Pingyao Part 1: Wild Jujubes, Red Lanterns, Quilin Arrives

Pingyao was a Ming and Qing Dynasty city along the trade route between Beijing and Xian. At one point in history it was the financial capital of all of China but it quickly fell into a state of poverty and decay. The charm of the place lies in its state of preserved disrepair. Imagine taking Miss Havisham and placing her in amber for hundreds of years! Pingayo has that feel to it. It is definitely one of my favorite places in China and it serves as the perfect antidote to the chaos of all the big cities we have visited so far. Red lanterns sway in the cool evening breeze (Raise the Red Lantern was shot here) and we (Morgan comes along as well and decides to travel with us up to Xian) spend many hours walking around dusty streets, playing badminton with street children and luxuriating on 400 year old heated beds!

We meet two adorable girls (twins) who work at our hostel and decide to take them for a bike ride through the narrow cobbled streets within the boundaries of the 6 Km Ming city wall. As we meander through narrow lanes and by-lanes we see signs for a Theatre Group called the Wild Jujubes plastered all over the city walls. We decide to christen the twins “wild jujubes” and they seem happy with this moniker. At one point we accidentally leave the city wall and find ourselves staring into the hot desert. I suddenly realize that most of China is actually made up of arid desert! As we bicycle back we spot the real Wild Jujubes performing street theatre!

In Pingyao I learn about a mythological Chinese creature called Quilin (pronounced chillin). Apparently this guy shows up only when times are harmonious. As I write this, Arjun is playing badminton on the street, music from a loud speaker is wafting through the air, a food vendor makes yuan xiao (a round white snack which symbolizes the moon), red lanterns move softly in the wind and Morgan is practicing yoga on our 400 year old bed. Times could not be more harmonious and so I might spot Quilin today!