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Shanxi's tourism marvels
On our trip, we also were fortunate to visit some of the region's biggest tourist draws, such the UNESCO Heritage Site Pingyao Ancient City.
Situated in central Shanxi province about a three hour drive from Yuci, Pingyao has been a UNESCO site since 1997. First constructed in 1370 during the Ming Dynasty, Pingyao later gained fame as China's first banking center. Our group toured the city's famous Rishengchang bank, first opened by the Li family more than 200 years ago. The bank served as a main financial center during the late Qing dynasty. One interesting fact is only male workers under 18 were recruited to become bank tellers. Also, the accountant's office and bank manager's office were both equipped with tea rooms in order to welcome business partners and guests.
The city is also well known for its well preserved city wall, which is similar in style to the wall surrounding Xi'an but differs in that no modern buildings are contained inside. Our tour guide explained that even though Pingyao is a tourist attraction, many local residents, including many shop and restaurant owners actually still live within the old city walls.
In Jinzhong, we also visited the Jinzhong Mingle Eco-Garden, set up as an eco-tourism site. Touring the facility, we saw a number of sights that I wouldn't have imagined seeing in central Shanxi: An 8000-sm bird exhibit, which featured peacocks, ostriches, cranes, and 44 kinds of other exotic fowl. There was also a fishing pond where tourists could catch fish, and a hands-on farm where visitors could pick their own fruits and vegetables.
Perhaps the center's star attraction is its horses. The park maintains at least 50 horses in its stables, which are raised for carriage rides, visitor horseback riding and also for equestrian competitions. Our group got a glimpse of the action as we saw some of the local professionals practicing their horse jumping in the park's arena.
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山西旅游勝地
此次旅行，我們還有幸游覽了山西地區最大的旅游勝地，例如聯合國教科文組織世界文化遺產平遙古城。
平遙古城位于山西省中部，離榆次大約三公里車程，古城于1997年被列入聯合國教科文組織世界文化遺產名錄。平遙古城始建于西周，并于明洪武三年（1370年）擴建，距今已有2000多年歷史。古城后來成為中國最早的金融中心。我們參觀游覽了平遙有名的日升昌票號，該票號最初是由其財東李大全在200多年前創建的。日升昌在清朝末年發展壯大為中國主要的金融機構。關于日升昌，很有趣的一個細節是，票號雇傭的伙計都是18歲以下的男性。此外，票號會計和經理的辦公處都設有專門的茶房，以便接待商業伙伴和客戶。
平遙古城也因其保存完好的古城墻而聞名于世，其古城墻與陜西西安的城墻風格相近，但城墻內沒有任何現代建筑。導游告訴我們，盡管平遙已發展為旅游景區，當地很多居民、包括很多商鋪和餐館的老板仍然住在古城墻內。
我們還游覽了晉中明樂生態莊園，一個生態旅游的樂園。在那里看到的不少景象令我感到出乎意外——一座占地8000平方米的百鳥園，里面有孔雀、鴕鳥、冠鶴及其他44種珍奇異鳥。莊園里還有一個垂釣館供游客釣魚之樂，另有一個采摘園，游客可以在那里采摘當地出產的水果和蔬菜。
馬或許是莊園最靚麗的名片。莊園的馬廄里至少飼養著50匹馬，可用于馬拉車觀光游、騎乘、以及馬術比賽。我們看到當地專業馬術隊的一些隊員正在訓練馬匹跳躍。
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