安康市

Why this place

Ankang is in the Qinling–Daba mountain country south of Xi'an, and it is unusually green and wet for Shaanxi — this is where the province's tea and rice come from. The Han River runs through it, and the hills are forested and quiet.

What to see

• The Han River and the Langao and Ziyang mountain country
• The tea gardens of the Qinba mountains
• The Nangong Mountain and the old towns along the Han River

What to eat

• Southern Shaanxi cooking — closer to Sichuan than to Xi'an
• Ankang 'fuyin' tea and the local rice dishes; the 'zhengpen' steamed dishes

Best time

April–June and September–November