汉中市

Why this place

Hanzhong is the basin on the Han River where Liu Bang was enfeoffed before founding the Han dynasty — which is why Chinese people call themselves Han. It is warmer and greener than the rest of Shaanxi, grows rice and tea, and it is where the first Silk Road envoy, Zhang Qian, was buried.

What to see

• The Zhang Qian tomb and memorial, for the man who opened the Silk Road
• The Hanzhong Museum and the Han dynasty sites, in the old town
• The Qinling–Daba mountain scenery and the rapeseed fields in spring
• The ancient plank roads through the mountains, and the Wuhou Shrine at Mianxian

What to eat

• Hanzhong is a rice-and-noodle place; its 're mianpi' (hot rice noodles) are the local breakfast
• The local 'cai doufu' and the walnuts and tea of the basin

Best time

March–April for rapeseed; September–October otherwise