Autumn Visit to Yuhang | Pingyao Old Street

To the west of Hangzhou's main city, the mountains are lush, the fertile fields stretch for miles, and the Dongtiao Creek flows elegantly between the mountains and waters. On the north bank of Tiaoxi lies a small town with wide urban roads, bustling with traffic and people, and a gathering of merchants, presenting a lively scene of human life. This place is Pingyao. Known anciently as Ting Market, Pingyao has been prosperous since ancient times and is reputed as a 'land of culture, a heavenly prefecture, a hometown of fish and rice, and the bright pearl of the north.' It is also the core area of the light of Chinese civilization—the Liangzhu Culture, where the Liangzhu Ancient City ruins are located. Pingyao is a 5A-level scenic town in Zhejiang Province, with its gentle natural scenery and charming cultural heritage, becoming a popular spot for tourists. Here, one can find a unique nostalgic atmosphere and rich cultural heritage, a free admission intangible cultural heritage museum and a handicraft research center, as well as cafes with a cultural and creative vibe, retro-style gourmet shops, and cinemas with an 80s style... Pingyao, centered around Mozi Heart, has its east-west streets as Waiyao and Liyao. Waiyao Street backs onto Yao Mountain and faces south to Dongtiao Creek, while Liyao Street starts from the bend of Dongtiao Creek and stretches west to the foot of the main peak of Yao Mountain. Waiyao Street is a commercial street between Yao Mountain and Tiaoxi. Mountain people coming out of the mountains to catch the early market pull bamboo and firewood with two-wheeled carts to the bamboo and wood market at Yangqiao Head to sell; there are also farmers from Penggong, Changming, Anxi, and surrounding villages of Liangzhu, carrying their homegrown vegetables and chickens and ducks to sell on the street. Liyao Old Street was once the busiest market in the old town of Pingyao. The street is lined with shops and bustling with people, and the old cinema was considered the most magnificent building on the old street at that time. Today's Pingyao Cinema still retains the retro style of the old cinema. When night falls and the neon lights on both banks of Tiaoxi light up, walking across the brightly lit Pingyao Bridge, what appears before you is a glittering Liyao old town. The lights along the ten-mile canal outline the contours of the buildings, with some eaves and corridors still adorned with traditional red lanterns, paired with buildings in the style of the 70s and 80s, creating a strong atmosphere. Pingyao is also the inheritance site of Pingyao's intangible cultural heritage. Sericulture culture, Yuhang paper umbrellas, kite lanterns, Liangzhu jade carving, pottery making, various intangible cultural heritage products on display, allowing visitors to witness and experience making them by themselves...