Pingyao and the surrounding area, in the Shanxi region, is known for its fortress town, its monastery and its dynastic residences. A step back in time to ancient China, on the road between Beijing and the terracotta warriors of Xi’an.

After the excitement of Beijing and the coastal towns, the Shanxi allows the visitor to connect with ancient China, the China of wealthy dynasties and unchanging rural landscapes. In the centre of the district (xian, in Chinese), the town of Pingyao is laid out on a grid at the foot of exceptional city walls. The ramparts have encircled the town since the 14th century and have enabled the town to develop a burgeoning expertise in trading and banking readily visible in the magnificence of the architecture. More than 3,000 ancient residences (siheyuan) line the streets, with their low buildings encasing a traditional patio. The town is also famous for its Market Tower, built in the centre of the old town, and for its temples: Chenghuangmiao, Qingxuguan and Confucius Temple. Each reveals an interplay of courtyards and halls, with fine wooden porticos and a pervasive sense of tranquillity.

The tourist attractions nearby are also an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the Chinese countryside, as yet untouched by the economic boom. And in these villages from another time, you will happen across fabulous vestiges of the past: Shuanglin Si, a monastery listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site (with exceptional temples and sculptures); Qiaojia Dayuan, the residence of a wealthy family where the film Raise the Red Lantern was shot; and Zhenguo Si and its Han temples, founded in the 10th century.