商洛市

Why this place

Shangluo is in the Qinling Mountains east of Xi'an, on the old road through the mountains to Henan and Hubei. It is where Li Zicheng, the rebel who ended the Ming dynasty, was born, and its mountains are forested and remote.

What to see

• The Jinligou and Zhashui karst caves — one of the largest cave systems in northwest China
• The Qinling mountain passes and the old plank roads
• The Shangluo old town and the Li Zicheng heritage sites

What to eat

• Shaanxi mountain cooking: walnuts, chestnuts and the local 'shangluo' noodle dishes
• The region's 'banli' chestnuts and its medicinal herbs

Best time

April–June and September–November