EXPLORING the city walls of Pingyao, in China's central Shanxi Province, is just as much about exploring the ancient city itself, as its compact size ensures you're always near the beloved surrounding walls.

It's in stark contrast to Beijing - a huge city where hardly anything is left of the ancient city walls. In quaint little Pingyao, the wall is ever-present.

Arriving in the Ancient City of Pingyao after a long train journey (22 hours) from Shanghai, via Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, it was great to stretch my legs with an afternoon stroll in the sunshine, snacking on a local, handmade moon cake - more like a cookie than a cake.

First stop after finding my way through the West gate and to my hotel almost all the way to the east, was the Yingxun Gate in the south. A group of elderly men sat sheltered from the sun just outside the wall, where a green area stretches out southwards.

One of 10 interesting things to do when touring in Pingyao, as listed on my tourist map, is "having chats with the old men of old city." Chat was limited to some big smiles and "xiexies" (thanks), but they were people of the right category, for sure.

Climbing the wall

Walking along the inside of the wall, toward the west, and then along the western side, there wasn't really much happening; other than, that was, the excitement of witnessing a young guy in a white blazer climbing up one of the water drainage ways to impress two girls he'd brought along on his scooter.

Crystal Dong, a local who works at my hotel, Jing's Residence on East Street, has lived within the city walls all her life, and her family in generations before her.

She told me that climbing the walls is not really unusual at all. "When we were children we always climbed the city wall for fun and exercise," Dong said.

She explained how the walls have always created a feeling of security. "It feels so safe, because in our mind the city wall can protect you and your family. There is no noise and it's not so crowded," she said.

Currently there are about 40,000 people living inside the city walls of Pingyao. And of course, there are always tourists visiting.

"Now the government doesn't allow cars inside the city, the air is more fresh and there's no traffic noise," Dong continued.

Hmm... I'm not sure if I agree. Cars might be restricted inside the walls, but this did not make me feel any safer - traffic wise - as the scooters and tourist golf carts are often driven like crazy.

I got out of the traffic to enjoy a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant and have an early night. A good choice is to let the chef choose, he'll rustle up something exquisite that is not necessarily on the menu.

One ticket for all

Day two, the "Big City Walls Discovery Day" brought rain. Not what I ordered, but I guess I can't always be lucky with the weather, and a bit of drizzle wasn't going to stop me.

Heading east, Qinhan Gate was the first I'd seen without a structure on top. Through the gate I found a lovely pebbled path along the outside of the wall, offering great views of the many watchtowers on top.

In total there are 72 watchtowers - said to represent 72 people of great wisdom. In the evening they are tastefully lit from outside. The path running along the eastern and northern wall was opened in 2012.

Rounding the northeastern corner, however, the rain got heavier, and the wind picked up, slightly dampening my wall exploration spirits. Wet and cold feet made the prospect of a hot shower at the hotel very tempting. The beauty of being a tourist in a smaller city - you are never too far away to pop back for whatever reason!

However, the rain also offered a good reason for visiting other attractions inside the city walls. I chose the Confucius Temple and the City of God Temple.

Tickets in Pingyao are based on a one-for-all deal, meaning most attractions do not sell tickets individually, but a 150 yuan (US$24.4) ticket gives you access to all areas, including the walls, for three days. Almost. The restriction is that you can only enter each place once. There are ticket offices located near all the four main gates.

108 snacks

In Pingyao, everything is close to the wall. The main streets where most hotels, shops and bars and restaurants are located are simply called North, West, East and South.

Part of South Street also makes up what is referred to as the ancient Ming-Qing Street, where most business activities during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties took place, around the still existing city tower.

Pingyao for decades led national finance and trade, with China's earliest commercial banks established here and the location for the first cheques and bank drafts in Qing Dynasty (1636-1912).

The city's heyday as a financial powerhouse has long passed, and nowadays its attractions are more laid-back.

It's lovely to sit outside and enjoy a drink and a Pingyao snack - 108 is the famous number of different snacks apparently, and most establishments seem to be serving them all.

Pingyao beef is not to be missed - it's delicious.

And there are noodles in all shapes, like "cat ear" noodles that really resemble macaroni, and the kaolaolao oatmeal noodles.

Make sure and go into the restaurants, though. Even if many have tables on the streets, they also have charming courtyards in which to sit and soak up the history and atmosphere of the city.

Original Han architecture

The Pingyao city walls are straight and square on three sides, with the exception being the southern wall, which follows the contours of the Zhongdu River, with the river also serving as a natural moat.

The current outline of the wall was originally built under Ming Emperor Hongwu in 1370, as an enlargement, for defence purposes, of the original construction dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-770 BC).

In total, the wall is 6.4 kilometers long, about 12 meters tall, and ranging between 3 and 6 meters wide on top.

It is usually possible to walk around the whole wall, but reconstruction work was taking place on the northeastern part during my visit.

And, be warned that you can only ascend on the north and south gate, so make sure you don't plan to start in the east, like I did. There are no ways up or down there. On the west gate, you can only descend.

Do get up to the top, however. From the wall is where you can best see how charming Pingyao is, with a bird's-eye view of well-kept courtyards and fascinating rooftops, said to be some of the best preserved examples of original Han architecture in the country.

Crystal Dong said this is one reason why so many locals love their city.

"We have our courtyard inside the city wall, we can have pets, park our bikes in our yard and not be afraid of losing them," she explained.

"Old people can chat and do their exercises with their neighbors and sit outside their homes and watch people pass by on the city wall."

SPA treatments

Be sure to make time for shopping in Pingyao. I totally fell for cute handmade Pingyao shoes, and had to restrain myself as I wanted all the colors.

Lacquered boxes are another Pingyao speciality.

I picked up a cool guidebook called "A Brown Paper Book of Pingyao," which explains why Pingyao is called the "tortoise city."

In ancient times tortoises were worshiped as a "totem" by the Han people of the region.

They would heat tortoise shells and examine the cracks in order to divine the outcome of expeditions.

The Jing's Residence Hotel website points out how the six city gates represent a tortoise. South is the head, north the tail, with the four legs in the east and west.

Getting to every gate, every tower (and sometimes it feels, every brick) of a good few city walls, I've been rewarded by getting face-to-face with ancient history and vibrant neighborhoods of today.

But, as most of it is done on foot, it can be a bit of a slog.

So, after traipsing Pingyao ancient city walls, I decided it was time to treating myself to a blissful two and a half hours of indulgence at the hotel spa - including 90 minutes a bathtub of roses.

Temples, too

When Pingyao's beguiling brickwork won UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1997, a pair of temples outside of the walls - Shuanglin, dating back 1,300 years, and 1,000-year-old Zhenguo, - were included in the bid.

The World Relics Committee of UNESCO described the city as "an outstanding example of a Han Chinese city of the Ming and Qing dynasties that has retained all its features to an exceptional degree."

The UNESCO committee added that this "provides a remarkably complete picture of cultural, social, economic, and religious development during one of the most seminal periods of Chinese history."

How to get there:

The fact that Pingyao has been around for thousands of years is no reason to wait before you visit. Fly or get the train to Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi. From there you need to get a train or coach just under two hours to Pingyao. Alternately, organise transport with your hotel.

Where to stay:

There are many choices of charming courtyard hotels inside the ancient city walls of Pingyao. I picked the adorable Jing's Residence on East Street, which was part of a wealthy Qing Dynasty silk merchant's mansion. The 260-year-old site has been restored to perfection, welcoming guests from all over the world since 2009. Its 19 beautiful rooms and suites are located around four main courtyards. The main building houses an excellent restaurant and an upstairs bar and library lounge for the convenience of guests - ideal for enjoying afternoon tea. The staff are helpful and efficient, speak good English, have great knowledge of their city and passion for sharing it. www.jingsresidence.com