3-Day Pingyao Tour from Taiyuan: Jinci Temple + Qiao Family Compound + Pingyao Ancient City + Shuanglin Temple + Zhangbi Ancient Fortress

Welcome to Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province. This is a famous historical and cultural city with more than 2,500 years of urban history and the largest city in Shanxi. It is known for its vinegar culture and noodle culture. When you come to Taiyuan, you may want to try authentic Shanxi knife-cut noodles, cat's ears, fried bulanzi, and other noodle dishes, paired with a dish of aged vinegar—very delicious. In addition, Taiyuan is also a transportation hub in Shanxi, making travel very convenient. After arriving in Taiyuan, you will be taken to visit Jinci Temple (you can walk through Jinci Park, about 1 kilometer, or take the sightseeing bus at your own expense). Jinci Temple is the earliest existing and largest royal sacrificial garden in China, the only well-preserved royal ancestral hall, and a national first-class museum, known as the "Museum of Ancient Chinese Architecture." Here, you can see ancient buildings from five dynasties—Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing—at one time, as well as a Zhou cypress over 3,000 years old. They stand quietly together in harmonious coexistence, like a three-dimensional history of Chinese architecture. "Without visiting Jinci Temple, a trip to Taiyuan is incomplete." Jinci Temple was built to commemorate Tang Shuyu, the founding ruler of the State of Jin. Tang Shuyu was the younger brother of King Cheng of Zhou. The famous historical story "cutting a tung leaf to enfeoff a younger brother" refers to him. His son Xie changed the state name from Tang to Jin, which later became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period. Today, the main hall of Jinci Temple, the Hall of the Holy Mother, enshrines Tang Shuyu's mother Yijiang (queen of King Wu of Zhou, said to be the daughter of Jiang Ziya). When visiting Jinci Temple, you must see the "Three Wonders, Three Treasures, and Three Plaques" ① Three Wonders (the three old objects you must not miss) Zhou Cypress: an old cypress leaning for more than 3,000 years, like a hunched old man quietly watching people come and go. Song dynasty painted sculptures in the Hall of the Holy Mother: painted clay figures with a history of 1,000 years—43 maids, eunuchs, and female officials, each with different expressions, vivid and lifelike. It is said that the Peking opera master Mei Lanfang observed the statue of the Holy Mother here for a long time and was deeply attracted by its expression of "every frown and smile revealing a lifetime." Never-Aging Spring: the source of living water at Jinci Temple. The spring water is clear and never runs dry all year round. Its name comes from the Book of Songs: "forever bestow never-aging." ② Three Treasures (three treasures that guard the temple) Flying Bridge over Fish Pond: a cross-shaped ancient bridge about 1,500 years old, the earliest bridge in China connecting water and land. Standing on the bridge, it feels as if you have stepped into ancient times. Hall of Offerings: a Jin dynasty building (1168 AD), used in the past to place sacrificial offerings. It has fence walls on all four sides and excellent ventilation, like an "ancient refrigerator." Its wooden structure makes the beams and columns bear the weight, while the walls do not bear weight. Hall of the Holy Mother: the main hall of Jinci Temple, a masterpiece of Song dynasty architecture. The front corridor has eight carved wooden coiled dragons, the earliest existing wooden carved dragons in China, with bared teeth and claws, vividly lifelike. ③ Three Plaques (three old plaques with stories) Shuijing Terrace: the plaque of the stage at the entrance. This building is one of the prototypes for the scene of the duel between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen in the 1961 animated film Havoc in Heaven. Duiyue: from the Book of Songs, meaning "repaying the kindness of ancestors." Nanlao: the plaque hanging over Never-Aging Spring. Tips 1. Ask your guide to take you to an excellent photo spot where you can frame the Zhou Cypress, the Hall of the Holy Mother, the Never-Aging Spring Pavilion, and other historical sites in the same photo. 2. If you are a fan of the 1986 edition of Journey to the West, many scenes in the series were filmed at Jinci Temple, and you can check in at those scenes. In the afternoon, on the way to Pingyao, you will visit the Qiao Family Compound (also known as Zai Zhong Tang), known by the saying "For imperial palaces, look to the Forbidden City; for residences, look to the Qiao family." It was first built in 1756 and was the former residence of Qiao Zhiyong (1818-1907), a famous Shanxi merchant in the late Qing dynasty. It is famous for its exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings, and murals. Its architectural style is very special—it has both the grandeur of northern dwellings and the delicate refinement of southern gardens. This is also a filming location for Zhang Yimou's film Raise the Red Lantern. Walking into the courtyard, it seems you can still hear the echo of the fourth wife, played by Gong Li, spinning and stamping her feet in the courtyard. Historical allusions In 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi passed through Shanxi and once stayed at the Qiao Family Compound. At that time, the head of the Qiao family, Qiao Zhiyong, generously gave her 300,000 taels of silver. Moved by his loyalty, Cixi wrote the four characters "Fu Zhong Lang Huan," meaning "spreading blessings in a fairyland on earth," which was later made into a plaque hung high in the main hall of the Qiao Family Compound. In addition, after returning to Beijing, Cixi gave the Qiao family two nine-dragon palace lanterns in gratitude. They are now one of the three treasures protecting the Qiao Family Compound, symbolizing imperial recognition and family honor. What to see: the "double happiness" maze of Zai Zhong Tang The Qiao Family Compound covers about 8,700 square meters and consists of Zai Zhong Tang, Dexing Tang, Baoyuan Tang, Ningshou Tang, and the Qiao Family Garden. The main place to visit is Zai Zhong Tang—it has a symmetrical "double happiness" layout, with 6 large courtyards, 20 small courtyards, and 313 rooms, surrounded by high defensive walls. Walking in feels like entering a maze, and you can easily get dizzy. Three must-see treasures that protect the residence Nine-Dragon Lanterns: bestowed by Empress Dowager Cixi; the only surviving pair in China. Nine dragons coil around each lantern, and the craftsmanship is extremely complex. Rhinoceros Looking at the Moon Mirror: carved from iron pear wood and weighing one ton. The rhinoceros turns its head to look at the moon, implying "looking forward to good days." Ten-Thousand-People Ball: said to be a mercury glass ball purchased from abroad. Hung on the wall, it can reflect the entire room—a Qing dynasty version of a "surveillance camera." Suggested ways to arrive 1. How to fly to Taiyuan: Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (TYN), about 16 kilometers from the city center and about 24 kilometers from Jinci Temple. 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), and others. Since not all routes operate year-round, be sure to check flight schedules in advance. 2. How to take the high-speed rail to Taiyuan: Taiyuan South Station has high-speed trains to Beijing (2.5-3.5 hours), Xi'an (3-4 hours), Datong (2-2.5 hours), Pingyao (0.5 hours), and other places. Please contact our customer service to book tickets. In the evening, stay overnight in Pingyao.

Today, you will spend a full day slowly exploring 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 entire city is shaped like 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 lanes inside the city resemble the patterns on a turtle's shell. 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, and together with the six city gates and barbicans, it makes the city seem like an impregnable fortress. From the 19th century to the early 20th century, Pingyao was China's "financial center" 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 Eurasia for nine thousand li and ruled the business world for five hundred years." 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 day's performance times on site). The actors wear Qing Dynasty official robes, strike the gavel, and shout "Wei Wu," which is quite interesting. Through the large collection of official 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 (an ancient bank), praised as the "country grandfather of modern banking." At its peak, it opened 35 branches across the country, 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 north with its back to the south, 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, and its most attractive feature is its huge underground vault—you can go 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 did the money from draft banks get 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 the time and see the weapons, hidden weapons, and escort boxes used to protect shipments. 5. Ming-Qing Old Street—China's "Wall Street" Finally, leave some time to wander freely along Ming-Qing Old Street. This street was once China's "financial street." Today, both sides are lined with 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 clicking abacuses more than a hundred years ago. Optional Performance in Pingyao: "Encore Pingyao" If you still have energy in the evening, a live performance of "Encore Pingyao" is highly recommended. It lasts about 90 minutes and is closed on Mondays (be sure to confirm in advance whether there is a performance that day and the specific session). 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 and hired 232 escorts to travel abroad to protect the descendant of a manager far away in Russia. It allows you to immersively experience the Shanxi merchants' spirit of valuing righteousness over profit and putting integrity first.

This morning, you can travel from Pingyao Ancient City to Shuanglin Temple (about 6 kilometers). [Shuanglin Temple] was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty, with a history of over 1,400 years, and is known as the "Oriental Treasure House of Painted Sculpture." The temple houses over 2,000 painted sculptures from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, mainly Ming Dynasty works, accounting for about one-sixth of Shanxi's surviving painted sculptures — the pinnacle of Chinese painted sculpture art. The Thousand-Buddha Hall of Shuanglin Temple is particularly striking, enshrining over 500 painted sculptures. The most famous is the Weituo statue, hailed as "the finest Weituo statue in China" and one of the most expressive warrior figures in Chinese painted sculpture. The Free Avalokitesvara statue in the hall is equally exquisite, with a natural, unrestrained posture and a serene smile, displaying a kind of "unfettered" Zen beauty. In addition, the Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin in the Bodhisattva Hall is also worth seeing. This Ming Dynasty painted sculpture is one of the temple's highest artistic achievements, with 26 arms (symbolizing "a thousand hands") spread out in staggered fashion, each palm bearing an eye, meaning "a thousand eyes observing the world, a thousand hands protecting all beings." It is regarded as the "treasure of the temple." Stepping into Shuanglin Temple, the well-preserved Ming Dynasty buildings stand tall, with an exquisite and harmonious layout. As you stroll through, you can admire fine painted sculptures, thousand-year-old trees, Song Dynasty stone steles, Ming Dynasty bells, and colorful murals, as if you were in a pure Buddhist realm. The chiwen on the temple roof are made of yellow, green, and blue glazed tiles, with exaggerated and gorgeous forms, adding a sense of mystery and solemnity to this ancient temple. Next, head to [Zhangbi Ancient Fortress], known as "a city above ground, a city below ground," located in Jiexiu City, renowned as the "Hometown of Glazed Art." It is a miniature fortress built deep in the mountains. The most amazing thing about Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is: an above-ground fort and underground tunnels — one of the most complete ancient military defense villages in China. China's No. 1 Astrological Village The fortress's name comes from Zhang and Bi, two of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. The layout of the entire village secretly corresponds to the stars, hence it is called "China's No. 1 Astrological Village." The ground buildings correspond to the Twenty-Eight Mansions in the sky, forming the wonder of "Kuixing in heaven, Zhangbi on earth." Locals say that walking into Zhangbi is like stepping into the starry sky — a romantic saying, but you can indeed feel the ancients' obsession with "a star in heaven, a city on earth." Highlights of Zhangbi Ancient Fortress 1. Underground Great Wall: 10 kilometers of ancient tunnels Beneath the fortress lies about 10 kilometers of ancient tunnels (explored so far), dating back about 1,600 years. Originally a military stronghold, villagers later used them to escape wars. The tunnels are interconnected, with traps, ventilation holes, observation posts, ambush positions, drainage ditches... even meeting rooms and storage rooms. You can crawl through an open section, bending over and touching the walls, to personally experience the ancients' wisdom for "survival." 2. Above ground: temples built on the city wall Zhangbi is very small, only 0.12 square kilometers, yet it has 16 temples — most built on top of the city wall. Main highlights include: Zhenwu Hall, Erlang Temple, Guandi Temple, etc. Standing on the wall, turn your head and there's a temple; turn again and there's a tunnel entrance — this mixed style is unique. 3. Glazed roofs: glowing art Jiexiu has been famous for glazed ware since ancient times. The temple roofs on the Zhangbi Ancient Fortress wall 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 remain brightly colored and sparkle in the sunlight. After the tour, your 3-day Taiyuan-Pingyao trip will come to an end. Extension suggestions 1. If you wish to extend your trip and explore other famous attractions in Shanxi, such as Datong, Mount Wutai, Pingyao, Taiyuan, etc., we can assist you in arranging the itinerary. 2. If you plan to continue exploring other Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Luoyang, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Shanghai, please feel free to let us know.