德州市

Why this place

Dezhou is famous across China for its braised chicken — Dezhou paoji, sold vacuum-packed in every railway station in the country. The city itself is an old canal town on the Grand Canal, and it was a pilgrimage stop in its own right.

What to see

• The Grand Canal heritage of the old city and the canal museum
• Suluyu, the tomb of the Philippine king who died in China in 1417 on his way home
• The Dezhou paoji workshops, which are the reason most Chinese people know the city

What to eat

• Dezhou braised chicken (paoji) — bone-in, slow-braised with sixteen spices
• Shandong pancakes and the local mutton soup

Best time

April–May and September–October