长治市

Why this place

Changzhi sits on the high Shangdang plateau, and because it was a stop on the old road between Shanxi and Henan it accumulated a remarkable set of early temples and painted sculptures — many of them small, rural and almost unvisited.

What to see

• Guanyin Hall at Fucheng village, with over 500 Song-dynasty painted figures — one of the great surviving groups
• Chongqing Temple, a Song-dynasty complex in the city
• Taihang Grand Canyon in the mountains to the east

What to eat

• Shanxi millet and noodle dishes
• Shangdang cured donkey meat, a regional specialty

Best time

May–October