Pingyao Ancient City 16-18th October

Sunshine after the rain.

When we arrived at the station in Pingyao it was dull and grey, it had been raining by the look of the streets. We had a short drive to the ancient walled city that would be our home for the next two nights. We went from a modern railway station, along wide four and five lane roads (as is common here running through towns next to shops) to seemingly step back in time. It was, how do I describe it? ….quite unnerving. Mmmm that’s not the right word but I can’t think of the right one…. it will come to me later. We got out of the car and got into a small open-sided vehicle outside of the city walls and were driven through the massive gates and along narrow grey streets to our hotel. It didn’t feel welcoming, in fact it felt like we were being taken to a sort of prison. 

Our room was cold and seemed damp and the bed was rock hard! The heating didn’t work so we changed rooms to one that did. (For half a day!)

This wasn’t our bed but it felt like ours would have looked if we had removed the sheets! It was so hard I swear you would have been able to bounce a ball off it! 

The biggest surprise came when we removed the ornate cushion and felt the pillow.

It was small but heavy, it flopped like a bean bag as I lifted it up. The filling ‘crunched’ when you moved it. Maybe it was some kind of lavender filled pillow, but without the fragrance and without a microwave to heat it up. I felt sure we wouldn’t be able to sleep on them but we did! Despite that I just had to find out what was inside, so the next day I couldn’t help but unpick the pillow to have a look at the noisy contents! (I’m never without my picker in case I need to remove a label that is annoying, I know! what am I like) I thought I might find the old teeth of the people who lived in this ancient walled city for 1000’s of years but it was just Buckwheat husks! I say it like I know what they are! I Googled it up of course. (See notes at the end of the blog; always learning something new on our travels) I turned my nose up at first. However, pillows full of duck feathers isn’t very nice when you think about it! It’s just we are used to it. 

This piece of furniture in or room had a built in hot plate and tap and I guess it was so you could make a pot of Jasmin tea if you were inclined!

The hotel had two levels of rooms around an ornate courtyard, the building was very old and very beautiful but it felt strange, very still, very quiet, damp, moody and sort of unwelcoming…… Then the next day the sun came out and all was perfect! Everything looked and felt good, ornate, old….. very old! But wonderful. 

We bought tickets to give us entry to all of the museums, houses, temples, historic businesses etc and entry into the towers and along the city walls. I say ‘we’ bought tickets, Glen didn’t have to pay as he is over 60. Not only do they allow senior citizens to access their heritage free of charge but they help them navigate the huge thresholds as they go. Everywhere here have them, strange considering the Chinese aren’t very tall.  

Glen demonstrated (Some) of them for the photos lol!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this but so far in China doorways to shops have had these plastic strips, these were the magnetic type. 

We visited a Martial Arts museum, the men performing the various ‘arts’ looked fit and strong and I thought about the fact that I had no chance of kicking my leg high into the air now… or ever in the case of some of the moves! We then saw a photo of this man…..

Now if he didn’t get rheumatism when he was older I would be gob smacked! Talking of gob, I wasn’t going to mention it but WHY!? why do they do it!!! I will leave it there. 

It’s so very helpful when they put signs in English (it’s not guaranteed) but some of them make us chuckle. 

Some signs (below) were unnecessary I thought… hoped!

They instruct you to go upstairs at the same time as warning you of the danger! 

‘Warning drop (fall)’ my reputation precedes me. Chuckle

As has become the norm on our travels, we saw a funeral. You can’t miss them to be honest, unlike our quite reverent gatherings (well on the way to a funeral in any case) theirs are so loud and noisy. It’s an interesting site to see though.

• 

• 

The restaurants, hotels and shops inside the walls felt like a close knit community and from seeing random unmanned fire brigade areas and police equipment placed around the museums and narrow streets I imagined a Dad’s army type camaraderie amongst its inhabitants. If a fire started, or fracas broke out I could see how they would leave their cafes and shops and go running to the equipment and take control. 

Here is a list of food options we had in Pingyao:

‘Pullout’ (catering for various religions – wink) 

‘Poison’

‘Pingyao naked noodles rub fish’

‘Red-roast Bull’s penis’

‘Fennel Cattle lumber series’

‘100 year old chicken’

Pingyao is also known for its beef. Not sure I recognise this cut. It was very tender when Glen had some in his noodles.

Here’s a selection of photos in Pingyao on a sunny day…and In the evening.

Official blurb

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 c. 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

Buckwheat pillows have been popular throughout Asia for centuries – as early as the 5th century B.C. Originating in China, buckwheat and its various uses spread to Central Asia, Tibet, the Middle East, and later to Europe. Unbeknownst to most, the buckwheat grain is more reminiscent of fruit than wheat. In fact, its closest relative is rhubarb. The buckwheat kernel is kin to a sunflower seed, wrapped in a hard outer hull. The gluten-free staple is rich in iron, zinc, and selenium and has been used for centuries in porridges, teas, beer and medicine.

In bedding and upholstery filling, buckwheat is prized for an ability to conform to the body and provide cool, breathable, and comfortable support. One of the great things about buckwheat pillows, is that they suit every person’s sleeping style. Whether you’re a side, back, or stomach sleeper, buckwheat pillows are known for conforming perfectly to the shape of your head and neck. The other great feature of buckwheat pillows, is that you can adjust the thickness to your personal preference by adding or removing hulls anytime. Buckwheat pillows also allow for greater air flow through the hulls, so there’s never a need to flip over to the “cool side of the pillow.”