China - Pingyao - Day 10

We woke up early and took a bullet train to Pingyao.

Our first stop was Shuanglin Temple—a Buddhist temple with impressive clay statues.

Shuanglin Temple is a small Buddhist temple that was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Ancient City of Pingyao in 1997. Founded in the 6th century, It is notable for its collection of more than 2,000 decorated clay statues, which were built from the 12th to the 19th centuries.

Then we drove to the old town and checked into our hotel. We spent the afternoon walking around and exploring the city. We had a paper-cutting lesson and visited an old bank (Rishengchang Bank), the old county government building, the city wall, a Confucian Temple, the Temple of the City God, and a bank transport company museum. It was all very cool.

Originally founded in the 14th century and covering an area of over 2 square kilometres, Pingyao Ancient City is a historic town that includes ancient lanes, shops, dwellings, and temples, all encircled by one of China’s best-preserved city walls. The Ancient City of Pingyao was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The old city of Pingyao is an outstanding example of a typical city of the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 14th to 20th century). The ancient city wall, which completely encloses the old town and is one of the best-preserved of its kind in China, is a good place to stroll and appreciate the old city from above. Within the walled town is a web of narrow streets, alleys, and traditional brick courtyard houses. Being the financial center of China from the 19th century to the early 20th century, Pingyao Ancient City is full of old architecture and historic significance. Some of the most notable buildings include the Confucian Temple, the Temple of the City God, the Ancient County Government Building, and Rishengchang Bank, as well as many other perfectly preserved old buildings.

After dinner, we stopped at a nightclub and heard some amazing, karaoke-type singing.

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