Banking on a tortoise (2)

Day 1

Scenes of punishment for sinners in the afterlife at the City God Temple.

8 am

Depart for Pingyao via Taiyuan.

2:30 pm: City walls

Pingyao is one of the country's few remaining walled cities. Its walls were built in 1370 to resist invaders and doubled as protection against sandstorms. The crenelated walls, 10 meters high and 6 km in circumference, have 72 watchtowers. Through the North Gate, visitors can walk around the walls and look into some of the courtyard homes. Check out the imposing view of the walls from the outside and the deep ruts left by carriage wheels carting silver coins.

3:30 pm: Rishengchang draft bank

On the east end of Xidajie is Rishengchang, the country's first draft bank, acknowledged as the cornerstone of modern Chinese banking. Originally a dye shop that dealt in remittances, it was turned into a bank in 1824 to facilitate the transfer of huge amounts of silver to and from Pingyao. Local merchants began to prosper through salt and grain trading in the 14th century, when Shanxi province became a critical route for commodities.

By the late Qing period, Pingyao was home to dozens of banks with hundreds of branches nationwide, some overseas. Rishengchang closed in 1948 and its 100-room headquarters is now a museum.

5 pm: City Tower

The tower, located in the city center, is Pingyao's tallest building. For 5 yuan, people can climb up and get a view of the city's layout.

5:30 pm: Former residence of Lei Lutai

Lei (1770-1849) was the founder of Rishengchang and is considered a major figure in Chinese financial history. The residence, on 11 Shuyuan Jie, offers a peek into the life of Pingyao's elite with its four courtyards, wall frescoes and elaborate wood carvings.

6:30 pm: Food Loft

The Western restaurant of the five-star Kylin Grand Hotel, on 76 Chenghuangmiao Jie, offers a good introduction to local specialties like Pingyao beef and wantuzi and kaolaolao wheat noodles. Orders come in small servings (3 to 12 yuan), so customers can experiment and indulge.

8 pm: Shopping

Take a nighttime stroll to enjoy the red lanterns hanging by storefronts, mingle with the locals and do some souvenir shopping. Pingyao is known for its cloth shoes, paper cuts and lacquerware such as fashion jewelry, vases and screens. Goods are surprisingly cheap for a major tourist attraction.
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