Shopping Tips in Pingyao

It is said that a trip to Pingyao is never complete without a shopping spree. Pingyao, as one of the famous four ancient cities in China, has a colorful culture and also has vast and rich variations of local arts and crafts.

Pingyao beef, local snacks, lacquer work, as well as man-made stuff are available for tourist guests. So it could be said that Pingyao is a great place for shopping. For visitors to Pingyao, there is an uncountable number of specialties for them to choose from.

Pingyao Lacquerwork

It first appeared in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During the warring state period, it was in rudiment. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Pingyao lacquer work was at the height of splendor. It has a very precise procedure to make.

First, choose the excellent wood, put on ash, mount the paper, and then, brush the natural lacquer and mixture lacquer. At last, draw all kinds of designs on the lacquer surface. The designs include traditional characters, mountains and rivers, birds and flowers, buildings and pavilions, and so on. The finished products have bright colors and elegant models.

The Paper-Cut

During the period from the Qing dynasty to the Republic of China, the paper cut is very common in Pingyao ancient town. The paper cut is usually for window decoration, ceiling decoration, and lantern decoration. There are a lot of designs, such as "The Mandarin Duck Plays with Water", "the Magpie Stands on the Plum Flower", and "The Guava Bloom" and so on. After the set up of the new China, every year, the paper-cut always has a place in the art exhibition that is held by an art gallery.

The Handmade Cloth Shoes

The most outstanding feature of the handmade cloth shoes is absorbent and your foot can breathe freely in them. A healthy foot is key to a healthy body. Cathead shoes are the most famous handmade cloth shoes. They are also called tiger shoes. The shapes of the shoes are like a cat or a tiger, which means that they can avoid evil spirits and disasters. Tiger shoes are often worn by babies because people want their babies to be as dynamic as a tiger. At the same time, soft shoes can take good care of the feet of babies.

The Yellow Wine

It is made from sticky rice. It has an intense flavor. It is not only a mild beverage that is beneficial to all ages but also a perfect cooking seasoning. According to the analysis of experts, there is 18 amino acids in yellow wine, of which 8 are essential to people. The contents of lysine in yellow wine per liter are several times higher than that in wine and in beer. So it is called liquid cake by people. Medical research proves that yellow wine is beneficial to the spleen and stomach; it can also relax the muscles and promote blood circulation.

The Liu He Tai Pillow

It is also called the Confucius Pillow because there are holes (kong in Chinese) on it. It is said that Empress Cixi Passed Pingyao's ancient city. After tasting the delicious dishes and wines, she wanted to go to bed. But, due to the bumpy trudge, troubles at home and aggression from abroad, she could not sleep soundly. One placeman offered a Liu He pillow, which made her sleep well. The next day, Empress Cixi was completely relaxed and happy. When she knew Liu He meant six holes on it which stood for up and down, east and west, north and south, she was quite happy. It indicated the world was at peace. So she bestowed the name Tai. Later, Liu He Tai's pillow spread.

This stuff can all be found on Ming and Qing Street. If you want to buy some modern things, you can go to the department stores on South Street. All of them can satisfy your needs.

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