Pingyao’s fifteen-hundred years of history
After a hellish first experience with third class travel in a developing nation, I literally squeezed myself by force out of the overcrowded train car and into the dusty streets of Pingyao. The first impression was of a more polluted but slightly smaller scale version of Beijing. Clouds of dust kicked up by a constant rush of motor-carts, bicycles and motorcycles. I heard this was an ancient walled Ming Dynasty City, but here I find myself in near third world urban sprawl?!?
Luckily the impression faded after passing through the city walls. Inside is a straight up third world city still hanging onto an era long passed. Old crumbling buildings covered in age-old dust wrapped around the random twists of cobblestone alleyways. This is the type of place I’ve been waiting for since I started my travels.
Life in Pingyao definitely has a different set of rules! Children below a certain age don’t wear pants, and pretty much have the freedom to choose any spot in the city for their bathroom. Old people sit along the streets and play games while horse carts and bicycles wiz by. Amongst all of this old-world charm I spotted not only a camel, but also a monkey riding a horse!!
A few days spent wandering through the preserved historic businesses and bartering with the local shopkeepers provided a non-stop source of entertainment. As filthy and rundown as the city seems, it is actually full of allure and happens to be extremely inexpensive. The hostel bed only cost me $4 a night, and I bought more souvenirs than I can carry for less than $25!
see all of my photos from Pingyao
All in all, Pingyao was a great experience and probably one of the most exciting places I’ve visited. The only downside I ran into is the censorship of my website in China. So, until I find some way to circumnavigate the Great Firewall of China I’ve lost my email ability.
Oh well, travel in this country keeps forcing me to set new boundaries for myself. I’m a bit glad to shed a small part of the reliance on technology that has been ruling a bit of my life. I’m just happy to be on a sleeper train bound for Zhengzhou. Tomorrow I will arrive at the Song Shan Shaolin Temple Xiao Long Kung Fu Training Center to start my training.
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Tags: - Photography, - Transport & Travel, Asia, China, Pingyao, Shanxi
Adam Shane
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