阜阳市

Why this place

Fuyang is the largest city of the northern Anhui plain, an area that has been farmed since the Bronze Age. It was the birthplace of Guan Zhong, the statesman who helped make the State of Qi a power in the seventh century BCE.

What to see

• The Yingzhou West Lake and the old city's river district
• Bronze and Han-era finds in the Fuyang Museum
• The Huai River plain's farming landscape, which is the real face of this part of China

What to eat

• Northern Anhui noodles and beef soup
• Fuyang is known for its wheat-based breakfast foods

Best time

April–May and September–October