临沧市

Why this place

Lincang is a tea prefecture in western Yunnan, on the Myanmar border, and it is the home of the Wa people — one of the groups whose traditional headhunting culture makes the region distinctive in Chinese ethnography. Its tea mountains produce much of the pu'er that is sold.

What to see

• The Cangyuan rock paintings — prehistoric art in caves along the border
• The Wa villages and the old tea gardens of the mountains
• The Nujiang and Mekong headwater country

What to eat

• Wa and Dai cooking: grilled meats, sour bamboo and sticky rice
• Lincang tea; the local 'jinuo' tea tradition

Best time

October–April