南充市

Why this place

Nanchong was a silk-producing centre and it is where Chen Shou, the historian who wrote the Records of the Three Kingdoms, and the general Zhang Fei, came from or died. It also has one of the largest ancient cities in the region and a lantern-making tradition.

What to see

• The Zhang Fei temple at Langzhong — the general's shrine in a Ming city
• Langzhong ancient city — a complete Ming–Qing walled town with a Feng Shui plan, one of the best in Sichuan
• The Jinping Mountain and the old silk workshops

What to eat

• Sichuan northern cooking; Nanchong is known for its 'chuanbei' and its preserved duck
• Liangfen and the local cold noodle dishes

Best time

March–May and September–November

Practical tips

• Langzhong is worth an overnight — it is one of the finest old towns in Sichuan and less visited than it deserves