PingyaoLast week, we took the high-speed train from Xi’an to Pingyao, an ancient Chinese city that served as an economic hub during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and in which many original buildings still stand. The earliest records from Pingyao date from 800 BC, though much of the city wall was not built until the Ming dynasty, beginning in 1368. We spent the day walking on the wall, and visiting old banks and houses which have now been turned into museums. Pingyao was a Chinese banking hub in the 19th century, and the city’s financiers created a clearinghouse that replaced trading caravans and sword-wielding security. The Rishengchang Exchange Shop, founded in 1823, at one point controlled nearly half of the Chinese economy through its network of branches. Our hotel was one of our favorite places we’ve ever stayed and certainly the best value – for $15 we had a big, comfortable room in a beautifully decorated old building with an included breakfast of eggs, toast, fruit, coffee, and dumplings. We were greeted with hot tea when we arrived, and given cold persimmon juice when we left. After a very pleasant time in a charming, ancient town, we spent nearly an entire day traveling by bus to get to Datong, a city of just over 3 million in the northern Shanxi Province. The city itself does not have much going on, but we chose it for its proximity to two amazing sites: the Hanging Monastery and Yungang Grottoes. Hanging MonasteryThis temple, built into the side of a cliff by a monk 1,500 years ago, combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Time magazine ranked it as one of the ten most precarious buildings in 2010. We were excited to discover it was one of the few attractions in China that wasn’t swarming with tourists. The monastery hangs 246 feet above the ground, supported by weathered wooden beams, and (hopefully much more secure) leverage extending into the cliff. Walking through it was in equal measures thrilling and anxiety inducing, as the guardrails are only tall enough for a rural monk 1,500 years ago. Yungang GrottoesOn our second and final day in Datong, we visited the Yungang Grottoes, Buddhist carvings in caves from the 5th and 6th centuries. The 53 caves feature elaborate carvings of Buddha, as well as human-like figures from other parts of Asia indicative of the diverse populations that passed through the popular resting spot on the Silk Road. The art in some of the caves was so remarkable that, like the Hanging Monastery, it was hard to believe how old it is. Spending nearly a month in China has allowed us to visit some incredible, out-of-the-way places that have given us an increased appreciation for the length and depth of the history in this region.
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September 2018
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