宝鸡市

Why this place

Baoji is where some of the most important bronze vessels ever found in China came from — the Western Zhou bronzes with long inscriptions that record the politics of the eleventh century BCE. It is also the western gateway to the Qinling Mountains and to Taibai, the highest peak in the range.

What to see

• The Baoji Bronze Ware Museum, with the Zhou bronzes and their inscriptions
• The Famen Temple, with its Tang-dynasty underground palace and the reliquary that held a Buddha's finger bone
• Taibai Mountain and the Qinling ridge, for forest and the highest point in eastern China's central range

What to eat

• Shaanxi noodles and the local 'qishan' minced-noodle dish (qishan saozi mian)
• Baoji is known for its 'ganxian' and its mutton dishes

Best time

March–May and September–November