定西市

Why this place

Dingxi is a loess-plateau city in central Gansu, known in China for its potatoes — a large share of the country's seed potatoes come from here. Its Weiyuan county has the Laojun Mountain and some of the most eroded loess country there is.

What to see

• The loess plateau landforms and the terraced fields
• The Laojun Mountain and the Taoist sites of Weiyuan
• The Tao River valley and the old market towns

What to eat

• Potatoes in every form — this is potato country
• Gansu lamb noodles and the local 'jiangshui' fermented drink

Best time

May–October