It is quite possibly the best-preserved ancient walled city in the whole of the country, with a seemingly endless collection of government offices, residences and temples to visit, but it's also a place where people still live.", says the Lonely Planet description about Pingyao. The city is one of only two Chinese cities listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in 1370 and was the most important trading and financial center in China in the late Ming and Qing dynasties where China's first commercial banks were established. More facts and why the city's nickname is "Turtle City" can be found on the website of Jing's Residence (http://jingsresidence.com/10Reasons.htm), a boutique hotel (We did stay, though, in the guesthouse.) and restaurant in the old city (Fantastic fusion kitchen. We went there twice.). The pavillions and courtyard in authentic architectural style of northern China have been fabulously restored with a modern touch.
Around Pingyao there are several sites to see: Wang's Courtyard, Underground Castle and surrounding village and the Mianshan mountains with its temples.
Our attention was drawn to Mianshan through several notes written by travellers on the walls of the Harmony Guesthouse in Pingyao where we stayed. It is not in the Lonely Planet. So, we hired a car and a driver for a day and went there. Most likely the best part of the day was the hike up the winding Qixian Canyon on small wodden ladders and suspension bridges with its waterfalls. There are several impressive temples in the mountains (which we, unfortunately, could not see because of the fog) like the Dragon Head Temple, the 13-storey Dailuo Palace and the 1,700 year old Cloud Peak Temple built into a huge cave. More information about Mianshan can be found on http://mianshan.tripdv.com/. A map of the area is here http://www.cnsanjia.com/images/guidemap1.jpg. - Maybe worthwhile to be added to the Lonely Planet travel guide...
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