Pingyao Ancient City Highlights Private Day Trip

Tour Highlights
• Marvel at Pingyao, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Chinese city, founded in the 14th century
• Visit Rishengchang Exchange House, China's first draft bank
• Learn ancient Chinese escort stories at Armed Escort Company Museum
• Check out how an ancient Chinese local government looks like at Pingyao County Government Office
• Learn ancient Chinese Imperial Examination System at Pingyao Confucius Temple
• Find your inner peace at the Temple of City God, Pinyao's Divine protector 
• Stroll along Pingyao's ancient city wall, one of the best-preserved city walls in China

About This Tour
• Departure: Daily departing from Pingyao
• Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours.
• Guide Languages: Chinese & English.
• Meeting Time: Between 07:00 and 10:00, choose a departure time most suitable for you.
• Land Transport: Please note that vehicles are prohibited in the old town of Pingyao, this tour does not include private vehicle pick-up/drop-off service. If you hotel is located outside the old town, your guide will help you to take a taxi and taxi fee is at your own expense.
• Advice on Meals: Lunch is not included in this tour. We recommend having a substantial breakfast and bringing snacks in case you get hungry while sightseeing. If you'd like to experience authentic local cuisine for lunch, feel free to inform your guide, who will be happy to assist.

Tour Itinerary at a Glance
• Pick up from your accommodation in Pingyao
• Visit Rishengchang Exchange House
• Visit Armed Escort Company Museum
• Lunch on your own
• Visit County Government Office
• Visit Pingyao Confucius Temple
• Visit the Temple of City God
• Visit Pingyao City Wall
• Transfer back to your accommodation in Pingyao

Price Remark
• Prices are not valid during National Day (Oct 1-7), Chinese New Year, and Labor Day (May 1-5).

Price Inclusions
• Professional English language speaking tour guide.
• Air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.
• Admission tickets to sightseeing places.
• All government taxes.

Price Exclusions
• Hotel accommodation.
• Meals are excluded allowing you flexibility on menu.
• Your personal expenses.
• Travel insurance is not included. Please purchase before your trip to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.
• Gratuities to guide & driver. They are customary and would be of great encouragement and reward for quality service.

Additional Information
• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
• The itinerary is subject to change due to traffic conditions or bad weather.
• The itinerary is flexible; changes can be made upon written request from travelers.
• IMPORTANT: It is required by the government regulations that travelers must provide their name, gender, nationality, passport number and date of birth to their tour operator upon booking a tour. Failure to do so could result in being denied access or admittance to sites and attractions during sightseeing. When you book this tour, please complete all required fields at checkout. Please bring your passport with you on the tour.

Cancellation Policy
• Cancellations made 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time will receive a 100% refund.
• Cancellations made within 24 hours of the tour's start time or after the tour begins are non-refundable.
• Cancellation request will be confirmed within 2-5 business days, with refunds issued within 14 working days.

Tailor This Tour to Meet Your Needs
• If you want to customize this itinerary, contact us via WhatsApp (+86 139 1083 0737) or email (info@GrandChinaTravel.com). We'll create a tailor-made tour package just for you.

Know Before You Go
• Keep your passport with you throughout the tour; it may be needed to buy entrance tickets.
• Pickup time, guide's name, and contact information will be confirmed via WhatsApp or email.
• Your guide will be at the meeting point, holding a GGC pickup sign with your name.
• Meals are not included; please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• If you book an Airbnb, please note that door-to-door pickup and drop-off might not be provided.
• There's a 20-minute grace period for waiting. Failure to show up will result in tour cancellation & no refund.

Meet Your Guide
Your private guide will be holding GoGrandChina pickup sign and waiting for you in your hotel lobby (or other appointed meeting place) at the appointed time. If you are staying at hotels located outside the old town of Pingyao, your guide will help you to take a taxi and the taxi fee is at your own expense. Please note that vehicles are prohibited in Pingyao old town, this tour does not include private vehicle pick-up/drop-off service.

Visit Rishengchang Exchange House
Named Rishengchang Piaohao in Chinese, Rishengchang Exchange House was the first draft bank in China. Rishengchang literally translates to Sunrise Prosperity, and Piaohao means draft banks, predecessors of modern banks in China. It was estimated to be founded during the Qing Dynasty in 1823. In the nineteenth century, at its peak, it controlled almost half of the Chinese economy and its branches were widespread throughout major cities in China, and also in some foreign countries, including Russia, Mongolia, and Japan.

Visit Armed Escort Company Museum
The Armed Escort Company is named Biao Ju in Chinese, which was an establishment providing escorts for a fee in ancient China. The economic boom during the Qing dynasty meant a lot of cash moving from one place to another. To avoid thieving hands, Pingyao's wise and thoughtful merchants left their cash passed all the way safely in the professional hands of the security company. Founded in 1885, this Armed Escort Company was the only private organization of armed escort in Pingyao's history and one of two most famous during the Qing dynasty. The Armed Escort Company Museum mainly introduces the phylogeny of armed escort office in ancient China, the anecdotes of those famous armed escort offices. It offers an eye-opening insight into the significant role played by armed escorts in promoting commerce during the Qing dynasty.

Lunch at Your Own Expense
Please feel free to ask your guide for suggestions and recommendations.

Visit Pingyao County Government Office
The government of China was very different from government in the West in that it was entirely central. Right from the time of the Qin dynasty in 220 BC, China was divided into 30 odd provinces (originally commanderies) and was then sub-divided into counties: there were between 1,000 and 1,500 counties in all, a number which remained remarkably stable throughout Chinese imperial history. Pingyao County Government Office was built in the southwestern part of the county in 1346 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), then renovated in 1370. The old complex, which faces the south, is more than 200 meters long from south to north, and 100 meters wide. It is one of four classical county government complexes in China, and the biggest of its kind. There are front rooms for offices, back rooms for living quarters, with those to the left for civil servants and those to the right for members of the military.

Visit Pingyao Confucius Temple
The Confucius Temple is located in the southeastern corner of the old town and is China’s most time-honored temple of its kind. Work on it began in the early years of Taizong Emperor (AD 627-649) of the Tang Dynasty. The main building, the Dacheng (Great Achievement) Hall, was built in 1163 during the Jin Dynasty. It is Pingyao’s oldest surviving building which still has its original look. Confucius Temple was where bureaucrats-to-be came to take the imperial exams in ancient China. Pingyao Confucius Temple still houses an exam paper of a Zhuangyuan (translated into English as principal graduate, primus, or optimus. It was the title given to the scholar who achieved the highest score on the highest level of Imperial examination in ancient China. This exam paper is the only surviving example today, with an inscription that reads, “highest of the first lot", written by the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Pingyao Confucius Temple is the best preserved temple compound, with the largest group of Confucian statues and the largest exhibit of China’s imperial exam system.

Visit the Temple of City God
In ancient China, it was believed that Gods watched over people and examined the affairs of the human world. In order to visit the Gods and ask for favors like peace and rich life, locals build very elaborate temples and praying rooms. The Temple of the City God was originally built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1227) and has undergone two major renovations due to fire in 1544 and 1859. The City God Temple consists of multiple intricate courtyards devoted to various different Gods but the three main Gods that were worshiped at this temple were the Town God, Health God, and Kitchen God.

Visit Pingyao Ancient City Wall
The city walls of Pingyao were constructed in 1370 during the Ming Dynasty. Built of rammed earth, in places faced with brick, this wall  encloses an area of about 2.25 km2 (0.87 sq mi). The town is accessed by six barbican gates, one each on the north and south walls and two each on the east and west walls. This pattern is similar to that of a turtle (the head, tail and four legs), earning Pingyao the moniker "Turtle City." The walls measure about 12 m (39 ft) high, with a perimeter of 6,163 m (20,220 ft). A 4 m wide and 4 m (13 ft) deep moat can be found just outside the walls. Aside from the four structured towers at the four corners, there are also 72 watchtowers and more than 3,000 battlements. The number of defensive works supposedly represents the number of Confucius's disciples and other students. The walls are considered among the best-preserved ancient city walls on this scale.

Transfer Back to Your Hotel
Your guide and driver will transfer you back to your hotel in Pingyao.