“Deep China” – In Pingyao

China’s Pingyao is probably not a city you’ve heard of – but that’s a good thing, as it means it tends to get overlooked by the tour groups. It doesn’t have any ‘big ticket’ sites like the Terracotta Warriors or the Great Wall, but it is a great place to get a taste of Ancient China. The old city is entirely enclosed by Ming Dynasty era walls (pictured), built in 1370. These days the city stretches well beyond its ancient perimeters, but there is plenty to see within the city walls and no real reason to venture beyond them.

Pingyao had one of China’s first banks, and during the Qing dynasty was the country’s financial centre. There’s an interesting museum of banking (more interesting than it sounds!) and impressive, well preserved traditional buildings. It has some characterful places to stay, and ultimately is a good place to wander and soak up an older, more rarified atmosphere that has been lost from many modern Chinese cities.

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Check out our China pages for details of what do and see. All of our trips are tailor-made to suit your needs and wishes, and our local experts are fantastic at planning holidays with a difference.