Pingyao is quite possibly the dustiest city in China. Everything is made from dirt and covered in dirt. We started our dirty weekend by hiring bicycles to ride around the city’s 6.5km of walls, before indulging in some 60p noodles and a £5 massage. The following morning we hired a taxi and drove to Zhangbi underground castle for a personalised tour (as we were the only English speakers) of its ancient caves and temples. After another day of relaxing in this quirky township we headed for the cave community of Qikou, some 200km southeast of Pinyao. The journey there was rather longer than usual, after a crash on the road ahead caused the road to shut down for five hours in the baking midday sun. Once we arrived we found a guesthouse, and resided in a comfortable cave room for the next few nights. We spent the next few days checking out many of the local cave communities and enjoying the picturesque setting high above the yellow river.
