Pingyao, 24 de mayo de 2014.
Pingyao, May 24 2014.
Situada en la provincia de Shanxi, Pingyao es una ciudad fundada en el siglo XIV que exhibe como principal atracción turística el excepcional nivel de conservación de sus calles y edificios. Fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO y, mientras el turismo no la estropee demasiado en el futuro, es una gran oportunidad, posiblemente la mejor, para ver una ciudad Han medieval.
Located in Shanxi province and founded back in the 14th century, Pingyao relies on its exceptionally well-preserved streets and buildings as the main appeal as a tourist destination. The town was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and remains nowadays a great chance —perhaps the best one— for travellers to immerse in the classic atmosphere of a Han Chinese medieval town.
Located in Shanxi province and founded back in the 14th century, Pingyao relies on its exceptionally well-preserved streets and buildings as the main appeal as a tourist destination. The town was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and remains nowadays a great chance —perhaps the best one— for travellers to immerse in the classic atmosphere of a Han Chinese medieval town.
Como la explicación de la Wikipedia no nos bastaba, en mayo nos escapamos a verla un fin de semana. El momento en que dejamos la pequeña taquilla junto a la Minzu, billetes en mano tras diez minutos mínimo de preguntas y comprobaciones, nos pareció un milagro o el sello de nuestro destino aciago. Más bien lo segundo, tras un primer intento fallido de ir con la universidad y un plan posterior del que fueron descolgándose todos menos quienes al fin quedamos. Pingyao solo puede ser un éxito o un fracaso total, nos dijimos mientras bajábamos la calle en plena euforia, esa avenida universitaria en la que los puestos de comida rápida se mezclan con las tiendas de regalos, los restaurantes, las papelerías, las boutiques terribles y los salones de belleza.
Since Wikipedia did not sate our curiosity, we decided to do a little weekend trip to Pingyao in May. Getting to finally leave the teeny tiny office next to Minzu University, the train tickets safe in our pockets, after no less than ten minutes of queries and checks, felt as either a priceless miracle or the seal of our ill-fated destiny. It rather, truly seemed like the latter — a failed attempt to hit Pingyao with our uni, followed by a seemingly equally doomed personal plan to which only two of us would finally stick. With such a rosey prospect, we agreed, Pingyao could only be either a notorious fail or a great success, and so we carried this certainty with us, still feeling euphoric, as we strolled down the avenue that leads back to our campus, filled with an unmistakable student atmosphere and a hectic mix of fast-food stalls, eateries, gifts shops, stationer's shops, unfortunate boutiques and beauty parlors.
Since Wikipedia did not sate our curiosity, we decided to do a little weekend trip to Pingyao in May. Getting to finally leave the teeny tiny office next to Minzu University, the train tickets safe in our pockets, after no less than ten minutes of queries and checks, felt as either a priceless miracle or the seal of our ill-fated destiny. It rather, truly seemed like the latter — a failed attempt to hit Pingyao with our uni, followed by a seemingly equally doomed personal plan to which only two of us would finally stick. With such a rosey prospect, we agreed, Pingyao could only be either a notorious fail or a great success, and so we carried this certainty with us, still feeling euphoric, as we strolled down the avenue that leads back to our campus, filled with an unmistakable student atmosphere and a hectic mix of fast-food stalls, eateries, gifts shops, stationer's shops, unfortunate boutiques and beauty parlors.
Al final, Pingyao fue un éxito casi imposible de creer, tanto que aún pienso en cómo escribir una crónica que le haga justicia. Fue un fin de semana feliz el que pasamos en aquella ciudad pequeña y aún tranquila, tachando viejas casas en el mapa, recorriendo las dos terceras partes de la muralla y buscando la buena fortuna, fú (福), por los rincones.
Pingyao, however, would prove to be the former option — a big fat success, so much that I am still pondering how to write a travel chronicle worth of those days. We spent a happy weekend in that small, still calm town, crossing ancient dwellings off our fancy map, hiking our way through two thirds of the local wall and searching the corners for good fortune, fú (福).
Pingyao, however, would prove to be the former option — a big fat success, so much that I am still pondering how to write a travel chronicle worth of those days. We spent a happy weekend in that small, still calm town, crossing ancient dwellings off our fancy map, hiking our way through two thirds of the local wall and searching the corners for good fortune, fú (福).
En realidad, el único punto en contra de Pingyao es su oferta culinaria. Cuando uno se resignaba a no encontrar alternativas occidentales decentes, el menú del resto de restaurantes te ofrecía siempre el mismo puñado de alternativas: fotos de platos difíciles para el guiri medio a los que acababan de rematar el precio y, por encima de todo, las traducciones. Las guías de Pingyao no mencionan que es un entorno sin igual para el disfrute del chinglish más salvaje: "características del culo de Hunan", "tira de la piel", "un podrido". La primera noche aceptamos con hambre e ingenuidad la apuesta: dos cervezas, un plato de "la antigua ciudad de Frito" (arroz tres delicias) y otro de una carne similar a la cecina, también especialidad local. A la mañana siguiente, resultaba difícil conjurar la fe y el optimismo necesarios para seguir explorando los sabores locales.
If you still insist on me pointing a not-so-shiny aspect of our trip to Pingyao, that would be the local food. Once you gave up on finding decent Western alternatives, the rest of restaurants would all offer the same menu, a big red sign depicting a series of challenging specialities for the average, picky Western tourist, their potential appeal weighed down by the prices and, above all, the translations below each dish. I have yet to find a Pingyao guide that features the town as a unique environment to indulge in the joys of some of your wildest Engrish fantasies — 'Characteristics of Hunan Ass', 'Pull The Skin', 'A Rotten'. On our first night there, hunger and naïveté made us settle for a small restaurant next to our youth hostel — two beers and the forgettable sampling of some 'Ancient Town of Fried' (good ole three delicacies fried rice) and some kind of cured meat, also a local flavor. It proved difficult to muster the necessary faith and optimism to try our luck the following day.
If you still insist on me pointing a not-so-shiny aspect of our trip to Pingyao, that would be the local food. Once you gave up on finding decent Western alternatives, the rest of restaurants would all offer the same menu, a big red sign depicting a series of challenging specialities for the average, picky Western tourist, their potential appeal weighed down by the prices and, above all, the translations below each dish. I have yet to find a Pingyao guide that features the town as a unique environment to indulge in the joys of some of your wildest Engrish fantasies — 'Characteristics of Hunan Ass', 'Pull The Skin', 'A Rotten'. On our first night there, hunger and naïveté made us settle for a small restaurant next to our youth hostel — two beers and the forgettable sampling of some 'Ancient Town of Fried' (good ole three delicacies fried rice) and some kind of cured meat, also a local flavor. It proved difficult to muster the necessary faith and optimism to try our luck the following day.
Bienaventurados los valientes, porque de ellos será el reino de las papilas gustativas. Si alguna vez visitáis Pingyao, y nunca digáis nunca, descubriréis que sus calles huelen a vainilla. Seguid el aroma y llegaréis a cualquiera de los puestos en los que se vende el tentempié local estrella, la "carne fragrante" o xiāngcǎoròu (香草肉): albóndigas de carne de pollo o ternera envueltas en tofu y vainilla que a continuación se cocinan al vapor. El olor a vainilla, en realidad, es el de una hierba local que confiere aroma y sabor a este snack callejero. Probadlo con mentalidad abierta y sin perros hambrientos cerca, y regadlo con una botella de eso que parece zumo de melocotón pero no lo es: shājízhī (沙棘汁), espino cerval de mar. Y es que no todo es Pekín y el pincho de escorpiones en Wangfujing, camaradas laowai.
'Verily, verily I say unto you, that whosoever dare to try new flavours shall be blessed, and shall entereth the Kingdom of Taste Buds.' Should you ever visit Pingyao —never say never —, you will find out that its streets smell of vanilla. Follow the scent that will lead you to any of the town stalls and ask for the star street snack, 'Vanilla Meat', also known as xiāngcǎoròu (香草肉), 'fragrant straw meat'. It consists of a chicken or beef meatball, wrapped in a first thin layer of bean curd and a second layer of vanilla, steamed to a small, neatly wrapped roll. The scent of vanilla comes in fact from a local grass that gives this snack its characteristic aroma and flavour. Give it a go with an open mind and no hungry dogs around, and do not forget to wash it down with some of that juice that tricked you into thinking you would drink some sort of peach nectar — it is actually sea-buckthorn juice, shājízhī (沙棘汁). A nice reminder that there is life beyond Beijing and the trite deed of eating scorpions in Wangfujing.
'Verily, verily I say unto you, that whosoever dare to try new flavours shall be blessed, and shall entereth the Kingdom of Taste Buds.' Should you ever visit Pingyao —never say never —, you will find out that its streets smell of vanilla. Follow the scent that will lead you to any of the town stalls and ask for the star street snack, 'Vanilla Meat', also known as xiāngcǎoròu (香草肉), 'fragrant straw meat'. It consists of a chicken or beef meatball, wrapped in a first thin layer of bean curd and a second layer of vanilla, steamed to a small, neatly wrapped roll. The scent of vanilla comes in fact from a local grass that gives this snack its characteristic aroma and flavour. Give it a go with an open mind and no hungry dogs around, and do not forget to wash it down with some of that juice that tricked you into thinking you would drink some sort of peach nectar — it is actually sea-buckthorn juice, shājízhī (沙棘汁). A nice reminder that there is life beyond Beijing and the trite deed of eating scorpions in Wangfujing.
