铜川市

Why this place

Tongchuan is a coal city north of Xi'an, and its Yaozhou kilns produced some of the finest celadon of the Song dynasty — olive-green glazed ware with carved decoration, which is a major type in Chinese ceramic history.

What to see

• The Yaozhou kiln site and museum, one of the great Song ceramic centres
• The Yuhua Palace and the Tang-dynasty summer palace sites in the hills
• The Xiangshan and the grottoes of the surrounding valleys

What to eat

• Shaanxi cooking; Tongchuan is known for its 'xian' noodles and its 'yaozhou' ceramics-themed restaurants
• The local apples from the loess plateau

Best time

March–May and September–November