Pingyao Boutique 2-Day Tour: Pingyao Ancient City + Wang Family Compound + Zhangbi Ancient Fortress (Ancient Chinese Wall Street Shanxi Merchant Culture)

Welcome to Pingyao. After arrival, we will take you on a leisurely tour of Pingyao Ancient City. Pingyao Ancient City has a history of about 2,800 years (first built during the reign of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty). It is one of China's best-preserved ancient county towns from the Ming and Qing dynasties and the birthplace of Shanxi merchant culture. It was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1997 and is the stop many people most look forward to when visiting Shanxi. The shape of the entire city resembles a divine turtle - the six city gates symbolize the turtle's head, tail, and four feet, while the four main streets, eight small streets, and seventy-two alleys inside the city resemble the patterns on the turtle's back. In traditional Chinese culture, the turtle is a symbol of longevity and good fortune. You can climb the ancient city wall from Yingxun Gate and overlook the layout of this northern ancient city. The city wall is tall and complete, paired with six city gates and barbicans, making it seem like an impregnable fortress. From the 19th century to the early 20th century, Pingyao was the "financial center" of all China and was known as "Little Beijing." Strolling through Pingyao, weaving between simple gray brick walls and heavy old wooden doors, you can trace that glorious era of "remittance throughout the world" and feel the legend of Shanxi merchants who "dominated the business world for five hundred years and spanned nine thousand li across Europe and Asia." Recommended Must-Visit Attractions in Pingyao Ancient City 1. County Government Office - Watch a "County Magistrate Holding Court" The Pingyao County Government Office is the largest and best-preserved ancient county government office in China. If the timing works out, be sure to watch a free court trial performance (about 20 minutes; please check the performance time on site that day). The actors wear Qing dynasty official robes, strike the gavel, and shout "Wei Wu," which is quite interesting. Through the large collection of officialdom artifacts here, you can glimpse how ancient officials worked and handled cases. 2. Rishengchang - China's First Draft Bank Rishengchang was founded in 1823 and was China's first draft bank (ancient bank), hailed as the "country grandfather of modern banking." At its peak, it opened 35 branches nationwide, with business reaching as far as Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia, truly achieving "remittance throughout the world." Today it has been converted into the China Draft Bank Museum. Facing south and sitting north, it is divided into the central courtyard and east courtyard, and is the most complete and imposing representative of Ming and Qing draft bank architecture. The museum houses a large number of account books, drafts, and seals from that time. It is a living textbook of Chinese financial history and an excellent place to learn about Shanxi merchant culture. 3. Xietongqing - Explore the Underground Vault (Optional if Time Permits) If time is ample, you can turn into Xietongqing (founded in 1856). It is now called the China Money Shop Museum. Its most attractive feature is its huge underground vault - you can walk down and see with your own eyes where real gold and silver were stored back then. 4. China Escort Agency Museum - How Was Silver Transported? How was the money of draft banks safely transported from one city to another? It relied on escort agencies. Here, you can learn about the stories of the ten great escort agencies and ten great escorts of that time, and see the weapons, hidden weapons, and escort boxes used to protect silver shipments. 5. Ming and Qing Old Street - China's "Wall Street" Finally, you can leave some time to wander freely along the Ming and Qing Old Street. This street was once China's "financial street." Today, both sides are old gray-brick houses selling vinegar, liquor, paper cuttings, cloth shoes... It is lively, but if you listen carefully, it seems you can still hear the sound of draft bank clerks using abacuses more than a hundred years ago. Optional Performance in Pingyao: "Encore Pingyao" If you still have energy in the evening, I highly recommend the immersive live performance "Encore Pingyao." It lasts about 90 minutes and is closed on Mondays (please be sure to confirm in advance whether there is a performance that day and the specific session). The performance is directed by the famous director Wang Chaoge. The story tells of Zhao Yishuo, the owner of a Pingyao draft bank in the late Qing Dynasty, who spent his entire fortune to hire 232 escorts to travel abroad to protect the descendant of a manager far away in Russia. It allows you to immersively feel the spirit of Shanxi merchants, who valued righteousness over profit and regarded integrity as fundamental. Suggested Ways to Arrive 1. How to fly to Pingyao: The nearest airport is Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (TYN), about 100 kilometers from Pingyao Ancient City. Major Chinese cities have direct flights to Taiyuan, such as Beijing (1.5 hours), Shanghai (2 hours 20 minutes), Chengdu (2 hours 15 minutes), Chongqing (2 hours 15 minutes), Kunming (3 hours), Hangzhou (2.5 hours), Xiamen (3 hours), etc. Since not all routes operate year-round, please be sure to check flight schedules in advance. 2. How to take the high-speed train to Pingyao: Pingyao Ancient City Station has high-speed trains to Beijing (3 hours 40 minutes), Xi'an (3 hours), Datong (3.5 hours), Taiyuan (1 hour 10 minutes), etc. Please contact our customer service to book tickets.

Today, you will travel by car to explore two treasures hidden in the land of Jinzhong: one is the Wang Family Compound, the "Folk Forbidden City," and the other is Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, the "No. 1 Village of Chinese Astrology." The Wang Family Compound is a complex of residences built by the Wang family over more than 300 years spanning the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is hailed as the "Folk Forbidden City." It perfectly embodies the saying "the home is a courtyard, the courtyard is a city"—rather than a courtyard, it is a fully functional fortress. At its peak, the Wang Family Compound covered about 250,000 square meters, an extremely grand scale. It was built against the mountain, occupying the high ground, and various defensive designs are hidden within the courtyards. Because the Wang family was both in business and in officialdom, the residence has both the grandeur of an official mansion and the warmth of everyday life—men and women were separated, masters and servants kept order, and every brick and tile was inscribed with rules. What to see? Architectural layout: courtyards within courtyards, high walls linked to high walls—it is easy to get lost walking inside. You can experience what a "deep mansion and large courtyard" really means. The art of the three carvings: the brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings of the Wang Family Compound are outstanding. Doors, windows, beams, columns, wall corners... almost every place that could be carved is covered with carvings, with patterns of auspicious birds and beasts, opera stories, and auspicious flowers—every cut reveals the refinement of the old Shanxi merchants. Next, head to Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, where "there is a city above ground and a city below ground," located in Jiexiu City, known as the "Hometown of Glazed Art." It is a miniature fortress built deep in the mountains. The most magical thing about Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is this: an above-ground fort and underground tunnels—it is one of the most completely preserved ancient military defense villages in China. China's No. 1 Village of Astrology The name of the fortress comes from Zhang and Bi, two of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. The layout of the entire village secretly corresponds to the stars, so it is called "China's No. 1 Village of Astrology." The buildings on the ground correspond to the Twenty-Eight Mansions in the sky, forming the wonder of "the Kui Star in heaven, Zhangbi on earth." Locals say that walking into Zhangbi is like stepping into the starry sky—though this is a romantic way of putting it, you can indeed feel the ancients' obsession with "a star in the sky, a city on earth." Highlights of Zhangbi Ancient Fortress 1. Underground Great Wall: 10 kilometers of ancient tunnels Beneath the fortress lies an ancient tunnel system stretching about 10 kilometers (confirmed so far), dating back about 1,600 years. It was originally a military stronghold, and later villagers used it to escape the chaos of war. The tunnels extend in all directions, with traps, ventilation holes, observation openings, ambush positions, drainage ditches... and even meeting rooms and storage rooms. You can crawl through an open section, bending low and touching the walls as you go, to personally experience the ancients' wisdom for "staying alive." 2. Above ground: temples built on the city wall Zhangbi is very small, only 0.12 square kilometers, yet it has as many as 16 temples—and most are built on top of the city wall. The main sights include: Zhenwu Hall, Erlang Temple, Guandi Temple, and others. Standing on the city wall, you turn your head and see a temple; turn again and see a tunnel entrance—this mixed-up feeling is unique. 3. Glazed roofs: art that glows Jiexiu has been famous for glazed ware since ancient times. The temple roofs on the city wall of Zhangbi Ancient Fortress are covered with exquisite glazed ridge ornaments—flying dragons, phoenixes, running auspicious beasts, blooming peonies, warrior figures... After hundreds of years of wind and rain, they are still brightly colored and sparkle in the sunlight. After the tour ends, your 2-day Pingyao trip will come to a close. Suggestions for extending the itinerary 1. If you want to extend your trip and explore other famous attractions in Shanxi, such as Datong, Taiyuan, Mount Wutai, and others, we can help you arrange the itinerary. 2. If you plan to continue exploring other cities in China, such as Beijing, Luoyang, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Shanghai, please feel free to let us know.