Pingyao: A walk through historic China
Then there’s Pingyao, one of China’s classic and best-preserved walled towns that I was fortunate to visit in 2016. Located in Shanxi province just 715 kilometers southwest of Beijing, the city is famed for its importance in Chinese economic history and its well-preserved Ming and Qing layout. Amazing experiences straight out of a classic film production await travelers. Its UNESCO World Heritage old town with a history of 1,000 years serves as a surviving example of several dynastic periods, a feeling enhanced when a “police patrol” would march along in their 19th century garb, banners held high while “maintaining order” among the bustling crowds.
Tourists will find it easy to wander around Pingyao, thanks to its relatively small area, measuring roughly 1.6 km in length and breadth. It also delivers endless possibilities to discover history and indulge in photography, as Pingyao has over 100 streets and lanes in this city’s Ming and Qing urban layout with close to 4,000 17th- to 19th-century shops and residences. Pingyao remains a thriving community with many continuing to live in the old town’s courtyard homes, going about their daily lives alongside and often indifferent to the tourism boom so noticeable today along its main streets.
