Day 6: July 9th, Pingyao

Pingyao is by far one of the most amazing and interesting places to stay in China. What makes Pingyao stand out from other historic sites that you might visit, is the fact that you can actually walk through an entire city that that is still stuck in the past. This city includes residents that live, work, and play within its ancient perimeter walls, making it, literally, a piece of living history!

Perhaps of the most striking details that you first encounter in Pingyao, is theCity Wall.. Not to be confused with the "Great Wall," the fortified walls that surround the city were constructed long ago around the 1300's. There are several large gates, which are still used today, that allow people and cargo to enter and leave. Similar to Medieval castles in Europe, you will find that just beyond the city walls is a deep moat designed to slow down and resist invaders. The walls themselves were very high, about 4-5 stories by my estimate and often included a watch tower.. Given the ancient manner of these structures, it was impressive to see the amount of precision and detail that went into the construction and design. For example, Slats or cuts were evenly spaced throughout the walls for soldiers to use during battle.. The roofs and high structures also exhibit great attention to architectural detail of that time, and even the bricks that we walked over had unique Chinese characters engraved into them. This theme or facade, depending on how you want to look at it, extends to every corner of town. Whether it's a restaurant, hotel, or souvenir shop, the constant reminder of Chinese History, Architecture, and modern innovation is always around you.

Some other key topics to mention about Pingyao include Banking and trade. In early times, Pingyao developed into a bustling trade center that evoloved into one of the earliest known banking systems around. Systems of storage, measurement, and exchange of currency and precious minerals became the norm as Pingyao suddenly found itself as the key financial center of the Ming Dynasty (*), perhaps the wall street of its time? I believe it not only set the standard for other Banks/Towns to follow, but it also became the most important financial center in all of China (*). Today, the first bank, RuSeung (*), has been restored and is available to be viewed like a museum. Wax figures depict daily activities and there are even old tools of the trade on display. My favorite was the abacus! What do you think?

P.S. (*) indicates that my notes and or handwriting was questionable and the info may need revising.

P.P.S. Special "Shout Out" to our awesome staff, that put this amazing trip together!

P.P.P.S. "Shout Out" (n.) Slang. A public expression of thanks or gratitude

[Edit by="djones on Aug 11, 7:28:37 PM"][/Edit]