Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1760

"These specialties are so unique. They will definitely be popular when I bring them back." Li Xiao said as he selected the specialties.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "Yes, these specialties are not only delicacies and handicrafts, but also symbols of Datong culture. Let us bring these beautiful memories home."

Lin Yifei also said happily: "This trip to Datong is really unforgettable. Not only did we enjoy the beautiful scenery and taste the delicious food, but we also learned about the rich history and culture. These specialties are the best testimony of our trip."

With the enthusiastic help of the specialty store owner, they packed up the specialties they bought and left with a full harvest. Although they were about to leave Datong, they were full of reluctance and nostalgia for this city.

"Datong is such an unforgettable city. We will definitely come back if we have the chance in the future." Li Xiao said affectionately while looking at the street scene of Datong outside the window.

Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement. They set off on a new journey with beautiful memories of Datong and expectations for the next stop. Datong's Yungang Grottoes, ancient city food, Huayan Ancient Temple and special products will always remain in their hearts and become a precious memory in their lives.

Pingyao Time, the Fireworks Poem of the Ancient City
After bidding farewell to Datong, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei took a car to Pingyao. Along the way, they were full of anticipation for the upcoming trip to Pingyao. Pingyao, an ancient city with a history of more than 2800 years, is known as "the most complete ancient county town in China". It is a world cultural heritage and carries a rich historical and cultural heritage.

"I heard that the ancient city of Pingyao is very well preserved, like a living Ming and Qing museum." Zhang Yuedong said with anticipation.

Li Xiao excitedly echoed: "Yes, I can't wait to feel the historical atmosphere there. Maybe I can meet a few people in ancient costumes. It will feel like I have traveled through time."

Lin Yifei smiled and said: "I am more looking forward to Pingyao's delicacies, Pingyao beef, Pingyao bowl tray, just hearing the names makes me salivate."

When they stepped into Pingyao Ancient City, it was as if they had traveled back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The ancient city walls, quaint buildings, and stone-paved streets all exuded a strong historical atmosphere. At the city gate, tourists came and went, and everyone was attracted by the charm of this ancient city.

"Wow, this is the ancient city of Pingyao. It feels even more spectacular than I imagined." Li Xiao couldn't help but exclaim.

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, this ancient city has gone through thousands of years of wind and rain, and it still retains its original appearance. It is really rare."

Lin Yifei has already started looking around, looking for traces of delicious food: "Don't sigh for now, let's go find something delicious."

Pingyao Ancient City, Traveling Through the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Walking into Pingyao Ancient City, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei seemed to be in an ancient painting. The streets were lined with antique shops, wooden doors and windows, and exquisite carvings, all showing the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tourists were bustling on the streets, some admiring the ancient buildings, some picking up souvenirs, and some tasting local delicacies.

"The buildings here are so beautiful. Every detail reveals the wisdom and aesthetics of the ancients." Li Xiao exclaimed as he admired the buildings on both sides of the street.

Zhang Yuedong said: "The architectural layout of Pingyao Ancient City is very exquisite, following the traditional Feng Shui concept and embodying the idea of ​​'harmony between man and nature'. These buildings are not only of practical value, but also of high artistic value."

Lin Yifei was attracted by the sign at the door of a shop: "Look, this shop sells Pingyao paper-cuts. I heard that this is Pingyao's traditional handicraft. Let's go in and take a look."

Walking into the store, there are all kinds of paper-cut works, including animals, flowers, people, etc., with realistic shapes and lifelike. Li Xiao picked up a paper-cut and admired it carefully: "These paper-cuts are so exquisite, they are simply works of art."

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Pingyao paper-cutting has a long history and unique style. It is famous for its exquisite craftsmanship and rich connotations. These paper-cuttings can not only be used as decorations, but also as gifts for relatives and friends."

Lin Yifei picked out a few paper-cuts and prepared to take them back to give to his family and friends: "I think these paper-cuts are very beautiful. I'll take them back to share with everyone."

After leaving the paper-cutting shop, they continued walking and came to Rishengchang Bank. Rishengchang Bank was the first bank in China and is known as the "founder of modern Chinese banks." Walking into Rishengchang Bank is like traveling back to the ancient financial world. Various account books, silver bills, seals, etc. are displayed in the store, showing the operation of the bank at that time.

“I didn’t expect this to be the first banknote exchange in China. It must have been very prosperous back then.” Li Xiao said with emotion as he looked at the displays in the store.

Zhang Yuedong said: "The establishment of Rishengchang Bank opened the precedent of foreign exchange business in China's financial history and had a profound impact on the development of China's modern financial industry. During its heyday, Rishengchang Bank had branches in 35 large and medium-sized cities across the country, and its business reached as far as Europe, America, Southeast Asia and other countries. It was famous for its 'transactions all over the world'."

Lin Yifei asked curiously: "How do they ensure the safety of the banknotes?"

Zhang Yuedong explained: "Rising Sun Bank has a set of strict anti-counterfeiting measures, such as using watermarks, secret marks, micro-carving and other technologies on silver bills, and also regularly changing passwords to prevent silver bills from being forged."

After leaving Rishengchang Bank, they came to Pingyao County Yamen. Pingyao County Yamen is the most complete ancient county-level government office in China. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and finalized in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, it is still well preserved. Walking into Pingyao County Yamen, it seems to have traveled back to the ancient officialdom. The architectural layout of the county yamen is rigorous and fully functional. There are lobby, second hall, third hall, prison, etc., showing the office scene and judicial system of the ancient county yamen.

"This is the ancient county government office. It feels so majestic." Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the buildings in the county government office.

Zhang Yuedong introduced: "The architectural style of Pingyao County Yamen reflects the ancient official culture. The main hall is where the county magistrate hears cases, the second hall is where the county magistrate handles daily government affairs, and the third hall is where the county magistrate lives and rests. The prison is where prisoners are detained, and the facilities inside are very simple."

Lin Yifei asked curiously, "How did the county magistrates in ancient times try cases?"

Zhang Yuedong explained: "When the ancient county magistrate tried a case, he would judge it based on the law and evidence, while also taking into account human relationships and social influence. During the trial, the county magistrate would use various torture instruments to force confessions in order to obtain evidence."

During the tour of Pingyao County Yamen, they also watched a performance of "The County Magistrate Going to Court to Judge a Case", which vividly reproduced the trial scene of the ancient county yamen and gave them a deeper understanding of the ancient judicial system.

Enjoy Pingyao's local flavors

Coming out of Pingyao County Government Office, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei's stomachs were already growling. They decided to taste Pingyao's specialties and feel the atmosphere of the ancient city. They came to a famous local restaurant and ordered Pingyao beef, Pingyao bowl tray, fried oat noodles and other specialties. After a while, the dishes were served one after another. Pingyao beef was ruddy in color, tender in texture and mellow in taste; Pingyao bowl tray noodles were chewy, smooth and delicious, paired with aged vinegar and chili oil, the taste was sour and spicy and appetizing; fried oat noodles were fragrant and chewy, with a chewy taste that made people linger.

"Wow, these foods are so delicious. They really live up to their reputation." Li Xiao praised them while eating.

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Pingyao's food is famous for its unique flavor and exquisite craftsmanship. These foods are not only a taste enjoyment, but also a cultural heritage."

Lin Yifei ate with big mouthfuls, mumbling: "It's so satisfying, I feel like I can have another serving."

In addition to these dishes, they also tasted other specialties of Pingyao, such as Pao Pao You Gao, Braised Beef with Old Vinegar, Babao Kuoluoluo, etc. Each kind of food brought them a different taste experience and made them feel the unique charm of Pingyao's food culture.

"Pingyao has such a rich variety of delicious food that I can't help but linger on." Li Xiao patted his round belly and said with satisfaction.

Zhang Yuedong said with a smile: "This is only part of Pingyao's delicacies. There are more delicacies waiting for us to discover."

Lin Yifei also said expectantly: "I'm so excited. I can't wait to continue our food journey."

Experience folk customs and feel the flavor of Pingyao New Year

After dinner, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei came to the square of Pingyao Ancient City to watch a folk performance. At this time, many tourists had gathered in the square, and everyone was looking forward to the performance.

With the sound of cheerful gongs and drums, the performance officially began. The first performance was the dragon and lion dance. Two giant dragons were flying up and down in the hands of the dragon dancers, vivid and lifelike; several lions were rolling and jumping on the ground, looking very cute. The wonderful performance won rounds of applause and cheers from the audience.

"The dragon and lion dance performance was so wonderful. Their movements were so skillful." Li Xiao said excitedly.

Zhang Yuedong said: "Dragon and lion dances are traditional Chinese folk performances with a long history and profound cultural connotations. In Pingyao, there are dragon and lion dances during every major festival or celebration to pray for good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people."

Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement: "Yes, watching their performance, I felt the strong flavor of the New Year and the charm of traditional culture."

Then, Pingyao Shehuo and Pingyao Bamboo Horse were performed. Pingyao Shehuo is a comprehensive folk performance, including stilts, dry boats, pavilions, carrying sticks and other forms, with rich content and diverse forms, full of strong local flavor and local characteristics. Pingyao Bamboo Horse is a traditional folk dance, in which actors wear bamboo horse props and imitate the running and jumping of horses. The performance is lively, interesting and rhythmic.

"These folk performances are so interesting. Each show showcases Pingyao's traditional culture and folk customs." Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh as he watched the performances on the stage.

Zhang Yuedong said: "Pingyao has a very rich folk culture. These folk performances are not only a form of entertainment, but also a form of cultural heritage. Through these performances, we can better understand the history and culture of Pingyao and feel the unique charm of this ancient city."

Lin Yifei also said excitedly: "Yes, I think these folk performances are much more interesting than watching movies and playing games. They really broaden my horizons."

During the performance, the actors also interacted with the audience and invited them to come on stage to participate in the performance. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also actively participated in it and experienced the fun of folk performances.

"Today's folk performance was so unforgettable that it gave me a pleasant evening," Li Xiao said happily.

Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement. They left the square with full of joy and a deep impression of Pingyao folk culture.

Specialties as souvenirs, treasure the memories of Pingyao

The journey in Pingyao is coming to an end, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei decided to buy some local specialties as a souvenir of the trip. They came to a specialty store, which was filled with a variety of Pingyao specialties, which was dazzling.

"Pingyao has so many specialties. What should we buy?" Li Xiao looked at the dazzling array of specialties, feeling a little hesitant.

Zhang Yuedong thought for a moment and said, "Pingyao's lacquerware is very famous. It is named after the luster pushed out by the palm of the hand and has high artistic value. We can buy some lacquerware crafts to take back."

Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement: "Well, I think we can also buy some Pingyao long yam, which is rich in nutrients and has a soft and glutinous taste. It is a very good tonic."

So, they began to select local specialties. Li Xiao picked a polished lacquer jewelry box with exquisite patterns, bright colors and bright luster. Zhang Yuedong bought a few boxes of Pingyao long yams to take back for his family to taste. Lin Yifei also found a small ornament called "Pingyao Ancient City Commemorative Coin", which he thought was very commemorative, so he bought a few as well.

"These specialties are so unique. They will definitely be popular when I bring them back." Li Xiao said as he selected the specialties.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "Yes, these specialties are not only delicacies and handicrafts, but also symbols of Pingyao culture. Let us bring these beautiful memories home."

Lin Yifei also said happily: "This trip to Pingyao is really unforgettable. Not only did we enjoy the beautiful scenery and taste the delicious food, but we also learned about the rich history and culture. These specialties are the best testimony of our trip."

With the enthusiastic help of the specialty store owner, they packed up the specialties they bought and left with a full harvest. Although they were about to leave Pingyao, they were full of reluctance and nostalgia for this city.

"Pingyao is such an unforgettable city. We will definitely come back if we have the chance in the future." Li Xiao said affectionately as he looked out the window at the ancient city of Pingyao.

Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement. They set off on a new journey with beautiful memories of Pingyao and expectations for the next stop. Pingyao's ancient city scenery, food culture, folk performances and special products will always remain in their hearts and become a precious memory in their lives.