Tour Overview
| Duration | 4 Days / 3 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | Pingyao + Xi’an — Han & Ming Ancient Capitals Comparison |
| Price From | $829 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Imperial vs Civilian Capitals Heritage |
| Data Source | ChinaDiscovery.com 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Pingyao
Welcome to Pingyao — the model for the world’s best-preserved ancient walled city (UNESCO). Driver will pick you up from Taiyuan. Walk the 12km Ming Dynasty city wall (1370 AD) — the largest intact Ming-era city wall in China. Visit the Ri Shengchang Livery Store (1823) — China’s first bank with wooden vaults and the world’s first paper currency printing press. Continue to Qingxiang Jiuda Wanping (Council Hall) where 19th-century Shanxi merchants conducted the world’s first bank-to-bank transfers. Evening walk the “South Street” — the nighttime lantern lighting ceremony recreates the atmosphere of imperial-era commerce. Overnight in Pingyao.
Day 2: Wang’s Compound & Bullion Stores
Morning visit to Wang’s Family Compound (1762-1816 AD, 1,318 rooms) — the largest family mansion in China, used as a film location. Continue to the Qiao Family Compound — featured in the 1991 Zhang Yimou film “Raise the Red Lantern.” Walk through the family’s ancestral halls, where Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist worship coexisted in three separate courtyards. Afternoon: a deep dive into the Shanxi merchant culture — visit the Pingyao Museum of Ancient Bronze Ware (the world’s best collection of ancient Chinese bronze art from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties). Overnight in Pingyao.
Day 3: Pingyao → Xi’an — Bullion Transfers
Morning visit the Xiyang Shanxi Merchant’s Bank — a museum tracing the rise of the Shanxi merchant empire. Drive 350km (or bullet train) to Xi’an. On arrival, walk along the Xi’an City Wall (1378 AD, the only fully intact medieval city wall in China). This Ming Dynasty wall encloses a 12-km perimeter — cyclists can hire bikes on top of the wall. Visit the Bell Tower (1384 AD) and Drum Tower (1380 AD) in central Xi’an. Optional Tang Dynasty theatrical music & dance show. Overnight in Xi’an.
Day 4: Xian — Terracotta Army & Depart
Full-day at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (UNESCO) — discover the Terracotta Army, 8,000 life-size warriors guarding China’s first emperor’s tomb. Visit Pit 1 (the grandest, with 6,000+ figures), Pit 2 (the military deployment), Pit 3 (the command headquarters), and the Bronze Chariots exhibition. Continue to the Han Yang Ling Museum — the burial tomb of Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty (157-141 BC). Return to Xi’an and transfer to airport (or continue with extension to Beijing).
Inclusions
- 3 nights (2 Pingyao + 1 Xi’an)
- Pingyao ancient wall + Ri Shengchang Bank + Wang’s Compound
- Qiao Family Compound + Xiyang Merchant Bank Museum
- Bullion Train / private vehicle Pingyao-Xi’an
- Xi’an City Wall + Bell & Drum Towers
- Terracotta Army + Han Yang Ling Museum
- Private transfers + English-speaking guide
