At the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Speaking of Chinese idioms (成语 chéngyǔ), I always enjoyed learning them. While they’re not always that easy to incorporate into your everyday life, Chinese idioms provide great historical and cultural insight. I’ve shared a lot about them over the years on the blog, including “5 Awesome Chinese Idioms” where you can learn about the common “people mountain, people sea” (人山人海 rénshānrénhǎi) idiom and more.

One thing I always tell people about my many years living in China is that it was a bit of a love-hate relationship (爱恨关系 Ài hèn guānxì). I brought this topic to the blog, and my dueling posts “10 Things I Hate About China” and “10 Things I Love About China” remain the most commented on many years later. To be clear, the good far outweighed the bad. I look back fondly on my years there and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

A tasty plate of dumplings.
Image used with permission by Sasha Savinov.

Take a look at the other posts and videos I contributed over the past decade and you’ll see that I thoroughly enjoyed my time in China. There was that time I wrote a love letter to Chinese dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi), for one. I miss eating dumplings – and all Chinese food, for that matter – every single day.

What I wouldn’t give for a tasty jianbing (煎饼 jiānbing) from a street vendor for breakfast, a piping bowl of la mian (拉面 lāmiàn) for lunch, and a communal hot pot (火锅 huǒguō) with friends for dinner.

I had so much fun eating my way across China and sharing it with you here and on the YouTube channel. Here’s one of my favorite videos, titled “Scenes From a Chinese Restaurant” where I show you everything from Beijing roast duck (北京烤鸭 běijīng kǎoyā) to street food:

Now that we’re on the topic of Beijing, I spent a solid five years of my life in the smoggy Chinese capital. It’s a chaotic place to live, that’s for sure, but I loved it. With thousands of years of history and some 20 million residents, it really is a fascinating city (城市 chéngshì).

Having explored all corners of Beijing, I fancy myself a pretty decent tour guide (导游 dǎoyóu). That’s why I wrote posts like “A Perfect Day in Beijing” to help you make the most of a short trip there.

Inside the Forbidden City.

I had a great time putting together a “3 Days in Beijing” video series as well, starting with this one that visits the iconic Forbidden City (紫禁城 zǐjìnchéng) and the always fun Hou Hai (后海 hòuhǎi):

While a vast majority of my time in China was spent in Beijing, we also called Kunming (昆明 kūnmíng) home for a year. It’s a small city of 7 million that you’ve probably never heard of…

Known as China’s Spring City (春城 chūnchéng), Kunming is famous for its moderate climate, Over the Bridge rice noodles (过桥米线 guò qiáo mǐxiàn), and ethnic minority (少数民族 shǎoshù mínzú) culture. There are 55 ethnic groups in China other than Han, and 25 of them live in Yunnan province. Each group has its own unique culture, which is most evident through their colorful traditional clothing.

Very colorful traditional clothing.

Traveling around the region and experiencing the local culture was a highlight of my time in China. This included the wet and wild Water Splashing Festival (泼水节 pōshuǐ jié) in southern Yunnan.

In addition to the massive water fight, there are also dragon boat races (龙舟比赛 lóngzhōu bǐsài). Check it out in this video I put together to see what this fun traditional festival is all about:

At the end of the day, what I’ll remember most about my time in China is that despite being on the other side of the world in a culture very different from my own, I felt at home. This started during my first Spring Festival (春节 chūnjié) when the staff at our hostel in Nanjing invited us to have dinner with them.

Years later, a friend of a friend invited us to his rural village a few hours outside of Kunming to celebrate the holiday. I’ll never forget our short time in Xiaohe (小河村 xiǎohé cūn), where the locals welcomed a couple of laowai (老外 lǎowài) in with open arms to join the celebration.

I wrote about both experiences in “Spring Festival Flashback,” and I continue to tell those stories to this day. You can see what it was like celebrating the country’s most important holiday in a small village in this video:

I’ve tried to imagine a family in a rural village in the US inviting a couple of random Chinese folks who just got off a Greyhound to stay at their home for a few days over Christmas, and I just can’t. The hospitality shown to us there and in many other instances during our years in China is something I’ll be forever grateful for.

I’d like to once again thank Transparent Language for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences in China here on the blog. It’s been an honor serving as a cultural bridge between east and west for all these years. I’d also like to thank our awesome readers for all of your kind words and support. 非常谢谢你们!

You can still find my musings on travel and many other topics over on my site, Grateful Gypsies.

再见,

Sasha

The post Chinese Blog Greatest Hits: Volume 2 first appeared on Chinese Language Blog.

      

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One of our first days in Beijing.
Image taken and used with permission by Sasha Savinov.

Let’s start way back in 2010 and the humble beginnings (卑微的开始 bēiwéi de kāishǐ) of my blogging career. My first post, titled “Poor Man’s Chinese,” details how I went from having “Chinese skills the equivalent of one grain of white rice” to being able to confidently travel around China on my own. It’s funny to look back at this post many years later.

I’ve always enjoyed video production (视频制作 shìpín zhìzuò) and I even went to college for it. I was thrilled when Transparent Language asked me to start posting videos of my experience in China on their YouTube channel. My first video was titled “A Rainy Day in Beijing” (北京的雨天 Běijīng de yǔtiān), where I gave a tour of the Planning & Exhibition Hall in Beijing.

As time went on, I continued to develop my Chinese skills and share my journey here on the blog. I enjoyed writing posts like “Stay in Tone!” to help beginners understand the complexities of the Chinese language.

In addition, I had lots of fun sharing little cultural quirks I picked up on, such as why men shouldn’t wear a green hat (绿帽子 lǜmàozi) in China and why the number 250 (二百五 èr bǎi wǔ) means you’re stupid.

Mmm.. donkey meat!
Image taken and used with permission by Sasha Savinov.

Speaking of quirky things in China, one of my favorite snacks there is a donkey meat sandwich (驴肉火烧 lǘ ròu huǒshāo). I brought my video camera to a local restaurant one day to introduce this delicacy to our audience. It remains one of my favorite videos to this day.

The longer I stayed in China, the more enamored I became with the culture (文化 wénhuà). I fully embraced the culture shock that came with living in a place very different than the one where I came from. Writing posts like “Very Superstitious” was fun to explain why eight is a lucky number and four is the exact opposite in China.

While that was a popular post with our readers, it was nowhere near as popular as my post on “Chinese Swear Words.” Turns out everyone wants to learn the dirty words when picking up a new language! Check it out to find out what it means to “sell tofu” (卖豆腐 mài dòufu) and “hit the airplane” (打飞机 dǎ fēijī) among other interesting expressions.

Tsingtao beer also comes in bags. Image taken and used with permission by Sasha Savinov.

Speaking of airplanes, I did plenty of traveling around China during my time there. Of course, I brought my cameras along with me and shared all the experiences. One of the most hilarious adventures was the time we went to the Qingdao Beer Festival (青岛啤酒节 qīngdǎo píjiǔ jié). See for yourself in this beer-soaked video:

There were too many memorable trips over the years to list them all here, but some that really stand out include:

• Backpacking in Sichuan (四川 sìchuān)
• Traveling Across Yunnan (云南 yúnnán)
• Exploring Yangshuo (阳朔 yángshuò)
• Camping on the Great Wall (长城 chángchéng)

That last one, in particular, is an experience we’ll never forget. It’s hard to describe in words just how amazing it is sleeping in a watchtower atop one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but I did my best. I also brought the camera along and put this little video together:

Thinking back on those early years in China, one specific event always comes up – Santa Con. A bunch of us dressed up like Santa (圣诞老人 shèngdàn lǎorén) – whose Chinese name literally means “Christmas Old Man,” by the way – and paraded through the streets of Beijing.

We decked the halls, sang carols, and brought plenty of Christmas spirit(s) to the Chinese capital. People weren’t quite sure what to make of us, and some even followed us around all day with their cameras. It remains one of our favorite stories to tell to this day. Here’s the highlight video from Santa Con 2012 so you can see the hilarity for yourself:

Looking back on the hundreds of blog posts and videos I’ve published here over the years, I’m so grateful for all of the amazing experiences I had living in China. I’m also incredibly grateful to have been able to share them with you all here. In Volume 2, I’ll share some more of my greatest hits with you as I get ready to sign off.

      

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While Beidaihe was once famous as a summer retreat for Communist Party officials, these lavish gatherings have been cut back on to project a more frugal image of the party and its leaders.

A few days in either of these towns is a great way to get out of the city to enjoy some time on the beach, a bit of sightseeing, and of course lots of eating and drinking. Here’s a quick guide to these towns so you can plan your trip and enjoy a Chinese summer vacation.

Location and Getting There

Beidaihe and Nandaihe are a part of the city of Qinhuangdao (秦皇岛 qín huáng dǎo) in Hebei province. They’re located on the Bohai Sea (渤海 bó hǎi) in the southwest part of the city. There’s an actual railway station located in Beidaihe, so there’s no need to go to the city center if you just want to get to the beach.

A few scenes of Beidaihe.

Alternatively, there are plenty of buses traveling to both towns from Beijing, Tianjin, and other major cities. If you’ve got a big group traveling there, it’s also possible to rent your own mini-bus for the weekend. This gives you flexibility and also takes care of your transportation around town if you’d like to do more than sit on the beach.

Sightseeing

Although it’s a bit of a drive from either of the beach towns, it’s worth it to get to Shanhaiguan (山海关 shān hǎi guān) – the point where the Great Wall reaches the sea. This is often referred to as the “First Pass Under Heaven” (天下第一关 tiān xià dì yī guān), as these words are engraved above one of the gates.

Shanhaiguan

For some reason, it’s also called the “Old Dragon’s Head” (老龙头 lǎo lóng tóu). It’s not like other sections of the wall closer to Beijing where it takes you a while to hike up. Rather, a visit to the Shanhaiguan section is quite easy. The only problem is battling the crowds that you’re sure to be sharing it with on your visit.

Another popular spot to visit is the Safari Park (野生动物园 yě shēng dòng wù yuán), home to over 5,000 animals. You can interact with the tame animals – taking photos, feeding them, etc. – and watch the wild ones from the comfort and safety of a mini-bus. Just don’t get off the bus. People have been mauled to death by tigers at such parks in China.

A Chinese safari park.

Also, don’t throw food or drinks at the animals. While it may be cute that the bears stand up and beg as the bus drives by, it’s probably not good for them to drink Coke or eat potato chips (other tourists were seen throwing both out of the window on our visit).

When we visited, a man draped a huge snake (蛇 shé) over my head without even asking. I’m not too spooked by snakes, so I didn’t really mind. What did bother me, however, was the fact that after my friend snapped a photo, the guy proceeded to tell me I owed him 20 RMB. Oh well – I guess it was worth it for the cool shot.

I didn’t agree to this…

Hit the Beach

While they definitely aren’t the nicest beaches in the world, both Beidaihe and Nandaihe are good enough for a quick getaway out of the city. You can just lay in the sand, go for a swim, or take part in a variety of water sports (水上运动 shuǐ shàng yùn dòng).

The most popular spot for fun in the sand and water is the Tiger Stone Sea Park (老虎石海上公园 lǎo hǔ shí hǎi shàng gōng yuán) – named because the rock formations here apparently resemble tigers. Keep in mind this also means it’s the most crowded and expensive. Consider visiting during the week if possible, or checking out one of the other beaches in town.

Chillin’ on the beach.

Tons of Seafood

Thanks to its location, it should come as no surprise that this area is full of fresh seafood (海鲜 hǎi xiān). Restaurants all over both towns have huge tanks on display out front, where you can pick and choose from a wide variety of seafood. Just tell them how much you want and how you’d like it cooked, then sit back and wait for your feast.

Eating is a very social experience in China, with group meals tending to be huge and time-consuming. These beachside towns are the perfect place for such a meal. Order up a ton of food, crack some beers, and chat with friends while you breathe in the salty air and listen to the waves crash.

Making new friends.

Fun After Dark

Just like anywhere in China, there are several KTV joints and bars for you to hang out in at night. You didn’t come to the beach to do the same thing you do in the city! Nights here are best spent enjoying a beachside barbecue (烧烤 shāo kǎo), drinks, and games.

There are plenty of people hanging out in the summer months, so it’s easy to make some new friends and practice your Chinese. Stumble back to your hotel and get ready for another day of exploring the area, or catch your train/bus back to the city. Even a short trip here is a good way to break up the grind of life in a Chinese mega-city.

BBQ and dancing.

As you can see, visiting Beidaihe and Nandaihe can be a lot of fun. It’s a great overnight trip from Beijing and the perfect way to unwind for a weekend in the summer. After reading this post, I just have one question for you:

你想去这个地方吗？为什么？
nǐ xiǎng qù zhè ge dìfāng ma? wèi shén me?
Do you want to go to this place? Why?

      

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Summer fun on Houhai.

Summer Fun in the City

The winter (冬天 dōngtiān) months in Beijing are brutal, so people like to get out and enjoy the warm weather while it lasts. There are tons of things to do in the city that are more fun in the summer, so get out there and take advantage of it!

Check out some of the parks and temples, play games in the street, or take a boat out on Houhai (后海 hòuhǎi). Wander through the maze of hutong (胡同 hútòng) – Beijing’s traditional alleways – and take in the local culture (地方文化 dìfāng wénhuà). You’ll find men playing chess or elders practicing water calligraphy.

In the evenings, it’s all about the music, as people congregate in local parks to boogie down. Square dancing (广场舞 guǎngchǎng wǔ) is definitely a favorite summer pastime across the country. You’ll see a clip at the end of this very old school video from our YouTube channel:

Go For a Hike

There are many great hiking opportunities in the Beijing area, as the city is actually surrounded by mountains. For many city-dwellers, a popular summer activity is heading out of the city to hike/climb (爬山 páshān). While the heat of summer in the concrete jungle (混凝土丛林 hùnníngtǔ cónglín) can be a bit intense, it’s usually much cooler up in the mountains.

If you’ve got the initiative and can surf the ‘net in Chinese, it’s possible to plan hiking trips on your own, as public buses will take you just about anywhere. However, if you’d rather just join a group and have all of the tedious planning work taken care of, you’ve got lots of choices. There are hiking groups that head out on trips 3-4 times a week from the city in the summer months. Escaping the traffic jams and crowds for at least a few hours is great, and it’s good exercise (锻炼 duànliàn) as well.

Nature and new friends on a summer hike.

Head to the Beach

Beijing really isn’t that far from the coast, so you can get to the beach (海滩 hǎitān) in a matter of hours. The fastest and easiest option is to head to either Beidaihe (北戴河 běidàihé) or Nandaihe (南戴河 nándàihé) in Hebei province. Once a popular retreat for Communist party leaders, this area makes for a nice weekend escape.

Don’t expect the nicest beaches in the world, but it’s fun to hang out here for a few days and much cheaper than flying to Thailand. While laying on the beach, drinking Yanjing beer, and having seafood BBQs are great, make sure you take at least one day to visit Shanhaiguan (山海关 shānhǎiguān). This is the part of the Great Wall (长城 chángchéng) that meets the sea and is a cool place to visit.

Shanhaiguan

Camp on the Great Wall

Speaking of the Great Wall, why not just go have a camping (野营 yěyíng) trip on it? Many people are surprised to find out that this is actually allowed on a few sections. Pack up your tent, sleeping bag, and a little picnic, and head out for an adventure.

Based on my two experiences, I’d recommend the Gubeikou (古北口 gǔběikǒu) section. It’s a bit tricky to get out there, but all of the hard work pays off when you get to watch the sunset over one of the Seven Wonders of the World and then retreat to your tent in a watchtower to gaze at the stars. Check out some highlights in this video, which is one of my favorites I’ve made for the TL Chinese channel:

Hit a Beer Festival

Lots of cities in China now host beer festivals (啤酒节 píjiǔ jié) in the summer months, but the biggest and most famous one is definitely in Qingdao. Home to China’s first beer – Tsingtao (the old Wade-Giles format of spelling Chinese characters is still used) – this seaside city in Shandong province gets wild for a few weeks every summer as thousands of people pack into tents to sing along to pop music, munch on kebabs, and drink absurd amounts of beer.

After attempting to swim through the literal sea of people on the beaches here, you’ll probably need a few beers anyway. Not many foreigners make it here, so it’s easy to make friends (who will most likely give you lots and lots of free beer). Just make sure you book an extra day to recover because the hangover (宿醉 sù zuì) will be brutal. For a more detailed account of the Qingdao Beer Festival, click here.

Beer and meatsticks!

Rock Out

Summer music festivals (音乐节 yīnyuè jié) are all the rage in China now, so why not check one out? From folk to heavy metal to drum & bass, just about every style of music is represented in the Middle Kingdom these days.

Some festivals go on in the city, while others take place in more remote locations where camping is available. I’ve had some wild times going to Chinese music festivals over the past few years – from getting lost and sleeping in a KTV, to sharing french fries with an Aussie metal band, to getting wild near the Great Wall with some international DJs. You can see what that experience was like by checking out this video:

That does it for our look at summer fun in and around Beijing. As you can see, there’s plenty to do to keep you busy for a few months! Let’s finish up with a practice question:

夏天的时候你喜欢做什么？
xiàtiān de shíhòu nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme?
What do you like to do in the summer?

      

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Beijing vs Shanghai

北京比上海好吗？
běi jīng bǐ shàng hǎi hǎo ma
Is Beijing better than Shanghai?

Now let’s break down the question:

• Beijing (北京 běi jīng)

• compare (比 bǐ)

• Shanghai (上海 shàng hǎi)

• good (好 hǎo)

• question word (吗 ma)

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to form the question:

Subject 1 + 比 + Subject 2 + Adjective + Question word

Now, how could you answer the question? Well, it depends on which side you’re on! Because I lived in Beijing for five years, of course I’d say…

北京比上海好
běi jīng bǐ shàng hǎi hǎo
Beijing is better than Shanghai.

However, some of my friends who call Shanghai home might disagree:

北京没有上海好
běi jīng méi yǒu shàng hǎi hǎo
Beijing isn’t better than Shanghai.

As you can see, to answer the question positively, you simply drop the question word 吗, and to answer negatively, you simply replace 比 with 没有, meaning “no.”

My vote goes to Beijing…

If you can’t travel to both Beijing and Shanghai to decide which one you like more, you can at least check them both out through some of our blog posts and videos! Here are a few of my favorites from over the years:

• A Perfect Day in Beijing
• Famous Beijing Landmarks
• Beijing Kao Ya: A Delectable Duck
• Cheap Eats in Shanghai
• Better Know a Municipality – Shanghai
• A Short Trip in Shanghai

Ok that’s enough of the Beijing vs. Shanghai debate for today. Let’s get on with the grammar lesson! Here are a few more examples of basic comparisons in Chinese using the character 比:

他比我忙
tā bǐ wǒ máng
He’s busier than me.

篮球比乒乓球有意思
lán qiú bǐ pīng pāng qiú yǒu yì si
Basketball is more interesting than ping pong.

咖啡比茶好喝
kā fēi bǐ chá hǎo hē
Coffee tastes better than tea.

我哥哥比我高
wǒ gē ge bǐ wǒ gāo
My older brother is taller than me.

苹果比香蕉贵
píng guǒ bǐ xiāng jiāo guì
The apples are more expensive than the bananas.

When making comparisons, you can be more specific. Let’s go back to the last example to see how to do that. Imagine you are shopping in the supermarket here in China and you see these signs:

Apples – 15 RMB/1 jin (苹果十五块一斤 píng guǒ shí wǔ kuài yī jīn)
Bananas – 10 RMB/1 jin (香蕉十块一斤 xiāng jiāo shí kuài yī jīn)

Well, you could just say, “the apples are more expensive than the bananas,” but you could also say…

The apples cost 5 RMB more than the bananas.
苹果比香蕉贵五块.
píng guǒ bǐ xiāng jiāo guì wǔ kuài

Here’s another example of a more specific comparison:

I’m 36 years old. My brother is 30 years old.
我三十六岁。 我弟弟三十岁。
wǒ sān shí liù suì. wǒ dì dì sān shí suì.

So, I can say…

I’m 5 years older than my brother.
我比我弟弟大五岁.
wǒ bǐ wǒ dì dì dà wǔ suì

My brother and I in Yangshuo, Guangxi Province. Photo taken and used with permission by Sasha Savinov.

Here are some more examples of making comparisons in Chinese in a video I made a while back:

Take what you’ve learned in this post and try to practice! Make three comparisons in Chinese, and try to answer this question as well:

中文比英文难吗？
zhōng wén bǐ yīng wén nán ma
Is Chinese more difficult than English?

      

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Image by BC Y from Pixabay

It’s been about six weeks since China’s largest city went into strict lockdown due to the Omicron variant. To combat the spread of the virus (病毒 bìngdú), Chinese health officials have implemented a strategy called “dynamic clearing” (动态清零 dòngtài qīng líng).

With cases on the rise back at the end of March, health officials started to place infected people in quarantine (隔离 gélí). They even went so far as to separate infected children from their families, which made international headlines.

This has led to officials in white hazmat suits (防护服 fánghù fú), referred to as “Big White” (大白 dàbái) by Chinese netizens, to show up at apartment complexes all over the city. Entire blocks have been cleared out due to one positive case. Even people with a negative test result have been forced into quarantine.

One viral video taken by a Shanghai resident shows health officials arriving to take them to a government quarantine facility. When the resident asks why this is happening, the official responds by saying “There is no why” (没有为什么 méiyǒu wéi shén me).

Frustration and anger are starting to mount, as people have been trapped in their homes for weeks. This has led to food shortages (食物短缺 shíwù duǎnquē) as people are unable to leave and online grocery delivery services have been barred from certain areas.

Many of those delivering food are migrant workers (农民工 nóngmín gōng) from rural areas or other provinces. While they are exempt from lockdown measures to do their job, they’re unable to find proper accommodation due to restrictions set in place by apartment complexes. As a result, many of them are currently living on the street.

While the government points to efforts to deliver basic necessities to people, many Shanghai residents have complained that the rations simply aren’t enough. Others have posted pictures of produce they received that was already rotten. In a country with a recent history of famine (饥荒 jīhuang), it’s no wonder many are very worried about the situation.

Many have taken to social media (社交媒体 shèjiāo méitǐ) such as Weibo (微博 wēi bó) to voice their anger, only to have their posts scrubbed by censors. For a brief period, even the word “Shanghai” itself was being censored from searches, as if the city of 25 million ceased to exist.

With this rampant internet censorship, many residents in Shanghai have taken to old-fashioned methods of protest. People have been yelling outside of their windows or banging pots and pans together to attract attention to their dire situation.

Image by Mario Hagen from Pixabay

Xi Jinping, meanwhile, has vowed to “resolutely fight against all words and deeds that distort, doubt, and deny China’s epidemic prevention policies” (坚决同一切歪曲、怀疑、否定中国防疫方针政策的言行作斗争 jiānjué tóng yīqiè wāiqū, huáiyí, fǒudìng zhōngguó fángyì fāngzhēn zhèngcè de yánxíng zuò dòuzhēng).

The Chinese government insists that “Persistence is victory” (坚持就是胜利 jiānchí jiùshì shènglì) in regards to the strict lockdown measures in Shanghai. This comes despite the fact that case numbers have been on the decline for almost two weeks in a row now.

The CCP’s Central Committee had a meeting recently and issued this statement via Xinhua: “We won the defense of Wuhan, and we will definitely win the defense of Shanghai” (我们打赢了武汉保卫战，也一定能够打赢大上海保卫战 wǒmen dǎ yíngle wǔhàn bǎowèi zhàn, yě yīdìng nénggòu dǎ yíng dà shànghǎi bǎowèi zhàn). Click here for the article.

Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the zero COVID policy is unsustainable (不可持续的 bùkě chíxù de). While much of the world has turned to a strategy of trying to coexist with the virus (与病毒共存 yǔ bìngdú gòngcún), it looks like China is still going full steam ahead on their zero COVID policy.

For a great Chinese reading and listening exercise, check out this article from VOA Chinese and listen to the audio version as you read. This video from Vice News is also worth watching for a closer look at what’s going on:

      

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Wandering around Pingyao is a great trip back in time.

History of Pingyao

Pingyao was established way back in the 14th century when its city walls were constructed during the Ming Dynasty. Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao was actually the financial center for all of China. At that time, Shanxi merchants had developed various trade routes both in China and abroad, and carrying their silver coins with them everywhere they went wasn’t exactly safe.

As such, the first exchange house in the country was established in Pingyao. Called a piaohao (票号 piào hào) in Chinese, these institutions provided remittance services, took deposits and made loans. The first one was called “Sunrise Prosperity” ( 日升昌 rì shēng chāng), and at its peak, it controlled almost half of the Chinese economy. There’s even a movie, titled “Empire of Silver” (白银帝国 bái yín dì guó) that tells the story of a banking clan in Pingyao during these boom times.

A nine dragon screen, a common sight in China.

The Ancient City

These days, the old city wall still stands, as do thousands of the traditional shops, dwellings, temples, and more. In an effort to preserve this historical and cultural gem, motorized vehicles are not allowed on the old cobblestone streets. While much of China’s history has met the bulldozer to make room for high-rise apartments and shopping malls, the ancient city of Pingyao managed to survive the country’s rush to modernization.

Aside from the tourists snapping photos with their smartphones and other modern sights, it’s easy to feel as if you’ve stepped back in time to the days of 19th century imperial China while strolling along the streets. The UNESCO status, granted in 1997, certainly helps there. Of course, with that status comes increased tourist numbers, and this small town is straining to meet the demand.

A view of Pingyao from above.

Visiting Pingyao

There are a few direct trains from Beijing to Pingyao every day. Your best bet is to take the K609 train, which leaves Beijing station at 11:51 PM and arrives the next morning around 9:30. This train has sleeper bunks, but they’re in hot demand so you’d better do your best to book in advance. Be sure to read this post about taking the train in China to learn the vocabulary necessary for buying tickets and for the journey itself.

Alternatively, you can take one of many daily high-speed trains from Beijing West to the provincial capital of Taiyuan (太原 tài yuán), from where you can easily hop on a bus and be in Pingyao in two hours.

In terms of getting around the ancient city, hoofing it is the best way to go. Without any cars on the roads, it’s quite pleasant to stroll around and take in the sights slowly. For a little bit of fun, you can also rent tandem bicycles to cruise the streets.

Here come the tour groups…

As far as sightseeing goes, there are plenty of temples, old shophouses, and more to keep you busy. There’s just one entrance ticket for the entire walled city, which will set you back 125 RMB. You can also take a stroll along the old city wall for a bird’s eye view of this traditional Chinese city. If you have more time, there are also two notable temples a few miles outside of the town – Shuanglin and Zhenguo.

There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Pingyao, as it is a wildly popular destination with Chinese tourists. More and more foreign tourists are including it on their China itinerary, but it’s still very much Chinese. When it comes to dining in Pingyao, you’ve got to try the specialty Pingyao beef (平遥牛肉 píng yáo niú ròu).

Shanxi is also famous for noodles, so you might as well try the “cat ear” (猫耳朵 māo ěr duo) variety. Don’t worry – no actual cat’s ears are used in the process, it’s just a clever name due to the appearance of the noodles.

Not real cat ears.

Outside of the tourist attractions, you’ll have plenty of fun just wandering the streets and practicing your Chinese. There are tons of opportunities for silly photos, and you can even play some games in the street.

To give you more of an idea of what a weekend in Pingyao is like, here are two videos from my trip there a few years ago:

      

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