潍坊市

Why this place

Weifang holds the world's largest kite festival every April, and kite-making here is a craft going back to the Ming. The city is also one of China's biggest producers of farm machinery and of the vegetables that fill northern markets.

What to see

• The Weifang Kite Museum and the kite festival in April
• Yangjiabu, a village still making woodblock prints and kites by hand
• Shihu Garden, a Qing-era garden in the city, and the Fangzi coal-mine heritage
• Qingzhou ancient town, one of the old Nine Provinces capitals

What to eat

• Weifang is known for its 'three delicacies' — radish, persimmon and kumquat
• Shandong dumplings and the local braised dishes

Best time

April for the kite festival; September–October otherwise