China - Sadly, a bit underwhelming
Nov 24th, 2012, 09:20 AM
#81
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dgunbug - your trip report is more valuable to me than the gushy ones. Great writing. Although I am upset you enjoyed the Pearl Market. I still have nightmares of faces popping out in front of me yelling "You buy, special price".
Nov 24th, 2012, 02:17 PM
#82
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Coldupthere - thanks for your kind words. The most remarkable thing about the pearl market was that my husband actually enjoyed and got involved in the bargaining. We are not big shoppers and my husband is generally running away (usually with the money) when I decide to look for souveneers. So...we had fun.
Nov 24th, 2012, 02:22 PM
#83
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
October 17 – Day 9
Trains:
We had a leisurely morning, packed up our bags and headed out to the train station by taxi for our first train ride which would depart at 10:55 AM. Today we were going to Datong.
We had reserved train tickets through [email protected] as our research showed us that several of our trains could very well be oversold, especially the first class soft sleepers which we hoped to get. Trains can only be reserved in China 10-12 days prior to the departure date and can only be purchased using a Chinese credit card, so we contacted this company about 3 weeks ahead of time to make arrangements. Payments were made through Paypal and although the company tacks on a hefty service fee, we thought it worthwhile to insure we get the tickets we wanted. Unfortunately, for this leg of the trip, we were told that our first choice train - the 8:05 train that would arrive at 14:04 was already booked. Also, our second choice train was cancelled. Therefore, we booked the 10:55 train which would arrive at 17:24, too late for touring that day and virtually killing the day. We had originally thought of taking the overnight train, but decided that there was insufficient time for a good night’s sleep. We had also considered the bus, but were dissuaded when we read about safety conditions.
We had read about the trains in China and were concerned that there would be much pushing and confusion when trying to find the right train and carriage. We arrived early to give us sufficient time to find the proper train, but we learned that the Chinese system was quite efficient and we never had a problem when finding the train. The train stations are enormous – more like a large airport and there are designated waiting rooms, depending upon which train you are taking. Usually these holding areas have passengers for more than one train and there are usually signs and announcements made when your particular train is approaching. Once called, the people would line up, show their ticket and proceed to the train tracks. There are some trains that only stop for a matter of minutes, while others remain at the station for a lengthier time. Whenever the train would be at the station for a limited time, the passengers were escorted to the train tracks and lined up in rows, depending upon where their carriage would stop. This is all quite efficient and allows for passengers to board the trains quickly. For the majority of the trains we traveled on, the signage was quite good and we had no problem finding our waiting room or in figuring out when to line up to depart. When we were confused, we were always able to show our tickets and ask for help which was readily given.
Prior to boarding the Datong train, I wondered why we had purchased soft berth sleeping compartments, which seemed unnecessary given that it was daytime. It seems that the majority, if not all the trains heading to Datong, were sleeper trains and I was surprised to learn that most of the people on the train spread out their bedding provided by the train service and subsequently slept most of the journey. As there were no seats per se, I climbed up to the upper berth and proceeded to sleep for the majority of the trip, as did my husband and the one travel mate that was assigned our soft sleep compartment.
Now…let me explain the difference between soft sleeper and hard sleeper. Basically neither sleeper is “soft” nor are there many soft beds in China. The mattresses throughout are rock hard and feel like you are almost sleeping on the floor. I suppose this is better for the back, but for our western standards, it sure feels hard. There are though, other differences between the soft and hard sleeper compartment. The soft berth is a 4 person compartment with two bunk beds with a door that closes, whereas the hard berth sleeper is a 6 person configuration with two bunk beds – 3 levels high. There are no doors in the hard berth sleepers, but merely a wall between each 6 bed grouping. Also, in the hallway are pull down seats for those less fortunate to be able to purchase a sleeping berth. Those people eventually find a bed either before the person assigned to the bed arrives, or after they have departed the train. More on our train experiences later…
Let me say though that we loved traveling by train. It is convenient, efficiently run and makes for some interesting experiences. Overnight trains save the price of a hotel and more importantly, it gets you to your destination without losing a whole lot of site seeing time. In the case of the train to Datong, it was unfortunate that we couldn’t take the earlier train, but we were comfortable and despite it being day time, we read, slept and the time flew by quickly. We also enjoyed our travel mates, whose English was limited, but who were both very pleasant.
We had not arranged for a tour guide for Datong, but knew that we would need a driver. It had been our intention to either: hire a guide and driver through the CIT group (government run travel service), or to join one of their day tours the next day. Upon arriving at the station, a CIT tout immediately found us and escorted us (more like dragged us) to his office which evidently, has moved from its train station location to a location many blocks away. We were quoted 200 yuan for two people to join the group tour, but we would have to make our way to the tour office rather than being picked up from our hotel. The tout was unable to tell us how many people would be joining our group. We decided not to book anything at that point and promised that we would get back with him by the evening if we wanted to join the group tour.
We had read that Datong is currently a mess, with construction all about as the old town is being rebuilt and this was still true. It was because of this construction that the CIT tour company refused to pick up passengers as we had been told they have done in the past. We left their office, found a taxi and went to our lovely Datong Garden Hotel, one with the most comfortable beds and nicest amenities on our trip. The staff at this hotel was wonderful and they helped us to arrange for a private car and driver for the price of 310 yuan the following morning. We thought it was well worth the additional money to go privately rather than with a group. We asked for a guide that would be able to speak some English and the hotel did their best to find us a very pleasant driver.
October 18, Day 10: Datong
There were two primary sites that we wanted to see, the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes. Had we arrived early the prior day, we would have included either the Huayan Temple or the Shanhua Temple. After a decent breakfast, we met our driver who first took us to visit the Hanging Monastery and then the Grottos. We spent about 7 ½ hrs with our driver and had a fabulous day.
The Hanging Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, 65 kilometers from downtown Datong City. The temple hangs on the west cliff of a hill with over 50 meters above the ground, hence Hanging Monastery. First built in 491, the present monastery was mainly rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).The biggest attraction of Hanging Temple is the fact that the temple includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The architectural complex was built on the base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff. Over 40 halls and pavilions within an area of 152.5 square meters are connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks. They are evenly distributed and well balanced in height. Inside the monastery are over 80 statues; some are cast with bronze, some with iron, some with clay and some are carved out of stone.
Leaving the Monastery, we set out for the Yungang Grottoes, located in the opposite direction from Datong city on the southern foot of Wuzhou Hill, some 16 kilometers west of Datong. These grottoes are known as one of the three major cave complexes in China, with the other two being the earlier Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu and the later Longmen Caves at Luoyang in Henan. 53 large sized caves are scattered over the southern foot of Wuzhou Hill, sprawling for over a kilometer from east to west. Inside the caves , existing more than 1500 years after their execution, are the masterpieces of Buddhist Sculptures. They are truly remarkable and both the Hanging Monastery and the Grottoes are well worth the trip to Datong.
Datong itself was an interesting city to see in its partially rebuilt phase. The city is being rebuilt with an exterior wall around the old city. There are sections of the wall that were complete and those were lit up beautifully, giving it a “Disney-like feel”. It seems certain that in addition to trying to remake itself to preserve its heritage, the rebuilding of Datong will make it a stronger tourist destination in the future. The outskirts of the city central is filled with new apartment complexes and the city was much larger than we had imagined it would be.
Our driver took us by the famous Nine Dragon screen before completing our day. While he offered to wait for us and return us to our hotel, we told him that we would walk around town and return to our hotel on our own.
The Nine Dragon Screen was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is said to be the largest screen of its type anywhere in China. It is 45.5 meters (150 feet) long, meters (26 feet) high and 2.02 (6.6 feet) meters thick, consisting of 426 pieces of glazed tiles. In ancient times, the screen served as a barrier both keeping passers-by peeping into the house and making visitors tidy up themselves before meeting the hosts. There was an entry fee of Y10 to visit the screen which we thought was fine, but not worth much more. Supposedly there is a free "5 dragon screen" outside the Shanhua temple nearby but we did not visit that temple. For Nine Dragon Screen, there are only 2 Nine Dragon Screens in China, one in Summer Palace Beijing, the other is the Datong one, which is said bigger than Beijing's.
Walking around the city at this time, one must walk around and through the road construction as the streets and sidewalks are all being redone. It is quite a project and we were told that its completion is projected in three years. We wandered along the storefronts and checked out the local restaurants, but as there were few people eating and as the menus were not in English, we decided to return to the comfort of our hotel. Both nights that we were in Datong, we ate at the hotel’s buffet. It was not inexpensive, but there was a great variety of Chinese food and we found plenty to eat. The food was good. After dinner the second evening, we remained in the comfortable lobby until 9:30 pm, setting out again for the train station where we were to depart Datong for Pingyao on the 23:17 train. This train was to be a soft sleeper and we would arrive the next day at 6:25.
Trains:
We had a leisurely morning, packed up our bags and headed out to the train station by taxi for our first train ride which would depart at 10:55 AM. Today we were going to Datong.
We had reserved train tickets through [email protected] as our research showed us that several of our trains could very well be oversold, especially the first class soft sleepers which we hoped to get. Trains can only be reserved in China 10-12 days prior to the departure date and can only be purchased using a Chinese credit card, so we contacted this company about 3 weeks ahead of time to make arrangements. Payments were made through Paypal and although the company tacks on a hefty service fee, we thought it worthwhile to insure we get the tickets we wanted. Unfortunately, for this leg of the trip, we were told that our first choice train - the 8:05 train that would arrive at 14:04 was already booked. Also, our second choice train was cancelled. Therefore, we booked the 10:55 train which would arrive at 17:24, too late for touring that day and virtually killing the day. We had originally thought of taking the overnight train, but decided that there was insufficient time for a good night’s sleep. We had also considered the bus, but were dissuaded when we read about safety conditions.
We had read about the trains in China and were concerned that there would be much pushing and confusion when trying to find the right train and carriage. We arrived early to give us sufficient time to find the proper train, but we learned that the Chinese system was quite efficient and we never had a problem when finding the train. The train stations are enormous – more like a large airport and there are designated waiting rooms, depending upon which train you are taking. Usually these holding areas have passengers for more than one train and there are usually signs and announcements made when your particular train is approaching. Once called, the people would line up, show their ticket and proceed to the train tracks. There are some trains that only stop for a matter of minutes, while others remain at the station for a lengthier time. Whenever the train would be at the station for a limited time, the passengers were escorted to the train tracks and lined up in rows, depending upon where their carriage would stop. This is all quite efficient and allows for passengers to board the trains quickly. For the majority of the trains we traveled on, the signage was quite good and we had no problem finding our waiting room or in figuring out when to line up to depart. When we were confused, we were always able to show our tickets and ask for help which was readily given.
Prior to boarding the Datong train, I wondered why we had purchased soft berth sleeping compartments, which seemed unnecessary given that it was daytime. It seems that the majority, if not all the trains heading to Datong, were sleeper trains and I was surprised to learn that most of the people on the train spread out their bedding provided by the train service and subsequently slept most of the journey. As there were no seats per se, I climbed up to the upper berth and proceeded to sleep for the majority of the trip, as did my husband and the one travel mate that was assigned our soft sleep compartment.
Now…let me explain the difference between soft sleeper and hard sleeper. Basically neither sleeper is “soft” nor are there many soft beds in China. The mattresses throughout are rock hard and feel like you are almost sleeping on the floor. I suppose this is better for the back, but for our western standards, it sure feels hard. There are though, other differences between the soft and hard sleeper compartment. The soft berth is a 4 person compartment with two bunk beds with a door that closes, whereas the hard berth sleeper is a 6 person configuration with two bunk beds – 3 levels high. There are no doors in the hard berth sleepers, but merely a wall between each 6 bed grouping. Also, in the hallway are pull down seats for those less fortunate to be able to purchase a sleeping berth. Those people eventually find a bed either before the person assigned to the bed arrives, or after they have departed the train. More on our train experiences later…
Let me say though that we loved traveling by train. It is convenient, efficiently run and makes for some interesting experiences. Overnight trains save the price of a hotel and more importantly, it gets you to your destination without losing a whole lot of site seeing time. In the case of the train to Datong, it was unfortunate that we couldn’t take the earlier train, but we were comfortable and despite it being day time, we read, slept and the time flew by quickly. We also enjoyed our travel mates, whose English was limited, but who were both very pleasant.
We had not arranged for a tour guide for Datong, but knew that we would need a driver. It had been our intention to either: hire a guide and driver through the CIT group (government run travel service), or to join one of their day tours the next day. Upon arriving at the station, a CIT tout immediately found us and escorted us (more like dragged us) to his office which evidently, has moved from its train station location to a location many blocks away. We were quoted 200 yuan for two people to join the group tour, but we would have to make our way to the tour office rather than being picked up from our hotel. The tout was unable to tell us how many people would be joining our group. We decided not to book anything at that point and promised that we would get back with him by the evening if we wanted to join the group tour.
We had read that Datong is currently a mess, with construction all about as the old town is being rebuilt and this was still true. It was because of this construction that the CIT tour company refused to pick up passengers as we had been told they have done in the past. We left their office, found a taxi and went to our lovely Datong Garden Hotel, one with the most comfortable beds and nicest amenities on our trip. The staff at this hotel was wonderful and they helped us to arrange for a private car and driver for the price of 310 yuan the following morning. We thought it was well worth the additional money to go privately rather than with a group. We asked for a guide that would be able to speak some English and the hotel did their best to find us a very pleasant driver.
October 18, Day 10: Datong
There were two primary sites that we wanted to see, the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes. Had we arrived early the prior day, we would have included either the Huayan Temple or the Shanhua Temple. After a decent breakfast, we met our driver who first took us to visit the Hanging Monastery and then the Grottos. We spent about 7 ½ hrs with our driver and had a fabulous day.
The Hanging Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, 65 kilometers from downtown Datong City. The temple hangs on the west cliff of a hill with over 50 meters above the ground, hence Hanging Monastery. First built in 491, the present monastery was mainly rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).The biggest attraction of Hanging Temple is the fact that the temple includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The architectural complex was built on the base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff. Over 40 halls and pavilions within an area of 152.5 square meters are connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks. They are evenly distributed and well balanced in height. Inside the monastery are over 80 statues; some are cast with bronze, some with iron, some with clay and some are carved out of stone.
Leaving the Monastery, we set out for the Yungang Grottoes, located in the opposite direction from Datong city on the southern foot of Wuzhou Hill, some 16 kilometers west of Datong. These grottoes are known as one of the three major cave complexes in China, with the other two being the earlier Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu and the later Longmen Caves at Luoyang in Henan. 53 large sized caves are scattered over the southern foot of Wuzhou Hill, sprawling for over a kilometer from east to west. Inside the caves , existing more than 1500 years after their execution, are the masterpieces of Buddhist Sculptures. They are truly remarkable and both the Hanging Monastery and the Grottoes are well worth the trip to Datong.
Datong itself was an interesting city to see in its partially rebuilt phase. The city is being rebuilt with an exterior wall around the old city. There are sections of the wall that were complete and those were lit up beautifully, giving it a “Disney-like feel”. It seems certain that in addition to trying to remake itself to preserve its heritage, the rebuilding of Datong will make it a stronger tourist destination in the future. The outskirts of the city central is filled with new apartment complexes and the city was much larger than we had imagined it would be.
Our driver took us by the famous Nine Dragon screen before completing our day. While he offered to wait for us and return us to our hotel, we told him that we would walk around town and return to our hotel on our own.
The Nine Dragon Screen was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is said to be the largest screen of its type anywhere in China. It is 45.5 meters (150 feet) long, meters (26 feet) high and 2.02 (6.6 feet) meters thick, consisting of 426 pieces of glazed tiles. In ancient times, the screen served as a barrier both keeping passers-by peeping into the house and making visitors tidy up themselves before meeting the hosts. There was an entry fee of Y10 to visit the screen which we thought was fine, but not worth much more. Supposedly there is a free "5 dragon screen" outside the Shanhua temple nearby but we did not visit that temple. For Nine Dragon Screen, there are only 2 Nine Dragon Screens in China, one in Summer Palace Beijing, the other is the Datong one, which is said bigger than Beijing's.
Walking around the city at this time, one must walk around and through the road construction as the streets and sidewalks are all being redone. It is quite a project and we were told that its completion is projected in three years. We wandered along the storefronts and checked out the local restaurants, but as there were few people eating and as the menus were not in English, we decided to return to the comfort of our hotel. Both nights that we were in Datong, we ate at the hotel’s buffet. It was not inexpensive, but there was a great variety of Chinese food and we found plenty to eat. The food was good. After dinner the second evening, we remained in the comfortable lobby until 9:30 pm, setting out again for the train station where we were to depart Datong for Pingyao on the 23:17 train. This train was to be a soft sleeper and we would arrive the next day at 6:25.
Nov 24th, 2012, 05:32 PM
#85
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I visited China in 1980, and it was plenty different at that time. We recently returned to Beijing on the start of a trip to Tibet and Bhutan. What a difference! We were flabbergasted! The explosive economic growth has completely Westernized the major cities. I can understand why you where underwhelmed.
When we traveled there (on a tour) in 1980, some of our fellow travelers had visited prior to WWII. I asked what had changed -- and they all said "No more beggars." There were no cars--only 1,000s of bikes--and everyone was dressed in blue Mao jackets. When we went out walking one night in Xian, we wanted to invite some university students to the hotel but they told us they were forbidden to visit. It is mind-boggling to think just how fast this country changed in 30 short years.
I'd say that the real fascination in visiting the major urban areas and Xian has to be the unbelievable history of the country (modern as well as ancient) and the incredible ancient culture, as reflected in the still existing art and still standing architecture. I'd love to visit Xian again -- very little had been excavated when we were there (yet enough to be totally amazed).
I understand that certain areas in the southeast of China still have not changed that much -- as well as some of the more ethnic provinces, especially those near Tibet (if you can get permission to visit). I hope you get a chance to visit again and experience more of what you were looking for--but I certainly understand your initial disappointment.
When we traveled there (on a tour) in 1980, some of our fellow travelers had visited prior to WWII. I asked what had changed -- and they all said "No more beggars." There were no cars--only 1,000s of bikes--and everyone was dressed in blue Mao jackets. When we went out walking one night in Xian, we wanted to invite some university students to the hotel but they told us they were forbidden to visit. It is mind-boggling to think just how fast this country changed in 30 short years.
I'd say that the real fascination in visiting the major urban areas and Xian has to be the unbelievable history of the country (modern as well as ancient) and the incredible ancient culture, as reflected in the still existing art and still standing architecture. I'd love to visit Xian again -- very little had been excavated when we were there (yet enough to be totally amazed).
I understand that certain areas in the southeast of China still have not changed that much -- as well as some of the more ethnic provinces, especially those near Tibet (if you can get permission to visit). I hope you get a chance to visit again and experience more of what you were looking for--but I certainly understand your initial disappointment.
Nov 25th, 2012, 12:02 PM
#86
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FromLA - thanks for your comments. We still would like to eventually get to Tibet and perhaps the southwestern region, but there are so many places on our bucket list, so who knows when that might be.
Nov 25th, 2012, 01:33 PM
#87
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,433
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm not sure I agree with sin's assertion that the reason you won't find a flower on your hotel bed in China is because China isn't interested in catering to Western tourists.
If anything, it seems more cultural to me. Just didn't seem part of the culture to emote warmness. Just very upfront and matter-of-fact. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but tourists who long to get away from stark and clinical may find China not to be the right match.
No doubt China is becoming more of a financial force to be reckoned with (although let's see about that real estate bubble), but I fear that'll make what little is left culturally and artistically essentially cease to exist--not the opposite. If you'd like to be immersed in sterile, financial megalopolises with tons of Louis Vuitton and Prada stores to see then I'm sure you'll have plenty of options. I, for one, don't go on vacations to be in places like that--I try to get away from all that.
I found most of what I wanted to see in the big cities (old hutongs, etc.) had all but been ripped down or relocated...like a scourge or ghost from the past that no one wants people to know about. I fear the government will never realize the worth of the origin of its culture--and the people willing to pay to visit for those reasons.
If anything, it seems more cultural to me. Just didn't seem part of the culture to emote warmness. Just very upfront and matter-of-fact. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but tourists who long to get away from stark and clinical may find China not to be the right match.
No doubt China is becoming more of a financial force to be reckoned with (although let's see about that real estate bubble), but I fear that'll make what little is left culturally and artistically essentially cease to exist--not the opposite. If you'd like to be immersed in sterile, financial megalopolises with tons of Louis Vuitton and Prada stores to see then I'm sure you'll have plenty of options. I, for one, don't go on vacations to be in places like that--I try to get away from all that.
I found most of what I wanted to see in the big cities (old hutongs, etc.) had all but been ripped down or relocated...like a scourge or ghost from the past that no one wants people to know about. I fear the government will never realize the worth of the origin of its culture--and the people willing to pay to visit for those reasons.
Nov 25th, 2012, 11:38 PM
#89
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Being a Chinese, I think what you want to see are not in the destination list of your schedule. If you want to see some traditional Chinese building or culture, you definitely should not go to some big cities like beijing,shanghai and nanjing. They nearly have nothing deserve to see... And about the hotel, since China is not a tourist country like Thailand , our hotels are not so good at greeting foreigners. And about the bad manners like cutting in the line or crossing road without looking traffic light, they always happen in any poor and large-population countries
Nov 27th, 2012, 02:34 PM
#90
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't know about the government never realizing the worth of the origin of its culture vis-a-vis those of us willing to pay to visit for those reasons. After all, they re-assembled Lhasa to the best of their ability after the Red Guard totally decimated it and even as they continue to relocate and displace the native population. I think when visiting China you have to keep in mind that it has a long, long history -- much of it filled with violence and destruction of the "old" cultures in power -- but somehow it endures and rises. If I had enough time and money I would visit China many more times....but I haven't seen Australia and Africa yet, so I don't know how much more I'll get to see of China.
Nov 27th, 2012, 06:46 PM
#91
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lhasa wasn't decimated by the Red Guards. It was the PLA. And Lhasa is now mainly a Han Chinese city, other than the inner old town area. Potala Palace is now a museum, with Han Chinese guards at each room open to visitors. Its entrance has a big plaque written in Chinese by Jiang Zemin.
Nov 28th, 2012, 06:43 PM
#92
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Back to my report: Train from Datong to Pingyao
We found our berth easily and enjoyed our interaction with our cabin mates. One had been an English major at a Chinese University and spoke English quite well. She was extremely outspoken about Mao and did not have nice things to say about him and his regime.
Approximately 1/2 hour after departing, lights were shut and everyone settled down to go to sleep. While the cabin was comfortable, I had great difficulty sleeping that night as I had developed a cold. Additionally, I was a bit apprehensive about having to climb down from the second level bunk during the night in order both to get tissues for my runny nose and to use the toilet facilities. After needlessly worrying, I eventually clambered down from the second level bunk without falling on my face or having any accidents.
October 19 – Day 11:
We arrived in Pingyao at 6:30 and found a cab to take us to the Kylin Hotel which was located near the entrance of the old town. This beautiful hotel was well located, however, the service was poor, the breakfast buffet was crummy, and the staff, who hardly spoke or understood English, were less than helpful.
Upon our arrival we were told that the elevator was broken, so we were escorted upstairs to our room. Later after wandering around town for hours, we returned to the room to relax and were told that the elevator had been repaired. To our chagrin, once the doors closed the elevator remained stationary. We used the phone in the elevator to call for help and rang the alarm to alert the hotel staff that we were stuck. It took about 20 minutes for them to open the doors for us and we learned not to trust the elevator in the future. (No freebies for us, despite this mishap)
Pingyao is an old preserved town, which reminded us greatly of Hoi An in Vietnam, although we did not think it was as charming. There is a wall surrounding the old town which one can walk upon. We wandered the old town as well as the upper wall, but after seeing the town from above and walking a short distance, there is not much more to be seen. For the price of one ticket, one can have access to various merchants' homes, banks, and temples which have been preserved to show the ancient town’s history. The streets are lined with stores selling various trinkets and souvenirs, but to us, they all seemed to be similar and the stores did not hold our interest. IMO, one day is sufficient to see all of Pingyao.
After dinner (can’t remember where – there are many restaurants in town), we went to the Harmony Guest House which advertised group tours to the Wang Family Compound and to Zhang Bi Underground Castle in a nearby mountain village. The proprietor of the guest house speaks great English and the guests there were mostly English speaking. Although this guest house is a bit old, the rooms appeared to be clean and adequate and the people all staying there were very satisfied. The price is far below that which we paid and I would recommend it for anyone that is not seeking a high end hotel. There is free wi-fi in the lobby and the owner is quite helpful.
October 20 – Day 12: We arrived at the Harmony guesthouse in time for breakfast as the breakfast which was not included in our hotel price, was unappealing. For breakfast my husband had the banana chocolate pancakes and I had the Israeli eggs, both excellent choices. There were 11 people signed up for the tour and we were split up between a van and a car. We were asked to go in the car with the two young Chinese woman (21 & 25 year old), who were the only non English speaking tourists on the tour that day. While only one spoke limited English, the two girls were very pleasant.
The Wang Family Compound is located about 22 miles away from Pingyao Ancient City. It is one of largest luxurious residential complexes in China, representing Chinese distinctive architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It vividly reflects the luxurious life of the Wang Family of that time. Due to its spacious architectures and artistic decorations, Wang’s compound is regarded as the Forbidden City of Shanxi, and we thought it was worthwhile visiting. The Wang Family began as land farmers, later amassing their wealth as merchants and eventually becoming local officials. The Wang’s compound was first built in the mid of 1600s, during the Qing dynasty, so most of architectures adopts the style of Qing dynasty. It was unfortunate that the complex was lacking in signage, in Chinese or English on many exhibits and there was no English tours given while we were there. Nonetheless, the complex is enormous and quite impressive. From the top, one can view the Yaodong cave dwelling village behind the fortress where peasant farmers have made homes out of man-made caves for generations and where we could get a glimpse at a rural Chinese village.
After our visit at this compound, we drove to the Zhang Bi Underground Castle, known for its long underground tunnel system. These tunnels were made in a time when the Chinese people fought against the Japanese invaders. The hidden underground tunnels connect from one village to another and from one house to another, allowing the Chinese to fight off the Japanese. The complex has served multipurpose over the years, serving as a military center, residential area, production site as well as religious center of activities.
One must hire a guide to enter the complex and tunnels and we found our guide to be quite informative. The tunnel system is divided into 3 layers. The top layer is only 1 meter deep from the ground, the middle is 8 to 10 meters deep, and the bottom is 17 to 20 meters deep. Besides the tunnel system, there are various temples on the premises. Some of the temples are Buddhist, some Taoist, and others are dedicated to many gods in Chinese folk mythology. Along with visiting the tunnels, we had an opportunity to visit the old town, getting another glimpse at a rural village.
In addition to visiting the Underground Castle & complex, we had a quick lunch (prior to entering the complex) at a café just outside the grounds. I ordered the chicken kung po and braised eggplant, both very tasty. Our tour ended at 3:30 and we had a 45 minute ride back to Pingyao. Upon arriving back at the Harmony Guesthouse, a group of people from the tour congregated in the lobby/dining area, where we chatted over drinks for several hours. The group was an interesting mix of people of various ages, several of whom were taking extensive time traveling through Asia.
We returned to our hotel and relaxed in the lobby while awaiting our 8:30 taxi which we had arranged through the hotel, to take us to the train station for our overnight train to Xi’an. We were sure surprised and not at all pleased when we were picked up by an open air golf cart (used to transport large groups of passengers throughout Pingyao old town), as the weather was quite cold and the distance to the train station, quite far away.
Upon arriving at the train station, we easily found our waiting-room, however, determining when our train was departing was more complicated. There were no signs and no English spoken so we depended upon the clerk who sat at the front desk, to tell us when we needed to line up for our train departure. We were anxious about this particular train as we had been told that it only stops at the train station for 3 minutes. As it turned out, there was no need to be concerned. The train staff was very efficient and escorted us outside just before the train was to arrive, lining us up according to where our train carriage was supposed to stop.
More later on our train ride and Xi’An.
We found our berth easily and enjoyed our interaction with our cabin mates. One had been an English major at a Chinese University and spoke English quite well. She was extremely outspoken about Mao and did not have nice things to say about him and his regime.
Approximately 1/2 hour after departing, lights were shut and everyone settled down to go to sleep. While the cabin was comfortable, I had great difficulty sleeping that night as I had developed a cold. Additionally, I was a bit apprehensive about having to climb down from the second level bunk during the night in order both to get tissues for my runny nose and to use the toilet facilities. After needlessly worrying, I eventually clambered down from the second level bunk without falling on my face or having any accidents.
October 19 – Day 11:
We arrived in Pingyao at 6:30 and found a cab to take us to the Kylin Hotel which was located near the entrance of the old town. This beautiful hotel was well located, however, the service was poor, the breakfast buffet was crummy, and the staff, who hardly spoke or understood English, were less than helpful.
Upon our arrival we were told that the elevator was broken, so we were escorted upstairs to our room. Later after wandering around town for hours, we returned to the room to relax and were told that the elevator had been repaired. To our chagrin, once the doors closed the elevator remained stationary. We used the phone in the elevator to call for help and rang the alarm to alert the hotel staff that we were stuck. It took about 20 minutes for them to open the doors for us and we learned not to trust the elevator in the future. (No freebies for us, despite this mishap)
Pingyao is an old preserved town, which reminded us greatly of Hoi An in Vietnam, although we did not think it was as charming. There is a wall surrounding the old town which one can walk upon. We wandered the old town as well as the upper wall, but after seeing the town from above and walking a short distance, there is not much more to be seen. For the price of one ticket, one can have access to various merchants' homes, banks, and temples which have been preserved to show the ancient town’s history. The streets are lined with stores selling various trinkets and souvenirs, but to us, they all seemed to be similar and the stores did not hold our interest. IMO, one day is sufficient to see all of Pingyao.
After dinner (can’t remember where – there are many restaurants in town), we went to the Harmony Guest House which advertised group tours to the Wang Family Compound and to Zhang Bi Underground Castle in a nearby mountain village. The proprietor of the guest house speaks great English and the guests there were mostly English speaking. Although this guest house is a bit old, the rooms appeared to be clean and adequate and the people all staying there were very satisfied. The price is far below that which we paid and I would recommend it for anyone that is not seeking a high end hotel. There is free wi-fi in the lobby and the owner is quite helpful.
October 20 – Day 12: We arrived at the Harmony guesthouse in time for breakfast as the breakfast which was not included in our hotel price, was unappealing. For breakfast my husband had the banana chocolate pancakes and I had the Israeli eggs, both excellent choices. There were 11 people signed up for the tour and we were split up between a van and a car. We were asked to go in the car with the two young Chinese woman (21 & 25 year old), who were the only non English speaking tourists on the tour that day. While only one spoke limited English, the two girls were very pleasant.
The Wang Family Compound is located about 22 miles away from Pingyao Ancient City. It is one of largest luxurious residential complexes in China, representing Chinese distinctive architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It vividly reflects the luxurious life of the Wang Family of that time. Due to its spacious architectures and artistic decorations, Wang’s compound is regarded as the Forbidden City of Shanxi, and we thought it was worthwhile visiting. The Wang Family began as land farmers, later amassing their wealth as merchants and eventually becoming local officials. The Wang’s compound was first built in the mid of 1600s, during the Qing dynasty, so most of architectures adopts the style of Qing dynasty. It was unfortunate that the complex was lacking in signage, in Chinese or English on many exhibits and there was no English tours given while we were there. Nonetheless, the complex is enormous and quite impressive. From the top, one can view the Yaodong cave dwelling village behind the fortress where peasant farmers have made homes out of man-made caves for generations and where we could get a glimpse at a rural Chinese village.
After our visit at this compound, we drove to the Zhang Bi Underground Castle, known for its long underground tunnel system. These tunnels were made in a time when the Chinese people fought against the Japanese invaders. The hidden underground tunnels connect from one village to another and from one house to another, allowing the Chinese to fight off the Japanese. The complex has served multipurpose over the years, serving as a military center, residential area, production site as well as religious center of activities.
One must hire a guide to enter the complex and tunnels and we found our guide to be quite informative. The tunnel system is divided into 3 layers. The top layer is only 1 meter deep from the ground, the middle is 8 to 10 meters deep, and the bottom is 17 to 20 meters deep. Besides the tunnel system, there are various temples on the premises. Some of the temples are Buddhist, some Taoist, and others are dedicated to many gods in Chinese folk mythology. Along with visiting the tunnels, we had an opportunity to visit the old town, getting another glimpse at a rural village.
In addition to visiting the Underground Castle & complex, we had a quick lunch (prior to entering the complex) at a café just outside the grounds. I ordered the chicken kung po and braised eggplant, both very tasty. Our tour ended at 3:30 and we had a 45 minute ride back to Pingyao. Upon arriving back at the Harmony Guesthouse, a group of people from the tour congregated in the lobby/dining area, where we chatted over drinks for several hours. The group was an interesting mix of people of various ages, several of whom were taking extensive time traveling through Asia.
We returned to our hotel and relaxed in the lobby while awaiting our 8:30 taxi which we had arranged through the hotel, to take us to the train station for our overnight train to Xi’an. We were sure surprised and not at all pleased when we were picked up by an open air golf cart (used to transport large groups of passengers throughout Pingyao old town), as the weather was quite cold and the distance to the train station, quite far away.
Upon arriving at the train station, we easily found our waiting-room, however, determining when our train was departing was more complicated. There were no signs and no English spoken so we depended upon the clerk who sat at the front desk, to tell us when we needed to line up for our train departure. We were anxious about this particular train as we had been told that it only stops at the train station for 3 minutes. As it turned out, there was no need to be concerned. The train staff was very efficient and escorted us outside just before the train was to arrive, lining us up according to where our train carriage was supposed to stop.
More later on our train ride and Xi’An.
