安庆市

Why this place

Anqing is where Huangmei opera comes from — one of China's best-loved regional opera forms, with a soft, lyrical style you will hear from village stages to television. Its riverside pagoda and the hill rising out of the Yangtze make it one of the more handsome river cities.

What to see

• Zhenfeng Pagoda on the river, and the Yingjiang Temple complex beside it
• Xiaogushan, the 'Little Orphan Hill' standing alone in the Yangtze
• Tianzhu Mountain (Sanqingshan's neighbour), one of Anhui's best mountain areas
• Huangmei opera performances, which are worth catching if you are in town

What to eat

• Anqing is known for its river fish and its Huaining-style noodles
• Mozhen (ink-stick) culture has a culinary equivalent in the local dried goods

Best time

April–May and October–November