Ping Yao

10am Left the hotel for Ping Yao, the ancient treasury city of China. Shanxi Province (before Mao took over, it was called Sanjin Province) is part of the cradle of Chinese culture. PY is on the UNESCO list of historical preservation sites.

Our 1 ½ hour drive took us thru East(Dong) and West(Xi) ranges of the TianLong (SkyDragon) Mountains. Shanxi people are called the Dragon People. The legend began with the 10th Emperor who was from Shanxi Province. The three mountain ranges near the rectangular city of Taiyuan are called SkyDragon, BigDragon(BaLong), and SmallDragon (XiaoLong).

After leaving the mountains, we entered farm country. The corn is waist high right now and as with everything else, is coated with coal dust. Strip mining operations abound in Shanxi Province. Respiratory cancers and poverty make this one of the poorest provinces in China.When we arrived at PingYao, we switched from a car to a dian-dong-che (motorized rickshaw). The only automobiles allowed inside the tall fortress walls of the city belong to residents. PY is 1700 years old, built in the Han Dynasty.

Our first three stops on the tour were of the Tao, Buddhist and Confucius temples. At that point, I asked if there were any more temples. No? Good. Casi and I did not accept the many invitations to enter the temples or to burn incense for a prayer.

We moved on to visit the Body Guard Agency which provided protection for the transport of monies and officials. Remember, this was almost two thousand years ago. Next we visited the local Bank and saw the underground gold and silver vaults as well as the accountants’ offices. There were other sites, but Casi was tired of the walking thru dusty old buildings so we looked for a source of lunch.

Our guide once again, did well choosing a quaint restaurant with delicious authentic local foods. She ordered three dishes that we shared, again using chopsticks, no forks! Garlic broccoli and RouXiaMo with pork&seasoning. The pork mixture is spooned inside the slit of the rouxiamo. Canned drinks were a treat after days of nothing but water.

Christina and I enjoyed talking about family, God and some politics. Apparently Pres. Bush is disliked by many Chinese because of the war he “started.” I asked her if she’d heard of 911. She said Yes, and remembered where she was that day. She became thoughtfully quiet when I asked What would you do to a group of people who entered your country, destroyed properties and killed thousands of innocent citizens?.

Our last property to visit was a family residence of 25 rooms. The paint was fading, yet, from the detailed wood trim and ornately carved stone stairways and benches, it was apparent that this must have been elegant in the days of its private family ownership. Sadly, during the Cultural Revolution (1969-76) the family was driven from their ancestral home of many generations. No one has lived there since.

One interesting design I noticed in several locations were “heated” beds. There's a picture of one in the Slideshow. You'll see the stack of white pillows on a red bed. Imagine a hip high platform bordered by the three stone walls of a narrow room and a brick covering of the fourth side. Underneath is an area for a coal fire which heat the entire area under the bed. I’m thinking fire water buckets must be nearby.