Pingyao
This fascinating Buddhist temple houses many incredibly rare, sublimely carved Tang, Song and Yuan painted statues. Rebuilt in 1571, it’s a mesmerising…
Must-see attractions in Pingyao
Pingyao
A good place to start your Pingyao experience is the magnificent city walls; they date from 1370 and are among the most complete in the nation. At 10m…
Pingyao
With vertiginous and dizzying cliffs alongside a deep gorge, this astonishing mountain area is a splendid day trip from Pingyao. Lined with precariously…
Pingyao
More castle than cosy home, this grand Qing dynasty former merchant's residence has been very well maintained (note the wooden galleries fronting many of…
Pingyao
While not as famous as Shuanglin Temple, Zhenguo Temple also houses a magnificent collection of old halls and ancient statues. Don't miss the still-living…
Pingyao
Within the venerable halls of this astonishing temple, first raised in the Song dynasty, are some intriguing frescoes, including the hall at the very rear…
Pingyao
An abandoned diesel engine factory is now a cinema-restaurant-souvenir shop complex, and the venue of the Pingyao International Film Festival. There's an…
Rishengchang Financial House Museum
Pingyao
Not to be missed, this museum began life as a humble dye shop in the late 18th century before its tremendous success as a business saw it transform into…
Pingyao
Pingyao’s oldest surviving building is Dacheng Hall (大成殿, Dàchéng Diàn), dating from 1163. It can be found in the Confucius Temple, a huge complex where…
Pingyao
This incongruously socialist-era concrete building houses one of the last operating cinemas from the 1960s in China. The building has recently been…
Pingyao
This graceful 10-hall Taoist temple at the end of Dong Dajie dates to the Tang dynasty. The most valuable relics here are the stone carvings and the stone…
Pingyao
This is the signature structure standing proud above Pingyao, the tallest building in the old town – snap a photo before passing under it en route to…
Pingyao
This network of defence tunnels stretching underground for 10km, are estimated to be 1400 years old and believed to be the longest of their kind in China…
Pingyao
Located close to the Confucius Temple is this magnificent glazed-tile screen wall featuring reliefs of nine different Chinese dragons. It was originally…
Pingyao
First established in 1856, this former bank had underground vaults protected by live-in guards. After checking out the courtyard displays, descend into…
Pingyao
With a white marble statue of the Virgin Mary outside, this historic, if dilapidated, church is the focal point for Pingyao’s band of Catholics. There's a…
Pingyao
By the police station, this is one of Pingyao's socialist-era buildings, home to a fire engine small enough to service the narrow streets of the town. You…
