Ping Yao, the return to the Ming and Qing dynasties .
To get to Ping Yao (Shanxi province, China), it’s best to take the train. Located 450 km south-west of Beijing, it’s a very short journey, during which we can admire fields still cultivated in the old-fashioned way, with oxen and by hand. It’s easy to meet people on the train, as the Chinese are quick to talk to foreigners in remote provinces. Outside the big cities, very few Chinese speak English, and my friend Ji Min, who is accompanying me on this tour, makes small talk with our friendly neighbors, who are more than happy to pose for photos.
Ping Yao is an exceptional town, a typical traditional Han Chinese city founded in the 14th century. Located in the central province of Shanxi, the city features three remarkable areas: the ancient zone within the city walls, the Shuanglin temple 6 kilometers southwest of the county seat, and the Zhenguo temple 12 kilometers northeast of the county seat. The old town of Ping Yao has well preserved its historic form as the county capital of the Han people in central China between the 14th and 20th centuries. Founded in the 14th century and covering an area of 225 hectares, Ping Yao Old Town is a complex of ancient walls, streets and alleys, stores, dwellings and temples. Its layout perfectly reflects the development of architectural styles and urban planning in Han cities over more than five centuries.
We enter the old town through the gates and head straight for the central shopping streets. October isn’t the peak tourist season, but that’s fine by me, as people are more relaxed. The houses of the period are almost all set back, behind an entrance that opens onto an inner courtyard. The buildings are made of traditional gray brick, with wooden decorations on the windows and doors. It’s a constant source of amazement, and inevitably leads us to imagine what life must have been like in those days. Almost everything has remained intact, and the ideal way to get around the old town is by bicycle, with a few signs to disrupt this immersion in ancient China.
For meals, no problem, fast food is everywhere and vegetables are in abundance. Here, too, encounters are easy, as we chat with a museum guard who tells us about the history of the city, and pass children on their way home from school before heading inside for a hot cup of tea and the night.
The next morning, I wake up fairly early, but not early enough to take part in the traditional gymnastics. Our tour continues into the evening, old houses, hushed atmospheres and chiaroscuro.
Ping Yao (China) – October 22, 2008
