Private visit to Pingyao Ancient City from Taiyuan

Pingyao, officially Pingyao Ancient City, is a settlement in central Shanxi, China, famed for its importance in Chinese economic history and for its well-preserved Ming and Qing urban planning and architecture. The town is first recorded 800 BC and has been the seat of local government since at least the Qin. By the 16th century, it was a regional financial hub; some consider it to have been the financial centre of the Qing Empire in the late 19th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pingyao Ancient City, with over 2700 years of history, still keeps its authentic layout and style intactly: long ancient city walls, elegant residences and courtyards, vertical and horizontal streets and alleys, scattered banks and escorts, all marked a prosperous county during Ming and Qing dynasties.

Bounded on three sides by mountains, Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province and one of the most important energy and industrial bases in China. Comparing Taiyuan with any ancient capital in China, it is not inferior. With a history of more than 2,500 years, Taiyuan once was an important political, military, economic, and cultural center in ancient North China. It boasts abundant tourism resources varying from famous mountains to grottoes, temples, lakes, caves, ancient buildings and relics. Among them, the statues of the maid of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) in the Jinci Temple show different postures vividly; the grottoes and statues of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 - 907) in the Tianlong Mountain and the two pagodas standing at Yongyou Temple have always attracted visitors' attention. In the evening, you can go to Liu Alley which has the largest night market in northern China, to taste local delicacies and buy special products. It is also very convenient to transfer to other hot Shanxi tourism spots from Taiyuan such as Mount Wutai, Yungang Grottoes, Mt. Taihang, Ancient City of Pingyao and Hukou Waterfalls.

The Qiao Family Compound, originally the Zaizhong Hall and officially Qiao's Grand Courtyard, is a courtyard house located in Qi County, Jinzhong Prefecture, Shanxi Province, China, approximately 30 kilometers (20 mi) northeast of Pingyao. It is the residential compound of well-known financier Qiao Zhiyong, who was the most famous member of the Qiao family. Construction began in 1756 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty and was completed sometime in the 18th century. The estate covers 9000 square meters and has 313 rooms with 4000 square meters within 6 large courtyards and 19 smaller courtyards. Architects consider it to be one of the finest remaining examples of imposing private residences in northern China. It has been converted into a museum and has many period furnishings. It is famous for being the chief location in the Zhang Yimou film Raise the Red Lantern. A 2006 Chinese television series, Qiao's Grand Courtyard, was also shot here.