Days 1-2: Pingyao

Pingyao is lovely - a step back in time in many ways, despite being a little touristy (which makes life much easier, i'll be honest). Stone hutong lanes, old courtyard-style homes and shops with wooden store-fronts, lots of bicycles and red lanterns. I paid 5 yuan (about 75 cents?) to climb up the city tower for view of the tile rooftops being warmed by the morning sun and the smoke puffing out of chimneys. I walked the whole city wall (except the south-west section which was being repaired), peering into the fortification towers at little clay figurines depicting scenes from every day life during the Ming and Qing dynasties. I bought a little bag of candied ginger, a local treat. While walking, I was surprised to see a little stone church in the old city. I'd be interested to know the story behind it.

On the second day in Pingyao I went with a small group from the guesthouse where I was staying to visit the ancient Wang Family Courtyard Home. It was massive! Kept wandering in and out of rooms, gardens, courtyards, and up and down stairs for views over the rooftops and around the walls of the whole complex. Behind the complex were inhabited cave dwellings - my first time to see that, I think. Apparently it is still common to live in dug-out caves (called "yaodong") in Shanxi province.

After a couple hours exploring the "great house of Wang" (The Good Earth, anyone?), our little group of 6 headed to Zhangbi Village and the tunnels of the old underground fortress there. In the 7th century there were 3 levels of tunnels up to 5km long underneath the castle and village. Today only a relatively small section of the tunnels have been safely reconstructed, with the third level as deep as 20 meters below ground. It was designed for the entire military force to disappear underground in the case of an attack and lure the enemy into a maze of ambush caves and booby traps. The entrance was inside a common peasant's home.