绵阳市

Why this place

Mianyang is a science and technology city — a large part of China's nuclear and defence research is here — and it also holds the earliest known Taoist sites, on Xishan hill, where records go back to the Han dynasty.

What to see

• The Xishan and Fule Mountain Taoist sites, the earliest recorded Taoist activity in China
• The Science City museum and the research-history sites
• The Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong route north — Mianyang is the rail head before the mountain road

What to eat

• Sichuan cooking; Mianyang is known for its 'mianyang' rice noodles and its pickled vegetables
• The local 'fenzheng' steamed dishes

Best time

March–May and September–November