Pingyao transported us back to a bygone era. This exquisitely preserved walled city is a living testament to China’s rich history. In China they are putting a sign on historic buildings, meaning that it’s really an authentic building. In the old town of Pingyao nearly every house has such a sign.
If you buy a day pass you can walk the ancient walls & have access to not less than 18 historic buildings. Buying the day pass was funny. In front of us there were 4 Chinese people. After around 20 minutes later it started to become clear that they were working for a tour operator & just made an order of around 150 tickets. Every ticket had to be registered on a name, stamps had to be put & so on. In the meanwhile the drizzle had changed to plain rain. So what – after a long wait, it was our turn to buy our tickets. Not pushed back by the refreshing rain, we went for a full day of exploring the city. Highlights were the Pingyao City Tower, the Xietongqing Draft Bank & the City God Temple.
Evening show “Youjian Pingyao”
An evening at the “Youjian Pingyao” show was an unforgettable experience. This show is already running for more than 10 years. It’s a succession Tableau Vivants & scenes where audience and actors are mingling, telling the history of Pingyao. The whole performance was a powerful refutation of the idea that nationalist Chinese theatre lacks artistic merit. The show’s ability to engage and inspire was truly remarkable.
Time for food & drinks
Afterwards, we relaxed over a local beer, accompanied by the lively tunes of a live band. And of course, we savoured the local delicacy, Pingyao dried beef – a flavourful treat that perfectly complemented the evening. We ended the evening on stage, singing the sound of silence, Karaoke is a thing in China. (luckily no recordings have survived😆).
More pictures of Pingyao, click on a picture & scroll:
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