天水市

Why this place

Tianshui holds Maijishan, one of the four great Buddhist grotto complexes of China: a solitary red rock hill with 194 caves carved up its cliff faces, reached by walkways pinned to the rock. It is also the legendary birthplace of Fuxi, the first of the legendary emperors.

What to see

• Maijishan Grottoes — the cliff carvings and painted sculpture, on walkways up the rock face
• The Fuxi Temple, for the legendary emperor said to have been born here
• The Nanguo Temple and the Yuquan Taoist temple in the hills
• The Tianshui Museum, with the Qin and Han material of the region

What to eat

• Tianshui 'guagua' — a local starch noodle eaten with chilli, the city's breakfast
• Gansu lamb and the local 'mianpi' cold noodles

Best time

May–October

Practical tips

• Maijishan is 45km from the city — allow half a day and note the walkways are narrow and high