7 Days Premium· Jinzhong Pingyao Ancient Town West Gate

The city wall is beautiful, and the old houses are worth seeing, though much of this very commercial ancient city is now shops. There are still a few museums, but they aren't very international, so don't expect English signs. The entrance fee is rather expensive at 125¥ per person.

This is a memorable, authentic place to experience. The huge, intact walled town is still lived in and easy to explore on foot. Its buildings have been preserved without modern structures. A must-see.

I went in late November, when it was cold, around 0C/32F, but there were only a few dozen people on each street at a time, so it felt like I had the city to myself. The place is beautiful and absolutely worth visiting, with hundreds of years of history, an intact wall, and loads of character. From Beijing, it's a cheap four-hour bullet train ride. If you're heading to Xi'an, I'd add a day to explore Pingyao.

I first came here 20 years ago, and PingYao has certainly changed. Some of the old coal problems have eased, but now there are cars and parking lots everywhere. There's a huge amount of history and it's a lovely town with lovely people, though parts of it still feel like people live their lives once the tourists are gone. The place is slowly being taken over by commerce and neglect, as happens in a lot of places in China. Too many people and too little care, but it's certainly worth a trip.