Pingyao Tour from Beijing: Best Overnight Ancient City Train Tour

Being one of the four wholly protected ancient cities in China, Pingyao Ancient City is the"treasure house" of ancient Chinese architecture. With a total length of six kilometers, the city wall is about 12 meters tall and 3 to 6 meters wide on top. The wall is of compacted earth covered by bricks and stones. From a bird's eye view, the rectangular wall resembles a tortoise. There are six city gates on the north, south, east, and west walls. The south entrance is the head of the tortoise. The two wells outside the wall look like the two eyes of a tortoise. The north gate, the lowest place in the city, is the tail of tortoise. Traditionally the tortoise was considered a symbol of longevity, so through ancient times, the hopes were that Pingyao Ancient City would be permanently secure. There are 72 watchtowers on the top of the City Wall and 3,000 external battlements. They represent 72 people of great wisdom, the 3,000 battlements the 3,000 disciples of Confucius.

As one of the best-preserved temples in China, the Temple of the City God is located in the southeast of Pingyao City. The whole construction is of a grand scale and covers 7,302 square meters (approx. 8,733 square yards). The temple has a long history and has been renovated several times. The excellent woodcarvings, stone sculptures, painted sculptures, and mural paintings in it reflect superior craftsmanship. The temple is deeply rooted in religious culture and is well reflected in folk customs. It is a unique site that tourists should never miss when visiting Shanxi.

The Rishengchang Exchange Shop is one of the earliest banks in China. It was established in 1823 during the Qing Dynasty (1644--1911). At that time, it had over 35 branches in China's major cities. In December 1995, Shanxi Provincial Government listed it as a Provincial Key Cultural Relic under the Reservation, and it is now the Chinese Exchange Shop Museum. Rishengchang was the first bank in China that issued banknotes to replace cash transactions between its numerous branches in China.

Pingyao had been the focus of trade and led national finance for decades since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). On the main streets of South Avenue, West Avenue, and East Avenue, various shops, firms, and banks are scattered, along with a wide range of businesses, including a teashop, cloth shop, salt shop, silk shop, general merchandise shop, hock shop, exchange shop among others. West Avenue, where the known nowadays as the 'Countryside Grandfather Rishengchang Bank. Ming and Qing Dynasties Street is located on South Avenue were used to be the business center.

Tongxinggong Escort Agency was set up in 1855 by Wang Zhengqing, the master of the then martial art famous around China. Escort agencies, in a narrow sense, are special agencies offering security service for individuals and merchants. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, when banks in Pingyao sprang up, business in Pingyao ushered in its golden age, which resulted in the prosperity of escort service.

The Wang Family Compound is the largest of the Shanxi Courtyard Houses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural site. The fortress compound is a tight arrangement of courtyard residences. As the building of the compound was a multi-generation endeavor, construction clusters arose one by one. The homes inside the compound were built in the Qing Dynasty. In all, there are 231 courtyards and 2,078 rooms on the site situated across 8 hectares. The courtyards are two stories and covered by slate gray roof tiles. The main area of the compound is symmetrical and divided by a moat over which crosses a stone bridge.[3] The four circles of walls are multi-tiered, protecting different layers of dwelling areas from outside threats. Within the courtyards are rooms, kitchens, schools, and prayer pavilions. The ornate stone, brick, and wood carvings have themes based on folk customs and folk arts.