Pingyao - China
July/18, 19 and 20 of 2005
Even though we arrived very late in Pingyao we had no problems to find a place to stay. The station is very small and at 1 a.m. there was only one taxi driver waiting for the train; he didn't know English but had a card of a hotel and showed the price with his fingers, 80 yuan. The city was in complete darkness. It was absolutely impossible to walk and try to find a place; we were happy to have the taxi driver.
Pingyao is surrounded by a complete intact 6km Ming Dynasty city wall, the last remaining one in China; it is an exceptional well preserved traditional Hen Chinese city.
Pingyao was also the cradle of the banking system in China; between Beijing and Xian merchant town, banks were open in courtyard houses that were left untouched and today transformed in hotels. So if you want, you can stay in a 500-year old Chinese bank.
After running up and down so much we just wanted a place to stay and Pingyao was perfect, small, nice and relaxed. We spent four days walking in its streets, meeting interesting people, trying local food and making tons of pictures.
7/21/05
It was Angie's birthday and the day we left Pingyao for Beijing. It was Angie's most quiet birthday, celebrated on green tea :)
We spent the day on the courtyard of our hotel-bank watching the life going by and the funny relations of French tourists and the Chinese hosts trying to communicate in English.
We took the train back to Beijing at 8 p.m. not knowing whether my Australian visa had been granted or not, they were suposed to contact us by e-mail but did not; that situation put some stress on us and unfortunately Angie's birthday wasn't much of a thrill.
Even though we arrived very late in Pingyao we had no problems to find a place to stay. The station is very small and at 1 a.m. there was only one taxi driver waiting for the train; he didn't know English but had a card of a hotel and showed the price with his fingers, 80 yuan. The city was in complete darkness. It was absolutely impossible to walk and try to find a place; we were happy to have the taxi driver.
Pingyao is surrounded by a complete intact 6km Ming Dynasty city wall, the last remaining one in China; it is an exceptional well preserved traditional Hen Chinese city.
Pingyao was also the cradle of the banking system in China; between Beijing and Xian merchant town, banks were open in courtyard houses that were left untouched and today transformed in hotels. So if you want, you can stay in a 500-year old Chinese bank.
After running up and down so much we just wanted a place to stay and Pingyao was perfect, small, nice and relaxed. We spent four days walking in its streets, meeting interesting people, trying local food and making tons of pictures.
7/21/05
It was Angie's birthday and the day we left Pingyao for Beijing. It was Angie's most quiet birthday, celebrated on green tea :)
We spent the day on the courtyard of our hotel-bank watching the life going by and the funny relations of French tourists and the Chinese hosts trying to communicate in English.
We took the train back to Beijing at 8 p.m. not knowing whether my Australian visa had been granted or not, they were suposed to contact us by e-mail but did not; that situation put some stress on us and unfortunately Angie's birthday wasn't much of a thrill.
posted by Adriano and Angie | 8:35 PM
2 Comments:
Wow that's beautiful part of China, I have never visited. Somehow, I can not make out what's 'pingyao' in Chinese, but I will definitely visit there. Don't know where are you right now. I hope everything is well with both of you. Andriano, hope your visa did not gave you too much of troubles. Angi, we will make-up our birthdays next year, it will be more thrill. Please be safe and take care out there guys. It is September, by the end of this month, which is on the 30th Danny and I will be leaving to Peru. Hope eveything is soomth till then. Cann't wait to see more beautiful pictures of your trip.
We miss you - Till we see you again soon :)
take care!
Doris
thanks for all the wonderful pictures, It really reminds me of home where I came from. Pictures makes me want to go back to china to visit everyone back home.
Danny
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