Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Top 5 Things to do in the Ancient City of Pingyao

Pingyao Ancient City is one of the best spots I have visited so far in China. Its small and not too busy on a regular weekend. Its an ideal spot for a weekend getaway and just to chill and unwind. Since its a historical site that retains the Ming and Qing feel to it, it does make us want to go there to see for ourselves how we like it.

Since this place is very accessible to our city we just need to hop on a bullet train and go there. The trip took us at less than an hour from our city to the nearest train station. You can check my train ride HERE

Disclaimer: This is just for a trip inside the walled city only.

Without further ado here are my top things to do in Pingyao

The City Tower along the Ancient Street

See the Tourist Sites

Well, Like other tourist destination its a must to visit the sites. Since this is a pretty small area, they sell a joint ticket for the site at the ticketing office near the entrance to climb up to the wall. It is very convenient because the sites do have a scanner for the tickets and you dont need to keep on dipping into your purse to get money to pay for separate tickets.

Eat Pingyao Beef and the Local Delicacies

Pingyao is known for Pingyao beef and we had it the first day we are there and it was amazing. Its tender, flavorful and has that roast beef feel to it but looks like a big hunk of corned beef that wasnt shredded yet. There are a lot of local restaurants lining the streets from noodles to vegan friendly options. Also if you are a drinker local beer is being served everywhere and if you want a margarita that is good and reasonably priced you can head on to Cozy Bar.

 Braised Eggplant and Stir Fried String Beans
Some potato dish with egg and Pingyao beef in Curry sauce

Walk along the ancient Ming and Qing streets

This is an activity on its own and you should not miss doing it at night when the lanterns are on.
Its also cool in the evenings so we really did enjoy walking around the area and also shop around.
There are a lot of antique stores lining the streets and they have really cool vintage items.

A re-enactment parade we glanced upon

Relax and take a break and do people watching

Its a fun activity for someone like me who wants to enjoy life at a slow pace. After a whole morning of walking its great to sit down and relax. You can also have a massage for 30 Rmb ( around $5) we had one and it was pretty relaxing after walking a lot.


Here are just some of the things you can do in Pingyao and it didn't really cost much for a weekend trip. We will definitely come back and visit this place again. Not only its a historical place, there are only a handful of places like this in China that still remain intact and retained its ancient architecture and charm. It can get quite touristy during holidays, so its best to go there during a regular weekend and enjoy the scenery.

I will add some more links to this post in a few days.

If you are in China and going to Xian from Beijing this is a great place to visit and enjoy. Definitely worth your time.

xoxo,
Therese