蚌埠市

Why this place

Bengbu grew up where the Tianjin–Pukou railway crossed the Huai River, which turned a small river town into a regional transport hub. The Huai River itself is one of China's great dividing lines between north and south — this is where rice and wheat country meet.

What to see

• The Huai River waterfront and the flood-control works, central to the region's modern history
• Zhanggongshan and the Longzi Lake parks
• The old railway district, which still has its early-20th-century layout

What to eat

• Bengbu is a noodle town — Huai River fish and the local spicy noodles
• The local dried beef and spiced snacks

Best time

April–May and September–October