Tour Code: COT-SXT-05
Length: 2 nights & 3 days
Sightseeing:
* Qiao Family's Compound * Wang Family's Compound * Zishou Temple
* The Ancient City Wall * Rishengchang Exchange Shop
* Ming and Qing Street * Shuanglin Temple

Inclusions and Exclusions

Day 1:

Upon your arrival at Taiyuan, our local guide will meet you and then we will drive to Pingyao. On the way visit the Qiao Family's Compound, Wang Family's Compound and ZishouTemple.

- Pingyao: a small city with 2700 years old history, famous for its well preserved ancient city walls and streets. As it borders on the southern edge of the TaiyuanBasin and joins the Loess Plateau to the south along the banks of the Yellow River, it has been an important communication hub and a famous commercial center over the country in the old days.

- Qiao Family's Compound: located 20 kilometers north of Pingyao, built in 1756 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), this well-preserved and exquisite structure used to be the residence of a powerful trading family with significant commercial influence even beyond ShanxiProvince, despite the fact that the Qiao family have ceased to have any influence since the 1940's. It was this mansion that was used as the setting for the famous film 'Raise the Red Lantern' directed by Zhang Yimou.

- Wang Family's Compound: located on a hilly area, it was the Wang clan's private residence with 54 courtyards and 1,052 rooms for 600 years until the family's decline. The Compound is claimed as "No. 1 civil residence in China" due to its great momentum and complete functions, elegant carvings and decorations, and rich connotation.

- ZishouTemple: first built in Tang dynasty and rebuilt in Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the temple has a history of more than 1100 years, and it is famous for its graceful colored statues, especially the exquisite statues of the eighteen disciples of Buddha.

 

Day 2:

Today, you will enjoy a city tour around Pingyao includingthe Ancient City Wall, Rishengchang Exchange Shop and Ming and Qing Street,ShuanglinTemple, you will have some free time to explore this old city.

- The Ancient City Wall: first erected in the Zhou dynasty (827-728 BC) and last rebuilt in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD), it is one of the best-preserved ancient city walls in China. With 12 meters high and 5 meters thick, a total length of 6.4 kilometers long, with 3,000 crenels and 72 watchtowers on the wall surrounded by moats, this stoic city wall played an important role in protecting Pingyao from invasions from 14th to 19th century, allowing the city to prosper swiftly.

- Rishengchang Exchange Shop: Rishengchang means “sunrise prosperity,” this shop is China’s first bank and was originally established in 1823. Now converted into a museum, there are 21 buildings surrounding three courtyards. On either side of the front yard are the counters, main banking activities were carried out in the middle courtyard house, which functioned as an exchange center.

- Ming and Qing Street: also called Nanda Jie, the main downtown thoroughfare well preserved in Ming and Qing style, it is one of the best places to explore ancient Chinese culture, where you can see hotels offering traditional brick-oven beds, restaurants serving Pingyao's famous beef and shops selling a dazzling array of art wares. This bustling bazaar was the commercial centre during the dynastic periods with over 700 stores and shops, most of these time-honored stores continue to thrive to today.

- ShuanglinTemple: having a history of more than 1500 years, the temple is famous for its 2,502 exquisitely painted clay figurines and statues of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and is famed as "treasure-house of color sculpture arts".

 

Day 3:

Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the railway station for your train to the next destination.

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