六安市

Why this place

Lu'an is a tea city in the Dabie Mountains, and its Guapian tea is one of China's ten most famous green teas — melon-seed shaped leaves, picked without buds or stems. The mountains behind the city are the tea gardens and a very good walking area.

What to see

• The tea gardens of the Dabie Mountains, with picking in April
• Tiantangzhai, the highest peak in the Dabie range, with forest and waterfalls
• The Pi River and the old town, plus the Hongshi Valley hot springs

What to eat

• Lu'an Guapian tea, drunk all day
• Dabie mountain food: wild vegetables, bamboo, cured pork

Best time

April for tea picking; May–October for the mountains