foreword
During the Qingming holiday, I went to Pingyao with Xiaodao and stayed there for two days and two nights. I didn’t miss any of the scenic spots in Pingyao, so I walked with Xiaodao to the gray walls and tiles along the way, wandering, dazed, looking for delicious food, whatever I wanted Walk, stop when you are tired, and feel the unique and picturesque Pingyao in this state of mind.
Let me talk about the question that everyone wants to know, is there a lot of people in Pingyao? There must be quite a few, but most of the tourists, more than half, are the ones who travel with groups. And go to see Rishengchang, the county government, etc. one by one in the city. If you don't join in the fun, you won't feel crowded. In particular, we stayed in Pingyao for 4.4-5 days. At the beginning, we felt that there were not many tourists, but by the afternoon of the 4th, it was obviously a bit crowded, especially near South Street. . So our impression of Pingyao became "Pingyao is so beautiful, but there are too many people" - the reason is that many tourists from surrounding provinces and cities have come to Pingyao. So if you go to Pingyao during the long holiday, you must remember to avoid when there are many people.
Apart from the streets of Pingyao, I also like to walk through the deserted alleys with Xiao Dao. In the so-called Zhatui tourist area, you can also find places that don't get together. Even though Pingyao has been developed commercially, it still has such a gentle and restrained side.
In fact, it doesn't matter even if there are many people. Go deep into the alley, step on the bluestone slabs, let your thoughts wander uninhibited, and you can still find the peace in your heart.
In my opinion, since I have arrived in Pingyao, I have to feel the mellow savings of the ancient city with a plain mind, and I have to slow down, go to Qingshiban Road to experience the simple rhythm, to relive the Pingyao described by Mr. story……
So, let us follow in the footsteps of Xiaodao and me, walk into the ancient city together, and watch the flowers bloom in Pingyao.
Hours of Pingyao
In fact, in my opinion, after arriving in Pingyao, you seem to have entered a space of slow time. There are many things that you can't help but will blend into it, must do or should do. It's not about literature and art, it's just for mood.
In Pingyao, you can look at the city, drink tea, eat, bask in the sun or watch people come and go, and then be in a daze - this is the thing we do most in Pingyao, whether it is eating dinner or dessert, For drinks, we will all find a good place facing the street, and after eating and drinking, Xiaodao just lies on the window sill, watching, listening, and feeling.
If you want to experience the most primitive Pingyao, you must be diligent, get up at six or seven in the morning, stroll in the alleys where there are few tourists at this time, walk slowly along the bluestone road, and look at the Pingyao, shrouded in the early morning mist, can experience the tranquility of the ancient city in this early morning. Occasionally, I will meet those sketchers who also get up early and turn the ancient city into a painting.
It doesn't matter if you can't get up early, you can also walk along the city wall, and you will slowly find that the crowded crowds are gone, replaced by those old buildings that have not undergone any renovation.
"I'm waiting for you in Pingyao." Suddenly, I saw these words written on a brick wall, and my mood brightened instantly. Little art and freshness are filled in every corner of Pingyao, waiting for you to discover.
Pingyao store
There are many shops in Pingyao, which is very similar to any ancient town with a specific literary and artistic atmosphere. However, many small vendors in Pingyao sell things at low prices, or they are not too outrageous, or they are relatively reliable. So you can go shopping from house to house, looking for accessories that fall in love at first sight in small shops.
Coffee shops, clearing bars, handicraft shops, postcard shops, bookstores, each has its own uniqueness. Therefore, one of our great pleasures in Pingyao is to visit these specialty shops.
In Pingyao, you can find a quiet place and read "Shame on Shanxi" written by Yu Qiuyu. Among the many shops on Yamen Street, there is a yogurt shop that sells yogurt products. Such a "light drink" is most suitable for consumption while reading. Looking inside, I can't help but buy another cup to make time pass more slowly. And the owner of the store will also provide you with paper and pens, allowing you to leave what you want to say on the wall. This can be regarded as a thought of coming to Pingyao.
Small and fresh shop, small and fresh accessories. The small objects on the wall may not be Pingyao's special handicrafts, but I still bought one for the knife, and later bought several more, which I plan to give to her good friends.
When you are tired from shopping in the ancient city, the most comfortable thing is to sit in the corner seat of the yogurt shop, eat yogurt and look at the scenery outside the door, and then treat yourself as a scenery. Yogurt shop, strong recommendation!
Many small shops in Pingyao rarely sell these creative gifts. Most of them sell such necklaces, and the asking price is not expensive. Even when we were negotiating the price, an old lady pinched her fingers and counted for a long time. Finally, she hesitated and hesitated again, because I wanted to buy more and followed the 8 yuan one I said. price, sold it to me. In fact, her asking price was only 10 yuan. I can only say, who is blackmailing Pingyao, saying that there are many unscrupulous merchants in Pingyao? I only saw those hard-working aunts and aunts. Some may be smarter, but most of them are so simple that they will hesitate because of the price of 2 yuan.
Sometimes, I will stop and stay because of the soft little atmosphere in the store
There are these stores, which are literary and artistic, so shopping, which was originally a common thing, suddenly becomes very artistic.
Another great pleasure in Pingyao is to take a small tour bus to tour the ancient city. Day and night are different.
There are also those small objects and snacks that may not be exclusive to Pingyao, and may be seen in any literary town. But what does it matter? What matters is the mood at that moment. Therefore, in Pingyao, it is also a very beautiful thing to spend more than ten yuan to buy a small ornament to wear. So, after a little girl wore a wreath, she became very, very smug...
Rest in Pingyao
In fact, the inns in Pingyao have their own characteristics, and each has its own uniqueness. If time permits, drinking tea in the inn, basking in the sun, and chatting with like-minded friends is also a very good experience. There are many inns in Pingyao, it is said that there are more than 3,000 inns. As long as it is not in the peak season, you can find it in Pingyao slowly, but in peak seasons like this, you must book in advance.
The sun shone on the inn where we stayed, and it was very warm and comfortable.
The Deshenglou Inn is booked online. It is located near the South Street attractions in the ancient city. It is less than two minutes away from the nearest attractions. When you go out to play, you also bring your own toiletry bag, which is convenient and environmentally friendly. In Pingyao, we have to go to several scenic spots, and the time to visit is relatively tight, so we don’t spend a lot of time in the inn, just coming back to sleep at night.
Because of the shortage of housing, I had to book rooms in two inns, one was the above-mentioned Deshenglou Inn on South Street, and the other was Xiangchangtai Inn on West Street. The two inns are actually not far from each other. The bustling West Street also has a different scene from South Street.
Xiangchangtai Inn is a courtyard-style inn with Shanxi characteristics. It is close to the West Gate, and the traffic is relatively convenient. Bicycles can be driven on the street in front of the inn, but South Street is not. So which one to choose depends on your needs. Remember, there are basically no parking spaces in the inns in the ancient city, because foreign vehicles are not allowed to enter. On both sides of the courtyard, there are places where you can drink tea, chat and rest. The courtyard of the inn is paved with stone bricks, and a lot of vegetation, flowers and plants are planted in the courtyard. The design of the entire courtyard is also full of the style of Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Pingyao snacks
What impresses me the most is the Hongwuji Hotel in front of the Deshenglou Inn compound.
Because the front hall of the inn is the restaurant, so the first meal is here. I ordered a set meal for two for the first meal. There are a lot of dishes, and I can’t finish it. If the food for two people is relatively small, it is recommended to order a la carte, and the large portion of beef noodles is really a lot. Two adults eat and then order more dishes That's enough.
If you don't know what to eat, order a set meal or a signature dish. On the second day of the trip, I went to other restaurants, but I didn’t think it was as delicious as Hongwuji’s, so I stayed at Hongwuji for dinner. I ordered a beef copper hotpot for a bit extravagantly. The copper hotpot there really has a lot of beef. If two people order this, it’s enough There is really no need to order other dishes. Two more servings of rice are enough.
Pingyao specialty
Now that I have come here, I have to count the specialties here. The local Pingyao beef and bowls are Pingyao's distinctive delicacies.
Pingyao beef is easy to store. For the convenience of carrying, I bought freshly cut beef from Du Quanyong Specialty Store on North Street recommended by Pingyao locals. It's also for quality assurance, after all, larger specialty shops will be more reliable. And compared to eating in a restaurant, it is much more cost-effective to buy freshly cut beef directly in the store. You can take it home and eat slowly. The boss said that he has opened a specialty shop for 20 years, and it is considered a relatively famous shop in Pingyao specialty shops.
There is also a bowl holder, and the common methods include cold dressing and hot frying. The twist fried bowl tray is not bad, the taste is very layered, the method is rich, and the taste is also good. If you are lucky, you can come across vacuum packaging. But this is usually bought fresh from restaurants or stalls.
The rest are some Shanxi specialties, the more famous ones are Qinzhou yellow millet, long yam, camellia oleifera, Taigu cake and so on. In my opinion, Camellia oleifera, beef, and Taigu cakes are simply a wonderful combination of breakfast in Pingyao. After eating, it is full of energy!
Pingyao memory
In Pingyao, you can also find a local photographer to take a group of photos for your relatives, friends, or yourself. You can choose the background of the photo, which can be any corner of the ancient city, an old courtyard, or the ancient city. avenue. Maybe one day in several years, you received a photo from the ancient city of Pingyao. At that time, what were you doing and who were you with? It's amazing to think about it, so wherever we go, we still inevitably take a group of photos of ourselves
This is actually already a habitual behavior in our travels. What do you commemorate the tour with? Taking photos is a way for us to commemorate. The photos are for our family members who can never travel with us, for our selves many years later, for the years we have spent together these years, and for our happy mood when traveling.
My Photographer: Wang Shengliang
Life·Shooting Location 1: Helan Bridge Residential Houses
Travel·Shooting Location 2: Yingxunmen Square
Filming · Appearance: Knife
Things to do in Pingyao
Before traveling to Pingyao, I read a guide that listed the most literary things about traveling in Pingyao:
1. Wangcheng drinks tea and basks in the sun;
2. Reading in a quiet bar;
3. Stroll through the alleys at eight or nine in the morning;
4. Look for accessories that fall in love at first sight in a small shop;
5. Two people take a small tour bus to tour the ancient city;
6. Don't miss the sunset over the city tower;
7. No distracting thoughts, just in a daze;
8. Feel the blurred night on the street.
9. Sit under the stage of the inn and drink tea
10. Go to Helan Bridge to take a group of photos in spring
I tried my best to check in on these things one by one. Indeed, in such a quiet small town, it is suitable to do some small literary and artistic things quietly. The slow time in Pingyao requires you to enjoy it slowly.
Leaving aside the uniqueness of the ancient city, this brick, one tile, and the crowds of people who shuttle back and forth seem to bring you back to Pingyao in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Xiaodao said, there is such a thing, Pingyao looks like a smaller Forbidden City or Chang'an.
Having said that, it really feels a bit time-traveled...
