Pingdingshan

Understand

thumb|Spring Temple Buddha In Chinese, Pingdingshan means "mountain with a flat top". The city is named after a nearby plateau, the top of which is very flat. The nickname "Eagle City" can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (771 to 403 BCE). There was a small country royal named Ying who lived in the Pingdingshan area. In ancient times, the word "Ying" had the same pronunciation as Eagle in Chinese, therefore people also called Pingdingshan "Eagle City".

Get around

The most important roads in town are Guangming road (光明路), Jianshe road (建设路), Zhongxing road (中兴路) and Kuanggong road (矿工路). Together they form somewhat of a trapezoid around the northwestern part of the city and most city life can be found within the area. If you catch a bus, just imagine the bus running straight down the road which you are on. The train station is at the southern end of Zhongxing road (中兴路). There is a bus station just north of the train station on Zhongxing road and another bus station on East Kuang-gong road just east of Xinhua road (新花路).

See

Pingdingshan people seem to carry a regional pride with them, as their city is home to an ancient "Eagle" tribe which was probably one of the earliest in the country. Keep in mind as you wander the area that you are walking amongst some of the oldest landscapes within Chinese civilization. The area is mostly flood plain, except for the flat-topped hills to the northeast which lend the city its name. Take Xinhua road to its northern terminus and you'll be halfway up Pingdingshan mountain, a flat-topped butte of sorts, but usually green and comfortable on top.

Do

Because Pingdingshan is not a tourist city, there are relatively few things to do, but walking around the city center is also a good option; it's walkable in a day. Most locals like to visit Pingdingshan mountain or walk along the Zhanhe river (canal) which cuts through the city from west to east. There is a park lining the canal which at most times of night and day has something interesting to see. The central area of Pingdingshan is located on TiYu Road ZhongXin Road, KaiYuan Road.These three roads have many shops and dining options, making them the liveliest places on Pingdingshan, where there are also numerous entertainment options.

For historical culture, the Xiangshan Buddhist Temple (香山寺) might be the best around. Interestingly enough, it's the site of the first thousand-hand Buddha sculpture, or Sakyamuni, to be created in China. The site itself is over a thousand years old, despite the structures being rebuilt periodically. There is a pagoda tower, a monastery and some nice flowers about. The site is eternally under development, as it truly is a national treasure -in religious terms - but getting there is quite easy and the crowd is almost non-existent. From Kuanggong road (矿工路) hop on the #8 bus going west toward number 11 Coal mine, and just tell the ticket girl "Xiang-shan-si", and she will charge you about three kuai and alert you when your stop arrives. Take a small motorcar to the summit of the site (¥6). The guy will know where you're going. From the bus stat…

Buy

Although Pingdingshan is a small city, basic shopping needs here can be met. The shopping experience at Pingdingshan blends modern urban convenience with local characteristics—ranging from modern shopping districts like Wanda and Denis to pedestrian streets and night markets that retain a strong sense of fireworks. Whether you're a tourist or a local resident, you can find your own shopping pleasure here.

On Pingdingshan, there are three decent department stores where you can find almost all kinds of household items, as well as many excellent brands, and where cinema and dining services are integrated. But since Pingdingshan is a four-tier city, you might not have the luxury items you need. However, a pedestrian street connects the three main roads in the center of Pingdingshan city: Tiyu Road, Central Road, and Kaiyuan Road。This is the commercial district, home to many merchants, shops, cinemas, dining venues, and various leisure and entertainment options. Affordable prices make it a common area for locals to visit.

Eat

PingDingShan has a diverse array of fine Chinese cuisine. Its location at China's center means you can find almost any type of Chinese food here. The city is big enough to have a scattering of cosmopolitan restaurants, and while there are a number of imitation Korean, Japanese, Indian, and Western options about, you will do best to stick with Chinese food. From street food to local delicacies, this city has a rich, authentic, and down-to-earth flavor.

Drink

The following bars are mostly the same setup. An open space with a short bar, then two levels of booths wrapped around the open space. They play Chinese pop and most people play dice-game over their beer, fruit, popcorn and cigarettes. The bartenders and servers are all nice and helpful. They sell beer and mixed drinks. Very few people speak English but you won't have a problem finding instant "best friends" at these places: 2046 Beer Club (er-ling-si-liu jiu-ba) - Laodong Road (a block south of jianshe road, second floor) - A good place to unwind after work, as it's probably the earliest opening bar (17:00-18:00) along with Pinwei bar. Probably the original expat bar in town. There was once as many as three foreigners in the place at one time! Has a stage where you can sing your favorite Chinese pop songs and quite a regular following of customers. The boss is a wild and crazy Hui minority who looks more like a hipster Mexican with his beard and baseball cap. Big, cheap (¥10) bottles of Qingdao, Snow beer and occasionally a homebrew on tap. Pinwei jiu-ba Flavor Bar - Chaoyang rd. alongside the little canal beside the Pingdingshan Hotel on Jianshe road. An amazingly relaxing place open by a coal-mine boss which caters to a rather hidden collection of higher-ups and visiting Korean/Japanese businessmen. The prices here are just a bit more than usual (¥20 big qingdao) but the quiet and the small crowd makes it worth it. Good Mr. Huang and Lovely Ms. Jin basically run the bar ev…

Go next

Yaoshan (formerly Shirenshan) - A classic Chinese mountain park. Some impressive rock formations and low-altitude peaks with stone trails up and down them. There is also an Austrian gondola to the mountain's summit for some stomach-wrenching heights.