city wall to fully experience the ancient city. It will take about an hour. Watching the sunset on the city wall in the evening is a beautiful sight.

In addition to the ancient city itself, the other two major attractions in Pingyao are Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple. There is not a single nail in the entire Zhenguo Temple, and all structures are made of wood hammered together. There are more than 10 main halls in Shuanglin Temple that contain exquisitely painted statues from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty.

When visiting the ancient city of Pingyao, you can choose a few scenic spots of interest to visit, then take a bus to the Qiao Family Courtyard to continue your tour, and then return to Taiyuan. What is more recommended is to stay one night in the ancient city and see the night view of the ancient city. You can also rent a bicycle and go to those small alleys to experience the real Pingyao. It is a great subject to see the cultural customs or take photos. Especially during the Chinese New Year, Pingyao is full of New Year flavor. The city is full of inns converted from old courtyards. The price is usually not expensive, and you can find a clean and tidy place for just a few dollars.

In addition, Pingyao's beef is very famous. Empress Dowager Cixi once passed through Pingyao in the late Qing Dynasty. After eating Pingyao beef, she loved it so much that she designated it as a tribute to the palace. Shops with the name "Guanyun Beef" can be seen everywhere in the ancient city. It is difficult to tell the authenticity of the beef and the price is generally expensive. You can buy some outside the city to try and give to relatives and friends.