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When we arrived in PingYao we were taken on an impromptu tour of the inside of the city by the driver. It seemed to us that he did not really know his way around. He was leaning on his horn, driving WAY tooooo fast around blind curves that were filled to capacity with pedestrians and bicycles. Fast forward, U-turn, fast forward again... down a dirt alleyway, oops... three point turn, speed onward, miss a turn (and a woman carrying child)... create a dust storm, a go back to start... slam on the breaks ! We have arrived. Our first impression of the city was awe. It felt as if we had been transported (beam me up Scottie) to another world. The entire city was surrounded by a wall, and all the buildings were intact. When we walked into the guesthouse they greeted us by name, and quickly escorted us to our room. The room was essentially divided into two sections by a traditional wooden archway. One area was for sleeping, the other a sort of multipurpose area with an octagon shaped carved wooden table and three stools, and of course TV. We were staying in a hutong for the next few days. We quickly unpacked, and began touring the streets of the city. There was a hustle and bustle at all times of the day and night, but it was “comfortably crowded,” not insanely packed with tourists and locals.
PS... My fan club seems to grow and grow, this time in PingYao, a University student took the opportunity to get a quick pic of me, and not to be outdone... Jeff had me take his picture with a group of Chinese tourists, (but do note ... there cameras are posed... taking a picture of me!) Ha Ha !
And, speaking of tourists, we have found amazingly few American tourists anywhere in China. Most of the Caucasians are of the European variety; my Asian students from last year would affectionately call them “Eur-Asians.” PingYao is in the process of becoming an international tourist destination, but at this point in time is far less traveled by that group. The majority of the tourists are Chinese nationals, so to Jeff and me, they were all local. We found, by and large the nationals to be... well, not to be judgmental, after all this is a different culture... but ... well how ‘bout I tell you the story of the animated video in the plane to Xi’an. Just before takeoff is the obligatory safety video... ya know seatbelts, air masks, floatation devices, and exits. Jeff (of course) falls asleep instantly, and I (as habit would have it) always listen to every single word... Anyway, just after we are in the air another video begins; this one is animated, and is only in Mandarin. It is, however, quite easy to interpret because of the way it is animated. It models good airplane etiquette to the passengers. A group are standing in line on the plane stairway, then one runs by pushing all the others to the side, we then see a close up of that one ... a finger shakes and his face becomes red. Then he picks his nose in his seat, again with the finger and the red face. There are a few other examples, but the point is always the same... I believe the government is trying to change the present culture to become more “European-ized.” A second example of the cultural difference could be seen at almost every historic site in the city of PingYao. They posted rules of behavior to be followed (in Mandarin and English.) They included, do not spit on the display, and do not draw on the walls or the furniture. Perhaps, I should note that the reeducation of a country this size will probably take a long time. In there defense, I would say we DID find them to be friendly, patient, and curious about us. We were in a very obvious minority, like we were part of a point zero, zero, one percent (if that high)... an NEVER felt out of place or uncomfortable at all. We were constantly aware that we were studied by the passersby’s because of our difference. OK, Henry... back to the city sites!
The remainder of our time in the city was spent walking, and touring, and visiting sites... in our travels we are always amazed at the differences between US culture and that of the country we are in. We love checking out the local markets, and trying foods that “look” good. We enjoy people watching, and love to catch glimpses of people engaged in the day to day routines of life. In evolutionary biology terms I would say something like ... we study how each group of organisms has solved the problems required to sustain life... a sort of convergent evolution. Each culture has the same needs and desires, and each has found solutions in a fashion that is culturally acceptable.
BACK to topic Henry...We had a great time! Circumnavigated the city atop it’s wall, visited over 15 sites (the first bank in China, merchant’s courtyards, government buildings, prisons, tax collectors, etc) and the big three sites: Confucius Temple, The City God Temple, the Taoist Temple. I have posted below a selection of pictures... I hope it gives you a feeling for the city.

Sights : remember to click for a bigger pic !

Picture Notes... in order from the top left corner:
Confucius Temple, icons of the god of prosperity;
Confucius Temple, an inscense offering to the god of wisdom;
Trading Merchant's Courtyard, a room set asside to entertain important business clients;
Confucius Temple, a signed offering to the gods for blessings;
Tao Temple, one of the many carved wood Buddah from the Tang Dynasty;
Entrance tio the City god Temple;
A shrine within an ancient bank, to honor Buddha;
A corner dragon decoration on a city building (tax collector)


Vendors and Street Scenes

First I have linked to a video I took on the non-tourist street... it is a real time view, with the music the store was playing... this is what I experienced...

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Picture Notes... in order from the top left corner:
Man with child on bicycle at food market;
A pair of men walking the streets, advertising a show;
A parade of young men;
PingYao, the main drag, view of the South Gate in daytime;
PingYao, the main drag, view of the South Gate at night;
A vendor's wares... including the ever present Mao;
A woman selling sweet crackers shaped like fist sized shredded wheat;
A man on his motorized pedi-cycle;
A woman enroute to market;
The tomato salesman;
Selling watermellons on the street;
The local shopping district, not for tourists;
Shopping for peaches by the north gate


Kids...



@ The Guesthouse

Picture Notes... in order from the top left corner:
Henry with the two girls working in the kitchen;
A view of one of the courtyards in the 1200 year old hotel;
Jeff in front of our room;
The "odd" key to the room is the flat silver part on the right;
HJ and the manager of the guesthouse.