On the evening of October 4, 2021, we left Xiyang County, Shanxi Province in the drizzle. Originally, our arrival in Xiyang County was a temporary arrangement, so we did not consider staying here.

The car got on the highway and walked forward aimlessly. I really don’t know where I’m going now? It feels a bit far to go home, and it’s only the 4th, and there are still 3 days until the holiday is over, so time can’t be wasted. Forget it, let’s go to the expressway and find a service area to rest for a while. If that doesn’t work, just take a long nap and wait until daybreak.

It’s raining again! As everyone knows, the rain has been falling continuously since then, which makes people feel terrified.

I seemed to have slept well that night. Early in the morning on October 5, 2021, I was startled when I woke up. It was almost 7 o'clock. But what if I got up early? It was still raining outside, so it was inconvenient to go anywhere.

In fact, the ancient city of Pingyao is not far away. Mainly because Yang came here last year, and it didn’t feel that fresh when he came again. It's just that I haven't been here. Finally, I said I had nowhere to go, so I went to Pingyao Ancient City to take a look.

Shanxi is so big, how can there be no place to go? The main reason is that it rains, and I am unfamiliar with the place. Although there is overwhelming news on the Internet, there is very little firm and accurate news, and Some information is not so accurate, and everyone's experience is different.

Although it rained, the parking lot of Pingyao Ancient City was full of cars, and the rain could not stop people's enthusiasm. It seems that major attractions are as popular as popular celebrities. Unlike unknown scenic spots, which are poorly maintained, sparsely visited, and in disarray, tourists can only find their own fun. Some major attractions have connotations, and some celebrities have their reputation or their works.

I have heard about the ancient city of Pingyao countless times, and finally I came here. It was a temporary decision, not so determined.

The ancient city of Pingyao is different from what I imagined. The ancient city of Pingyao that I resemble is a castle, layered on top of one another, surrounded by a circle, and connected into a whole piece. Maybe I forgot that this is in the north. Pingyao is an ancient city in the north, which is different from the ancient cities in the Jiangnan water towns. The appearance of the stones is different from those abroad. In short, my imagination of Pingyao Ancient City is beyond ordinary small towns. Maybe it’s a beautiful place that I envisioned in my heart. It’s all decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, and the past is everywhere in my eyes. It’s all wooden doors, pavilions, and windows, layer by layer of history, and layer by layer of the past.

Although it is different from what I imagined, it does not affect the thickness and beauty of the ancient city of Pingyao at all.

Pingyao Ancient City does not charge tickets. There is a fee to enter the former residence and small attractions inside. You can buy a combined ticket at the door. If you just want to feel the atmosphere of the ancient city and relax, just walk around and see. If you don’t buy a ticket, no one will force you, so just go in and come out.

Yang and I walked roughly through several main east-west streets in the ancient city. Enter the city from the small south gate, go to Yingxun Gate, then go east, turn back to Yingxun Gate, then go north to the main street where the county government office is located, go all the way north, and visit a few east-west streets, and then walk along the county government office again. The main street goes west, and then goes out through the west gate. When we arrive in Pingyao County, we go to find a snack street, and then enter the city again from the west gate (Fengyi Gate). The west street is very prosperous. If you have a chance in the future, you must take a look. We were in a hurry, we were tired from walking, our shoes were soaked, our trouser legs were wet, and we needed to go back.

We parked the car in a parking lot not far from the expressway. It is not recommended to park here online. It is recommended to park in the Shangxiguan parking lot or the North Gate parking lot.

The Xiaxiguan parking lot (should it be up or down) is not far from Pingyao County Food Street. In fact, the so-called food street is more famous than the food in Pingyao Ancient City. It is said that there are many family hotels in the North Gate parking lot and the streets are relatively prosperous. On the day we went, there were traffic restrictions everywhere, so we had to park in the far south.

When we parked, there were staff waiting for us. The service in Pingyao Ancient City is quite good, prompts are in place, no forced buying or selling, and kindness makes money. Besides, in such a large scenic spot, people are not afraid of such a large number of tourists. I have seen many different situations and will not waste any time talking to you. .

When we got off the bus, the staff reminded us to go over there and scan the code first, telling you how to pay attention and how to operate. Scan the QR code to check and verify before entering the city. You must verify again when entering the city. We remind you that the distance is long and there are many inconveniences on rainy days. You need to take the bus again to buy tickets and so on. Of course, you can choose to walk into town, and no one will get mad at you or stop you.

The rain kept falling and seemed to be getting heavier.

We entered the city from the small south gate, which was actually not far away. We entered the ancient city in less than ten minutes.

Water accumulated on the ground, and water splashed down. On the earthen wall next to it, the top and surface of the wall, soaked soft by rain, made people feel distressed.

Just looking at one street, it may look like many ancient cities in the north, and there may not even be a big difference. But when you zoom in, you can see that Pingyao Ancient City is surrounded by a city wall.

Xi'an also has a city wall, but there is nothing inside the city wall in Xi'an. There is nothing that can correspond to the ancient city and carry culture, and there is nothing that matches the city wall. Some people say that there are bell towers, drum towers, etc., but they all work independently and do not form a visual group effect.

The ancient city of Xi'an refers to it in general, and the ancient city of Pingyao refers to it realistically.

Datong Ancient City also has city walls, neighborhoods, alleys, and ancient buildings. It’s just that the neighborhood is too new and the cultural buildings are not heavy enough.

On a rainy day, walking on the streets of the ancient city has a charm, like lyrical prose or a full-playing piano. There are not too many people in the street and not too few. Everything seems just right. It's just that the rain was too heavy and too dense, which disturbed the interest of tourists.

The tourist buses in Pingyao Ancient City are fast, and the drivers are all familiar with the roads, rushing forward, one bus after another. Yang said there would be a long queue waiting for the bus on a sunny day. It’s okay on a rainy day, the car will leave as soon as it comes, and the car will wait for you.

In the vinegar shop where you buy vinegar, the little girl is wearing a pink jacket, with a neat and delicate lock of hair gently sticking to her forehead. She opens her eyes wide and looks at the passers-by, looking inside. Free to visit. I looked around and found that it is a bit expensive. Vinegar is more expensive than oil.

The boy who orders from the Internet celebrity restaurant shouted at the door, "Come for dinner at the No. 1 Internet celebrity gourmet restaurant, the most popular in Pingyao Ancient City." Objectively speaking, the food inside the ancient city is more affordable and cheaper than outside the ancient city, which reflects the business methods of Shanxi people. Sliced ??noodles in Pingyao Ancient City cost 7 yuan a bowl, while outside they cost 8 yuan, 9 yuan, or even 10 yuan. No matter where we go, there are many shops to buy breakfast with clearly marked prices and even what we can get for the money.

Walking in the ancient city of Pingyao, Yang told more stories about their last time, where they went, and what scene there was. How are the buildings inside, well-preserved, etc. Yang said that the performance of "Seeing Pingyao Again" is really shocking and immersive. You can walk and look at the scene, and the scene is right in front of you.

Yang continued to say that there was a performance in the county government - the county master solved the case, but a group of government officials were all old people, and they found this scene particularly interesting. The young people are busy with big things, and it is also a pleasure for the old and feeble people to bring a little fun to the audience here.

We walked along the street. After seeing this street, we still wanted to see that street, but we couldn't finish it. Everywhere in the ancient city is the same but different, revealing different beauty and feelings.

We came out of the small south gate again and left Pingyao Ancient City. When I left, I thought that Shanxi should not be poor or backward. Looking around the world, in the entire north, there are places in the six provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Hebei, Henan and Shanxi that are comparable to the ancient city of Pingyao. Shanxi people have their own tenacity. In the new journey, they will not fall behind and will definitely catch up.

Looking at Shanxi with five thousand years of culture, it is not a vain thing, nor is it lying on the sound of culture. It will definitely carry forward the connotation of Shanxi merchants and explore a new way to Dazhai.