三门峡市

Why this place

Sanmenxia is where the Yellow River leaves the loess plateau and slows, and where it passes the great dam built in the 1950s — the city's name means 'three gate gorge'. Its claim to fame is archaeological: the earliest iron implements found in China come from a tomb here.

What to see

• The Sanmenxia dam and the Yellow River gorge, with the swans that winter on the reservoir
• The Guo State Museum, with the earliest iron sword and the jade burial sets
• The Yangshao village site at Mianchi, one of the defining Neolithic cultures of China
• Hangu Pass, the great gateway between the central plain and the west

What to eat

• Yellow River carp and the local braised fish
• Sanmenxia is known for its apples and its dried fruit

Best time

November–February for the wintering swans; April–May and September–October otherwise