A Step Back in Time

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Pingyao is a 13 hour overnight train ride from Beijing. There aren't a lot of soft sleepers on this train, so I missed out getting one. Instead, I got one of the last hard sleepers, the top bunk of three. Having walked around the Forbidden City all day the day of my departure, I had no problem sleeping through most of the trip despite the hardness and lack of head room.

Pingyao was a prosperous city during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The claim is that it was the Wall Street of its day. The first trading banks ever established in China were established here, only because the right business people with the right idea happened to be here. Its importance declined as trade through coastal towns like Shanghai became more important. Because of this, Pingyao became sort of a backwater. This may have saved it from any major growth and modernization, so much of what was built in the earlier dynasties remains.

The locations of the two banks established here remain, as do several houses built originally as early as the Ming Dynasty. The walls surrounding the city, built in the 1300's also remain. There are also a number of temples from various time periods dotted throughout town open for a visit. Among all of this are souvenir shops selling pretty much the same things from one to another along with plenty of restaurants.

The town is also doing an interesting repurposing of the factories that occupy the western edge of the walled town, but have been abandoned for some years. They have become gallery spaces for special shows, including a large international photography exhibit that happened to be just finishing up on my arrival.

Pingyao is a fine place to spend a few days. it is big enough to take a bit to explore, but small enough to get around easily on foot or, even easier, by bike. The sights are interesting, but it's also a Chinese tourist town with a minimum of the touts that show up in many Chinese tourist sights that attract a lot of foreigners. So, it's a comfortable place to hang out and a great break from the big cities I'm spending most of my time in this trip.

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