Heading from Beijing, southwest, to Pingyao is no problem on one of Beijing's high-speed trains -- reaching speeds of up to 240 mph(!), the journey takes a mere 4 hours (green tea and snacks are complimentary).
Pingyao is said to be the best preserved of China's ancient walled towns. For about $20, you can buy a 3-day pass that will get you into 20 historical sights (museums, mansions, temples) and allows you to walk around the town on top of the wall.
This is the Harmony Guesthouse, within the walled town. After looking at 3 rooms, I chose the one upstairs, right side, overlooking the courtyard. The room (plus breakfast) costs about $33/night.
When traveling in China it's often difficult to find people who speak English, and many of the translations you see are pretty rough.
Luckily there were no fires during my visit to that particular building.
This band was part of a funeral ceremony, if I'm not mistaken.
Taffy maker inside the walled town
A typical Pingyao street inside the walled town
To me, China seems the most awesome....
ReplyDeletea guy at the fleamarket lived there, and said China has the best
food in the world.....maybe the bubble oil cakes?
That "dial the rotten" sounds pretty appetizing, too!
ReplyDeleteLove all these photos. Especially the funeral band + fire equipment.
Interesting to see!