One Day Private Pingyao Side Trip

This morning, your guide and the driver will pick you up at your own-booked hotel at around 9:00 AM or the time pre-agreed with you. Let’s kick off the Pingyao day tour with a 1-hour air-conditioned private car escort to the Wang Family Compound outside the city proper. 

A local saying, ‘home is a city’, reflects the compound’s immense size, which is equal to 35 soccer fields. But can you imagine that the family started as a tofu maker? Later, they gained significant wealth and prestige through the privileges granted by the government to sell salt and tea, along with as many as 101 government officials in the family. To influence children’s behaviors unconsciously, the family engraved their clan values into stones, wood, and bricks, with the design of their private school exemplifying the best. At the doorframe’s bottom, a stone wrapped around roots symbolizes the hope that each child will build a strong academic foundation for the future. Along the sides, bamboo nodes rise gracefully, representing humble and resilient growth. A striking sight on the stairs is a large monkey with a small monkey that clings to its back and covers its ears, revealing the wish for a lasting legacy of generations of scholars and becoming deeply absorbed in knowledge. Additionally, you can admire some exquisite furniture and an imperial edict from the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), which showcases the Wang family’s illustrious achievements.In the afternoon, our sightseeing continues to the Zhangbi Ancient Castle, a fortified village whose overground layout mirrors the Twenty-Eight Mansions in the Chinese constellations system. Each alley has a gate, and when closed, they transform into independent fortresses within the larger stronghold, allowing for strategic defense and mutual support against potential threats. But the real marvel lies in the three-tiered defense system beneath your feet, which was unexpectedly discovered by a villager while digging cellars. Downward with your guide, you’ll notice arched niches every 20 meters (66 feet) on either side of the path, where soldiers could conceal themselves and attack enemies front and rear after their passing. To combat water attacks, the lowest level features drainage outlets, and the slopes at bends work to slow down incoming water, making it easier to gather necessary supplies. Since the tunnel has many hidden exits leading to all directions, you can expect where we’ll end up: a well, a wardrobe, or a cliff edge! Also, the location of Zhangbi Ancient Castle is the renowned hometown of glazed wares in China, which can be glimpsed through the peacock blue glazed stele and colorful roof ridges in the castle.

After that, we’ll drive back to downtown Pingyao, making a stop at the UNESCO-listed Shuanglin Temple. When the Renaissance in Europe was striving to depict the human body line precisely, ancient Chinese artisans had already surpassed boundaries, painting on sculptures made of red clay to convey Buddha statues’ humanized charm and enduring spiritual power. Among over 2,000 Buddha figures, apart from the four fierce-looking Heavenly Kings that are often used by the youth as memes, the standout is undoubtedly the statue of the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva, which once inspired a dance performance at the Chinese New Year’s Gala. She has 26 arms; each hand symbolizes 25 Karmas, culminating in the metaphorical meaning of a thousand hands, dedicated to protecting all sentient beings. Upon closer inspection, you’ll find an eye inlaid in the palm of each hand, symbolizing the Bodhisattva’s ability to perceive the inner turmoil and confusion that afflict all living beings and provide precise spiritual assistance. The incorporation of over 400 hanging attendants above further enhances the hall’s three-dimensional beauty. 

That’s all for your private Pingyao day trip, and then your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel or the railway station for your onward journey. High-speed trains departing after 18:00 are more recommended for enough transfer time. Looking forward to traveling with you next time!