Yamen Hostel

This year (2006), we had this property recently upgraded based on suggestions from the previous year. The lights in the rooms are cheerfully bright, the sinks and toilets are all brand new, the showers are good as usual, and more trees have been planted in the garden and in the courtyards. The bathrooms have all been recently renovated, and you can expect clean and pleasant, Western-style toilets. All of the staff from the reception desk to room service speak English, and are ready to help with any troubles that you might have.

An Introduction to the Yamen Hostel

In 1591 the city of Pingyao constructed what is now the Yamen Property in order to house the emperor, who was then planning a visit to the small town. The whole town was very excited to see the emperor, and the city built a guesthouse adjacent to the county governor's office especially for the emperor's visit. Unfortunately the emperor never came to Pingyao, but the construction of the guesthouse was completed none-the-less. Today the Yamen Property resides next to the most cherished building in the old town, the governor's office, and we treat all of our guests as if they were emperors!

Four main components form the residence's tranquil interior. A spacious lobby also functions as restaurant where you can relax on comfortable, cushioned, red sofas, two separated courtyards in vertical alignment are located at the back of the lobby with guest rooms richly decorated, two separated front yards full of plants and spring-time flowers are on both sides of the courtyard, and an extensive entertainment area that features movies, musical instruments, and a big-screen TV lies adjacent to the lobby.

Here at the Yamen Hostel, we understand that many travelers start their journey at the city of Beijing and follow a route toward the southwest. Many will eventually find themselves here in the charming ancient town of Pingyao. One of the managers here, named Bee, has traveled all throughout China for over a year and knows all of the secrets of backpacking in China. He can assist you in planning your vacation and give you great tips on places to visit, affordable and clean places to stay, and how to get from one place to another.

Tourist Information

The Qiao Family Courtyard House was the home of a powerful trading family with significant commercial influence even beyond Shangxi. It was in this mansion that Zhang Yimou's famous film Raise the Red Lantern was filmed. Located some 20km north of Pingyao, the compound is fortified behind a 10m high wall. It is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pingyao. Another popular site is the Wang Family Courtyard House. This was the Wang clan's private residence and is four times larger than Qiao's, with 54 courtyards and 1,052 rooms. The mansion took over half a century to build and is located on a hilly area.

Within a one hour drive of Pingyao is the Zhangbi Castle. Though you will not be able to find this in your travel guides, it is one of the most amazing and unique places that Pingyao has to offer. A 2km, circular wall surrounds a small village of brick houses. What is truly spectacular, however, is that beneath this small village is a three-story underground tunnel that was built over 1600 years ago to house and hide imperial soldiers. Nearby, only 500 meters away, are the colorful Zhaoshi Ancient Graves where the family of an important government official of the Jing Dynasty is buried. The graves boast of beautiful, large, brick carvings and well-preserved paintings of deer and dandelions.

The Yamen Property would be delighted to help you plan your Pingyao vacation by giving you information on how to most conveniently and cheaply experience the best that Pingyao has to offer. If you prefer to have a tour guide, we would be glad to provide you with one. On the other hand, if you prefer to travel independently, then we can advise you of the cheapest and most convenient ways to get to where you want to go.

Whether or not you plan to stay with us...

Because Pingyao is a small and old city, there aren't many places for travelers to access the Internet. Here at the Yamen Property we invite all travelers, whether or not you are staying at our hotel, to use our computers to send emails to their friends and family and surf the web for free for up to a half an hour.

We also invite all travelers to come and dine in our delicious restaurant. We proudly serve traditional Pingyao dishes such as Pingyao beef and Kaolaolao, a type of noodle with vegetables. For those who long for foreign dishes we offer a wide variety of Western dishes such as Italian noodles, pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, coffee, and salads.

Since old city of Pingyao is just starting to blossom as a popular tourist attraction, many of the prices of local shops and restaurants are a little pricey. We encourage you to stop by the Yamen Property and speak with our friendly receptionists who can guide you toward cheaper shops and restaurants. Whether or not you plan to stay with us, we proudly offer you our card, which you can show to local shop owners and restaurants that will then offer you a fair price.

Something that you may or may not already know

Pingyao is a very small, ancient town. Because of this, it is impossible to book hard or soft sleeper train tickets at the Pingyao Railway Station less than 10 days in advanced if you plan to book yourself. Train tickets from Pingyao to other cities such as Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai must be booked from the nearest large city, Taiyuan. The Yamen Property can assist you in booking your train tickets from Pingyao to the destination of your choice.

Booking Information

If you are interested in booking a room with us, we encourage that you use Hostelz.com. Immediately after booking your room, you will receive a confirmation email. Arrangements can be made for a car to pick you up from the train station free of charge. When your visit is over, we can also arrange for a car to take you back to the train station at a very low fare (2.50RMB, 5RMB if you are alone).

We sincerely wish that you enjoy your stay here in Pingyao!