Which do you prefer, Pingyao or Xi 'an?

On New Year's Day in 2020, Heyuan went to Pingyao and Xi 'an.

Pingyao is very cold and Xi is very warm. I thought the latitude was similar, not far apart, and the temperature should be similar. Looking at the map, I found that Pingyao and Shijiazhuang are close in latitude, Xi 'an and Zhengzhou are close in latitude, and they are quite far away.

All kinds of ancient water towns, except the most famous Lijiang River and Pingyao, have been there basically a few years ago, and they are a little tired of this type of aesthetics, but Pingyao is close to Xi 'an and has never been to Shaanxi Province, so I took a picture by the way.

Because it was a temporary idea, I didn't do any homework, only knowing that Pingyao is a well-preserved ancient city and a world cultural heritage. New Year's Day is the off-season in Pingyao, and we are the only inn to stay. Although the ancient city is brightly lit at night, there are more shop assistants than tourists.

Sure enough, the scenic spots in Pingyao ancient city are not very interesting. We invited a tour guide to show us around the ancient city, and took a cursory look at the escort agency, ticket number, county government and city wall, otherwise we might not even be interested in visiting. The next day, I chartered a car to the Wangs' Courtyard, Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple, but these places exceeded expectations.

On the way to Wang's compound, the car passed Jiexiu, and the thick smog and chimneys all the way were shocking. No one who works on the roadside wears a mask. The news occasionally reports that the smog in Beijing has improved, and friends in Beijing often watch their friends bask in the blue sky with joy. China should be more like Jiexiu. No one pays attention to smog, and there is no hope of improvement for some time. The driver said it was impossible to move these factories, otherwise many people here would lose their jobs and fail to collect taxes, and something would happen.

The Wangs' Courtyard has a square pattern and an amazing scale, and all the buildings are beautifully carved. As it is the off-season, there is no crowding and noise. The tour guide told us many interesting stories about the Wang family courtyard, and I was deeply impressed by the custom of China people asking for help. There is a hot spring hotel near the compound, which is said to have been built on the ruins of the former compound. If I had known, I could have stayed here on the first day.

Shuanglin Temple is not far from Pingyao Ancient City. It is famous for its colorful sculptures and vivid shapes. It is no exaggeration to say that it has more visual impact than other colorful sculptures I have seen in so many museums before. The driver said that even in the peak season, not many people come here. People always think that there is nothing to see in a ruined temple. I think it's really good. It's just that you can't take pictures when the price is clearly marked, and some young tourists have to take pictures with flash, which is really irritating.

Zhenguo Temple is even more remote, with a winding path close to a piece of farmland. Before going, the driver repeatedly confirmed with us whether to go, saying that the average person would finish shopping in ten minutes, and it was not cost-effective to go back and forth for dozens of kilometers. Of course, this kind of rhetoric will definitely not convince me. Zhenguo Temple was built in the Five Dynasties with a history of 1000 years. It is famous for its ten thousand buddhas hall with full tenon and mortise structure. Ordinary tourists like us really can't see any famous places, but the sunset glow and the ancient pagodas in the temple that day are particularly quaint and peaceful, and it is also a beautiful moment for travel.

Shanxi is famous for its pasta, but the ancient city is a tourist attraction, so we can't expect too much. All the restaurants ate some, which can only be said to be quite satisfactory. It's a pity that we didn't even get a bowl of delicious Daoxiao Noodles. Instead, I drank red jujube vinegar and honey vinegar recommended by the store. I felt delicious and appetizing, and bought a lot of mail to go home.

The night before I left, I went to see Pingyao again, which is a very popular scene performance in recent years. There aren't many surprises. I don't think it's a waste of money. This is a full stop of Pingyao travel.

Pingyao Ancient City Station takes the high-speed train to the north of Xi 'an, which was not available in high-speed railway station ten years ago. Yuanyuan and I had just fallen in love at that time. Xi 'an is where she goes to college. Although she graduated that year, she is an excellent host.

That summer, out of Xianyang airport, we took a taxi. When we got on the bus, we found that there was no glass on the window. As soon as the car started, sand poured in and made us laugh all the way. At that time, there was no subway in Xi 'an, so I had to take a taxi or bus to the tourist attractions. She took me to Beilin, Shanbo, Terracotta Warriors, Wild Goose Pagoda and Huimin Street. We rented a bicycle to ride around the wall, took the broken minibus to the railway station at the foot of Huashan Mountain, and started climbing at night.

Climbing the Black Dragon Ridge in the moonlight, I still remember this impression vividly, with my ass in front and my head behind. There is no retreat except climbing. Looking around, my legs are a little weak. I just want to have a look at Heilongling in the moonlight. It's beautiful and worth it. As a person with a slight fear of heights, I actually conquered the plank road in the sky just because it passed effortlessly. I am a boy who is too embarrassed. ...

That summer, we rode tandem bicycles around the city wall. I didn't expect that after riding for so long, the wind was hunting and the whole body was sweaty. This time, the bicycles on the wall are imported from Italy, and the wall at the south gate is covered with unlit New Year lanterns. The season changed to winter, and the T-shirt changed to down jacket. As soon as the wind blows, my handle is a little cold, and I can't stop my nose after riding for half a lap.

I deliberately chose to climb the wall at 5 o'clock, the sky gradually darkened, the sunset glow appeared on the horizon a little, and the lanterns gradually lit up. After so many years, we still love each other and know each other, but we feel happy.

Xi has changed so much. According to Yuanyuan, when I was studying in Ann, the cities were shabby and dark at night. Nowadays, just saying that this city that never sleeps in Datang really gives people the illusion of returning to the prosperous time of Datang. The lighting performance is dazzling, and various dialects echo in the ear. Beishangguang can't see such a lively scene.

Huimin Square has also been expanded a lot. A person went to the grand mosque in Huajiao Lane and spent 15 yuan to buy a ticket. I found that I was the only tourist, and it was strange to see the mosque combined with the traditional pavilions and pavilions in China for the first time. The bulletin board next to the main chapel is playing three inseparable, five identities and socialist core values, which is also quite interesting. Travel just gives you an unexpected idea from time to time.

I ate Chinese hamburger, beef biscuits, minced meat noodles, oil sprinkled noodles and mutton bread in soup. Xi 'an's food is delicious, but if I want to eat it, I really can't spend more money. The older you get, the less you care about scenic spots and the more you care about eating something you want. Three meals a day, three opportunities for satisfaction. Maybe that's why.

On the day when we finally returned to Shanghai, we walked from the Bell Tower to Huimin Street, then to Sajinqiao, and then from the Western City and Lianhu Park around the Drum Tower, looking for food and taking a look at Xi 'an, which we all like. This is a perfect holiday.