Day 88 (2 September): Old City

We spent the entire day today within the city walls of Pingyao which is a well-preserved city where most buildings date back about 300 years and the city walls about 700 years. With the number of exhibits on its history and museums around, it is clearly set up as a tourist attraction for Chinese and international visitor alike, but nonetheless well done.

We toured the city walls, the Rishengchang Bank (which was China's first bank), the Mingqing business street and its shops, the former governor's mansion, an old court, and a warrior/kung fu museum.

1) Colonial Williamsburg. With the way Pingyao is set up with in the city walls, it seems in many ways like Colonial Williamsburg. Cars are not allowed in and some people are dressed in costumes from 300 years ago pulling around rickshaws, which no longer happens.
2) The environment again. A manufacturing plant of some sort within the city walls was shut down to help preserve the city and reduce pollution. Again, someone is paying attention to these issues as China develops.
3) Eating fat. This still seems to be a common practice in Shanxi as we were offered plates of fat chunks in gravy at lunch for a second time today. It seems that it must be remnant of a poorer time as people at least look like they should be able to eat something else.